Delegation is the process of distributing and entrusting work to another person.[1] In management or leadership within an organisation, it involves a manager aiming to efficiently distribute work, decision-making and responsibility to subordinate workers in an organization. Delegation may result in creation of an accountable chain of authority where authority and responsibility moves down in an organisational structure.[2] Inefficient delegation may lead to micromanagement.
There are a number of reasons someone may decide to delegate. These include:
Delegation is widely accepted as an essential element of effective management.[4] The ability to delegate is sometimes seen as a critical skill in managing effectively.[5] There are a number of factors that facilitate effective delegation by managers, including "Recognising and respecting others' capabilities; evaluating tasks and communicating how they fit in the big picture; matching people and assignments; providing support and encouragement; tolerating ambiguity and uncertainty; interpreting failure as a key to learning".[5] With organisations being such complex and dynamic entities, the success of objectives relies heavily on how effectively tasks and responsibilities can be delegated.[6]
Compare the Harzburg Model (‹See Tfd›German: Harzburger Modell) (developed by Reinhard Höhn at the Akademie für Führungskräfte der Wirtschaft Bad Harzburg in the 1950s), which proposed "leadership through delegation" (‹See Tfd›German: Führung durch Delegation).[7][8]
A model is proposed that suggests that the effectiveness of delegation in a local context is a function of the global leader's cognitions and perceptions of their subordinates. Further, it suggests that this relationship is moderated by the local cultural context in that some cultures may be opposed to being delegated authority.
Ein Beispiel eines Delegationsmodells bildet das Harzburger Modell. [...] Beim Harzburger Modell handelt es sich um ein von der Akademie für Führungskräfte der Wirtschaft in Bad Harzburg entwickeltes Modell der Unternehmensorganisation, wonach für jeden Mitarbeiter ein fest umgrenzter Aufgabenbereich mit entsprechenden Kompetenzen einzurichten ist, innerhalb dessen er selbständig und eigenverantwortlich handeln und entscheiden kann.
The Harzburg model, which was motivated by a desire to eliminate authoritarian leadership methods, represented the first departure from leadership trait theory. [...] It was developed in the 1950s at the Bad Harzburg leadership academy (Akademie für Führungskräfte) under the direction of Reinhard Höhn, the academy's founder. [...] Central to this approach is the delegation of responsibilities to individual employees, by providing job descriptions and general instructions.