AIIMS Raipur lecturer 2021
Nursing Management & leadership
Easy

In which among the following organizational processes, does the manager divide a part of work among the subordinates?

Appeared in: AIIMS Raipur lecturer 2021

Explanation

  • Delegation of authority is the specific management process of assigning tasks and granting the necessary power to subordinates to perform them.
  • The primary purpose is to distribute the workload, enabling managers to focus on more critical responsibilities while developing the skills of their team members.
  • According to management principles, this process involves the assignment of responsibility and the granting of authority, but the manager retains final accountability for the results.
  • This act is a fundamental tool for efficient management and organizational functioning.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

  • Option B: Decentralization is a broad, organization-wide policy of distributing authority to lower levels of management, not the specific, interpersonal act of a manager assigning a task to a subordinate.
  • Option C: The principle of flexibility refers to an organization's ability to adapt to changes in its environment. It is about responsiveness and change management, not the internal division of labor.
  • Option D: Leadership is the broad skill of influencing and motivating people to achieve common goals. Delegation is a specific tool or technique that a leader uses, but it is not synonymous with leadership itself.

Related Visual

Visual explanation — Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
  • Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Principles of Management in Nursing as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
  • In nursing, delegation is a critical daily skill. A Registered Nurse (RN) frequently delegates tasks such as taking vital signs, bathing, or ambulating patients to Unlicensed Assistive Personnel (UAP) or nursing assistants.
  • Proper delegation is governed by the 'Five Rights of Delegation' to ensure patient safety: Right Task, Right Circumstance, Right Person, Right Direction/Communication, and Right Supervision/Evaluation.
  • Improper delegation, such as assigning a task that requires professional nursing judgment (e.g., patient assessment, evaluation of care) to a UAP, is a violation of nursing practice standards and can endanger patients.
How to Approach the Question
  • First, carefully read the question to identify the core concept. The stem describes a specific action: a 'manager divid[ing] a part of work among the subordinates'.
  • Next, analyze each option based on its precise definition in management theory.
  • Evaluate 'Delegation of authority'. This term directly matches the action described in the stem – the transfer of work and authority from a superior to a subordinate.
  • Consider the other options. 'Decentralization' is a broader organizational structure. 'Flexibility' is about adapting to change. 'Leadership' is about influence.
  • Conclude that 'Delegation of authority' is the most accurate and specific term for the process described.
Concept Tested & Keywords
  • Concept Tested: Principles of Management in Nursing
  • Stem keywords: organizational processes, manager, divide a part of work, subordinates
  • Lead-in keywords: In which
  • Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

Qx6KR3cTU6SaCZeLSoJMBb

Reference Book

E6 Nursing_Management_and_leadership_Johny_Kutty_JosephCbs_Publishers (pp 16-364 of 374) p. 160-162

E6 Textbook of Nursing Management and Leadership I. Clemen — Subpart B (pp 328-654 of 982) p. 133-135

E6 Textbook of Nursing Management and Leadership I. Clemen — Subpart A (pp 26-327 of 982) p. 212-214

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