Question

Explain the following principles of General Management:
(i) Initiative
(ii) Scalar chain
(iii) Authority and responsibility

Hint:

Fayol's structural definitions to remember: - Initiative: Encouraging self-motivated suggestions to drive employee belongingness. - Scalar Chain: Sticking to the formal hierarchy of communication, using a Gang Plank only during emergencies. - Authority & Responsibility: Ensuring balance ($\text{Authority} = \text{Responsibility}$) to prevent both operational delays and the abuse of power.

Answer 1

Step 1: Identify the concept.
These are three of Fayol's fourteen principles of general management, each guiding how authority and initiative should work in an organisation.
Step 2: Initiative.
Initiative means giving employees the freedom to think of and carry out their own ideas within the limits of their authority, management should encourage this rather than discourage it, since it brings enthusiasm and new ideas into the workplace.
Step 3: Scalar Chain.
Scalar Chain refers to the formal line of authority running from the highest level of management down to the lowest, messages normally travel along this chain, though Fayol's gang plank allows a shortcut between two employees at the same level in urgent situations.
Step 4: Authority and Responsibility, and final answer.
Authority is the right to give orders and get obedience, while responsibility is the obligation to complete the assigned task, Fayol held that authority and responsibility must always go hand in hand, whoever is given authority must also be held responsible for the outcome. So Initiative encourages independent thinking, Scalar Chain defines the formal reporting line, and Authority and Responsibility must always match each other.