Authority is a manager’s tool
that can be described as the right to commit resources (that is, to make
decisions that commit the organization’s resources) or the legal right to give
orders or to tell someone to do or not to do something.
Functional Authority is the authority to
make decisions on specific activities that are undertaken by personnel in other departments.
Authority is the “glue” that
holds the organization together. It provides the means of command. There are
three types of authority.
- Line authority
- Staff authority
- Functional authority
Line Authority defines the
relationship between superior and subordinate.
Staff Authority is the
authority to serve in an advisory capacity.