THE IMPACT OF THE DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY ON EMPLOYEES PERFORMANCE

Abstract

This study is on the impact of delegation of authority on employees performance. The total population for the study is 200 staff of Nigeria breweries Plc in Makurdi, Benue state. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made up shift managers, human resource managers, technical officers and brewers were used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies

 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background of the study

Delegation of authority is one of modern trends practiced by managers. It is function stands out contributing and increasing the level of motivation of employees and achieving positive returns for (an organization with a manager) and (an employee with a customer) both. On the level of an organization, it achieves competitive advantage, knowledge inventory, increases the level of productivity and speed in finalizing tasks effectively. On the level of manager, it alleviates functional burdens, gains employees’ satisfaction and builds cooperation and trust between manger and employees giving a chance for manger to have full-time for realization of more important work. So, it reduces physical and intellectual efforts exerted by manager and other employees. On the level of an employee, it works on achieving functional empowerment, constructing alternative and administrative leadership, making employees feel self-confidence and motivation for Excellency in performance. On the level of customer, it meets the needs of customers rapidly, delivering or providing the service will not be delayed due to delegation authority. Giving the customer a higher level of care and attention, building customer’s perceived and creating loyalty and mutual respect for an organization and production in which the organization produced. It can be said that method of delegation authority becomes inevitable issue for every organization whether in public or private sector. It is not optional due to many reasons has connected and brought developments and changes to the organizations including that (increasing its size and diversity of its products, multiplicity of its products and spread of its branches in different geographical zones and different local, regional and international levels. Managers have been imposed for the necessity to have a way for helping them in facilitating business affairs and alleviating the burdens in which they aren’t tolerated, implemented and controlled by a manger. From other hand, different social and environmental transformations at organization have been changed since of classical school that was differentiated by centralism and subjecting to orders of mangers without reluctance. Implementing processes and procedures become more flexible, and free due to employees. The results of applying this principle has helped employees to be enhanced, imposed different functional rights for them, and necessity to transform from dictatorship to democracy associates with modern trends of management and employees’ desires and wishes. In addition, managers will be able to maintain their job position and preserve the process of facilitating business affairs, employees’ loyalty, enabling to be remained and achieving performance efficiency. The concept of delegation of authority as it happens in industries, service and business organizations has attracted many psychologists and educations. These great people have carried out series of research on it with each of them coming up with a theory as it affects decision-making in organizations. Yet no one theory of delegation can alone satisfactorily explain the concepts. This is because of the complexity in human behaviour.  Delegation means entrusting to or deputation or representing. To delegate authority, a manger entrusts his authority to others to perform. It is an important tool of management. Management is defined as social process entailing responsibility for an effective planning and regulations of operation of an organization in fulfillment of a given purpose or task. It can also be defined as the act and science of achieving the objectives of a business as organization in the most efficient way. However, all organization, be it small or large have to take decision. The purpose of decision-making, as earlier said, is to direct human behaviour towards a future goal. Decision-making is the selection from among alternation courses of action, and if there were no alteration, there should be need for a decision. In making any plan, there must be a  decision to take: therefore, it can be said that planning leads to decision guided by organization policy and objectives.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

There are many problems associated with delegating of authority with regards to making good decision for the organization, especially as there are many individual differences. Employers know the importance of employee’s participation and satisfaction and their effects in the achievement of organization objectives. To be able to achieve better result in shorter time with minimum supervision and attention, the manager should ensure that he delegates his authorities to capable hands, and at the same time, authority should be delegated with equal responsibility.