Q.Explain Gang Plank.
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Imagine you work in a large office. You need a small approval from the head of another department, but you are not allowed to talk to them directly. Instead, you must first tell your supervisor, who tells their supervisor, who tells the other department's head, and then the reply travels all the way back down the same chain. That long, slow route is the formal chain of command. Now imagine you could just walk over and speak to that person directly, as long as you later inform your respective bosses. That shortcut is the essence of the Scalar Chain.
The Principle of Scalar Chain, given by Henri Fayol, states that in any organisation, there should be a clear, unbroken line of authority from the topmost position to the lowest. This line is often called the chain of command or the line of authority. Every employee knows exactly who they report to and who reports to them. This prevents confusion, maintains discipline, and ensures that orders and information flow in an orderly manner.
However, Fayol was practical. He knew that strictly following this chain for every small communication would be painfully slow. So he introduced the idea of a "gang plank" (sometimes called a bridge). This is a direct, horizontal communication link between two employees at the same level in different departments, provided their respective superiors have authorised it and are kept informed.
The Scalar Chain is not about rigidly following the chain for every single message. It is about respecting the chain of authority while using a gang plank for speed, as long as no one is bypassed without knowledge. The key condition is that both employees inform their immediate superiors before and after using the gang plank.
Here is why this principle matters in a real organisation:
- Clarity of reporting: Every person knows their immediate boss and their immediate subordinates. This removes ambiguity about who gives orders and who is accountable.
- Orderly communication: Formal information (policies, major decisions) travels through the chain, ensuring everyone in the line is aware and can act accordingly. …
Gang plank is a direct short-cut across the scalar chain that saves time in emergencies.
Fayol's principle of Scalar Chain says that there should be a clear line of authority running from the top to the lowest level, and normally all communication should pass along this chain, step by step. But following the full chain can be slow in an emergency. To overcome this, Fayol allowed a 'Gang Plank' — a short-cut by which two persons at the same level in two different departments can contact each other directly, without going all the way up to the common superior and back down. The Gang Plank saves time, provided both parties keep their seniors informed. For example, if employee F in one branch needs to contact employee P in another, t …
- CBSE 2026Set MARCH1 markQ.Gang Plank is used in the case of ____________.
›Reveal solutionSolution
Gang Plank is a concept under Fayol's principle of Scalar Chain. It is a short cut that permits direct contact between two employees of the same rank to avoid delay in emergencies.
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- CBSE 2026Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.Which of the following principle of management states that there should be formal lines of authority in an organisation running from highest to lowest ranks ?(a) Division of work(b) Unity of command(c) Equity(d) Scalar Chain
›Reveal solutionSolution
The principle described is Scalar Chain.
Fayol's 14 principles each address a distinct aspect of organising work:
- Division of work — splitting work into specialised tasks for efficiency.
- Unity of command — one employee should receive orders from only one superior.
- Equity — managers should be fair and kind to workers. …
- CBSE 2025Set MARCH1 markQ.Who is called as the Father of General Management?
›Reveal solutionSolution
Henri Fayol is called the Father of General Management.
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- CBSE 2025Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.Henri Fayol permitted a horizontal communication in case of urgent matters under the device known as ________. (A) Equity (B) Gang - plank (C) Order (D) Unity of command
›Reveal solutionSolution
The Gang Plank is Fayol's own exception to the Scalar Chain principle, allowing two employees at the same level in different vertical chains to communicate directly in urgent situations instead of going all the way up and down the formal chain.
Fayol's Scalar Chain principle states that there should be a clear, unbroken line of authority running from the highest to the lowest rank, and that formal communication should normally travel along this chain, step by step.
However, Fayol recognised that strictly following the scalar chain for every single urgent matter could cause serious delay — e.g. two employees in different departments, both several levels below the top, might need to coordinate quickly. To solve this, he introduced the Gang Plank (sometimes called "Fayol's Bridge"): a horizontal link that lets two employees at the same level, in different chains of command, communicate directly with each other, bypassing the full vertical route — provided their immed …
- CBSE 2023Set ANNUAL1 markQ.What is Scalar-chain?(OR)State one feature of principles of management.
›Reveal solutionSolution
Scalar chain is Fayol's principle of a formal chain of authority linking all levels from top to bottom. Alternatively, a feature of management principles is that they are universally applicable.
Henri Fayol's principle of scalar chain states that there should be a clear, unbroken line of authority and communication from the topmost manager to the lowest employee, and that normally messages should move step by step along this chain (with a 'gang plank' allowed for urgent lateral communication).
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- CBSE 2022Set MARCH1 markQ.Who is the Father of General Management?
›Reveal solutionSolution
Henri Fayol is called the Father of General Management.
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- CBSE 2022Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.Principle of 'scalar chain' is connected with the management of :(a) money(b) materials(c) machineries(d) men
›Reveal solutionSolution
Scalar chain relates to the management of men.
Fayol's principle of scalar chain is the unbroken line of authority and communication that runs from the highest to the lowest level of the organisation. Because it governs the chain of command and the flow of orders and information among people (with the 'gang plank' allowing a shortcut for urgent horizontal communication), it is concerne …
- CBSE 2022Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.Which of the following is not a principle of management propounded by Henry Fayol?(a) Division of work(b) Scalar chain(c) Coordination(d) Authority and responsibility
›Reveal solutionSolution
Coordination is NOT one of Fayol's 14 principles of management.
Henry Fayol propounded 14 specific principles of management: Division of Work, Authority and Responsibility, Discipline, Unity of Command, Unity of Direction, Subordination of Individual Interest to General Interest, Remuneration of Employees, Centralisation and Decentralisation, Scalar Chain, Order, Equity, Stability of Tenure, Initiative, and Esprit de Corps. Division of Work, Scalar Chain, and Authority & Responsibility are all genuine entries on this list. Coordination, however, is not treated by Fayol as a separate named principle — it is described in management theory as the 'essence of management', the end result that is automatically achieved when all the other principles are followed corr …
- CBSE 2022Set ANNUAL1 markQ.What is meant by gang plank?
›Reveal solutionSolution
Gang plank is Fayol's bridge that allows horizontal, direct communication between employees of the same rank in different vertical chains of command, cutting through the formal scalar chain to save time.
In a large organisation following Fayol's scalar chain principle, every instruction or piece of information is expected to travel through each level of authority, up one chain and down another, before reaching an employee in a different department. This is slow and can be harmful when a decision is urgent.
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- CBSE 2020Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.The principle of scalar chain is related with the(a) Flow pattern of authority(b) Processing of product(c) Layout of machineries(d) Directing function
›Reveal solutionSolution
Scalar chain is the formal line of authority from top to bottom, so it relates to the flow pattern of authority, making option (a) correct.
Henri Fayol's principle of scalar chain states that there should be a clear, unbroken line of authority linking all levels of management, from the highest executive to the lowest employee. Orders and communication should ordinarily move step by step along this chain.
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- CBSE 2020Set ANNUAL1 markQ.What do you understand by scalar principle?
›Reveal solutionSolution
The scalar principle is Fayol's chain of command running from the highest to the lowest level of the organisation.
Henri Fayol's principle of Scalar Chain states that there should be a clear, unbroken line of authority running from the highest executive to the lowest-ranking employee, so that everyone knows to whom they report and from whom they take orders. This chain also serves as the normal route for official communication to travel up and down the organisation.
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