Authority and source of authority

Authority

            Authority is the power to manage the sub-ordinates to control them and to instruct them according to the rules norms and standards of the organization. Authority of managers helps to keep the sub-ordinates in obedience.

According to Henry Fayol, “Authority can be define as the right to give orders and provides to exact obedience.”

According to THEO HAIMANN, “Authority is the rightful legal power to request subordinates to do a certain thing for refrain from doing so, If he does not follow this instructions, the manager is in opposition,  if need be, to take displinery action.”

In conclusion we can say that authority is a legal power to instruct, order and control the subordinates as desire by the manager under the regulations of organizations and the manager also holds the power to punish the subordinates in case of this obedience.

Sources of authority

The sources of authority/legal/power are:

I) Position or post

The position or post or leave of the managers or employees may have shortened authorities. The personal capacity can defer actual practice of such authorities.

II) Formal Sources of authorities

According to this sources or theory authorities is created or originated from the real owners and it is transfer to the top level management. For e.g. CEO can receive authority from BOD, and delegates such authorities to be lower levels.

III) Acceptance theory of Authority

Another source of authority is acceptance from the sub-ordinates. If the ideas, activities, opinions and procedures followed by the superiors are accepted by the sub-ordinates than only the authorities than only the authorities can be practice such sources or authorities is known as acceptance theory.

IV) Competence theory

According to this theory, Authorities also dirges from the personal skills, knowledge experience, extra-ordinary academic excellence such factors shown the competency of the managers.

V) Environmental factors

The authorities is also creates or formed the external environmental forces in another words degree of authority can be increased or decreased based on favor and unfavored situation of environment. It the environment is favorable then the manager can used maximum degree of authorities.