Q.Sushant was an able Project Manager at 'Keiro Ltd.' Sushant's Head, Naveen handed over a new project to Sushant. Sushant already had enough work in hand. So, Sushant decided to divide the work assigned to him, among three of his subordinates. He himself kept that part of the work which he himself could perform effectively and got his subordinates to help him with what remained. The project got completed well in time because of this. The concept of management used by Sushant to complete the project was : (A) Delegation (B) Decentralization (C) Accountability (D) Authority

The key idea here is the Delegation Accountability Principle — a manager assigns part of their own work to subordinates while retaining ultimate responsibility.

Reasoning in steps:

1. Sushant had a new project but was already overloaded. He kept the portion he could handle effectively and gave the rest to his three subordinates.
2. This is a clear case of delegation: transferring authority for specific tasks to subordinates, while the manager (Sushant) remains accountable for the overall completion. …

The question tests your ability to distinguish between delegation, decentralisation, accountability, and authority — four concepts that often get tangled in management exams. Let’s unpack them.

1. What Sushant actually did.

   He had too much work. Instead of doing everything himself or pushing it all down, he kept the part he could handle effectively and gave the remaining tasks to his three subordinates. This is a classic case of a manager dividing work among team members while retaining control over the core part. The project succeeded because the load was shared.

2. Why this is delegation, not decentralisation.

   Delegation is when a superior assigns responsibility and authority to a subordinate for specific tasks, but the superior remains accountable for the overall outcome. Decentralisation, on the other hand, is a systematic dispersal of decision-making power across the organisation — it’s a structural policy, not a one-time act by a manager. Sushant’s action was a temporary, task-specific arrangement, not a permanent shift in organisational structure.

3. Why accountability alone doesn’t fit.

   Accountability is the obligation to answer for the outcome. Sushant was accountable for the project, but the concept he used to complete it was the act of assigning work — that act is delegation. Accountability is a consequence of delegation, not the tool itself.

4. Why authority is not the answer. …