Q."Authority, responsibility and accountability always go together." Explain the meaning of each and how they are related to delegation.

Delegation is built on three elements that flow in opposite directions and behave differently once the task is passed down — this is one of the most heavily tested distinctions in this unit. …

Authority is the right granted by a superior to a subordinate, allowing the subordinate to take the decisions necessary to carry out the assigned task; authority flows downward, from a superior to a subordinate.

Responsibility is the subordinate's obligation to properly perform the task that has been assigned to them; responsibility flows upward — a subordinate is answerable to the superior who assigned the work.

Accountability is the obligation to answer for the final outcome of the task. Crucially, while authority CAN be delegated further down the chain (a subordinate can, in turn, delegate part of their authority to someone below them), accountability cannot be delegated at all — the person who originally accepted responsibility for a task from their superior remains ultimately answerable for the result, even if they delegated parts of the actual work. …

Believing accountability can be delegated in the same way authority can — a manager who delegates a task to a subordinate remains accountable to their own superior for it, no ma …