Responsibility
Responsibility is the task entrusted by managers to subordinates. It means moral commitment to do the work assigned. A person who performs some work has the responsibility to do it. It is the obligation to carry out the assigned task. It is the duty or task that a person is assigned to accompli-sh. “Responsibility is the obligation of an individual to carry out assigned activities to the best of his or her ability”.
“Responsibility is the obligation of a subordinate to carry out the duties assigned to him.”-Knootz and O’Donnel
Features of Responsibility:
(i) Responsibility comes from superior-subordinate relationship.
(ii) It always flows upward from juniors to seniors.
(iii) It arises from duty assigned.
(iv) It cannot be delegated.
(v) It is the obligation to complete the job as per instructions. Responsibility may be continuing obligation or it may be discharged by accomplishing single task
Responsibility can take or known in two forms i.e;
1. Operating Responsibility, and
2. Ultimate Responsibility.
Operating responsibility is the obligation of a person to perform the assigned tasks. Ultimate responsibility is the final obligation of the manager who ensures that the task is done efficiently by the employees. Ultimate responsibility is the final responsibility of the manager who gets the work done through employees and operating responsibility is the responsibility or obligation of the person who actually does the work. A manager (ultimate responsibility) gets the work done through his employees (operating responsibility).
