The passing of authority further down the managerial hierarchy is known as what?

• A. Empowerment
• B. Span of control
• C. Delegation
• D. Organisational chart

Answer: (C)

Delegation is about moving responsibility and decision-making authority down to someone lower in the line of command for a specific task, while the manager still remains ultimately accountable for the outcome. This helps decisions be made where the work happens and frees up higher levels for broader planning. It’s different from empowerment, which is a broader approach to giving staff more autonomy across situations rather than transferring particular tasks and authorities. Span of control is simply the number of people reporting to a manager, not the act of handing down authority. An organisational chart is just a diagram of the structure, not the process of delegating authority.