Q.Explain the principle of 'Scalar Chain' and gang plank.
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →The Scalar Chain is the formal line of authority from top to bottom in an organisation, while the gang plank is a temporary shortcut that allows two employees at the same level to communicate directly when needed, speeding up decisions without breaking the chain.
The principle of Scalar Chain was introduced by Henri Fayol, one of the pioneers of modern management theory. Fayol observed that in any large organisation, authority flows in a clear, unbroken line from the highest executive down to the lowest worker. This line is what he called the Scalar Chain — it is the formal path through which all official communication and orders must pass. Think of it as a ladder: every step represents a level of management, and every message must climb up or down each rung in sequence.
Why did Fayol insist on this? Because it ensures discipline, clarity, and accountability. If a worker in the production department wants to pass a suggestion to the CEO, the Scalar Chain demands that the message go first to the foreman, then to the department head, then to the plant manager, and so on, step by step. This prevents confusion, maintains the authority of each manager, and creates a clear record of who said what to whom. In a large bureaucracy, this is essential for order.
Fayol’s Scalar Chain is often compared to the military chain of command — every soldier knows exactly who gives orders and who reports to whom. In business, it works the same way: it prevents “skipping” levels, which can undermine managers and create chaos.
But Fayol was not rigid. He recognised that strictly following the Scalar Chain for every small matter could cause terrible delays. Imagine two department heads — say, the production manager and the sales manager — who need to coordinate a rush order. If they had to communicate only through their respective superiors, the message would have to go up from production to the CEO, then down to sales, and back again. That could take days. For urgent, routine matters, this is absurd. …
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