The Unity of Command principle is a significant principle of management as given by Henri Fayol. Unity of Command simply means getting orders / commands from only one supervisor.
In this article, we will dive deeper into the details of the Unity of Command principle of management, and see what are its advantages and disadvantages, and how it helps a business organization.
Unity of Command Principle of Management
This principle states that an employee should always receive commands, instructions, or duties from a single manager at a time, and should always be accountable to his immediate superior.
It aims to reduce confusion of employees when he/she receives instructions from many supervisors as this principle believes that no one is capable of doing a particular task effectively when he/she has to work under the command of different bosses in a single time.
If an employee receives orders from two-or-three supervisors, it will create work conflicts and will also confuse the employees – whose duty to do first, whom to follow, etc. It will also prevent the employee from doing his/her task efficiently, thus decreasing his/her productivity and the overall performance of the organization.
But, when instructed by a single boss, the employee will better understand the responsibilities of what & how to do. It establishes a better bond between the boss & employee, and makes his mind free from other work. On the contrary, this promotes the effectiveness of the performance.
In case of more than one boss, the problem of ego clash between the bosses arises. This problem of ego clash also causes conflicting situations in the management as every superior wants his orders to be executed first, by his subordinate. All this in turn hampers the organization’s growth.
An example of Unity of Command principle can be – If an employee has been given a task, and the immediate superior asks him/her to finish it within 3 to 4 hours, but the head of the department orders him/her to deliver that task within 1 hour – in such a case, having no unity of command can not only create confusion but also pressure in the workplace.
Main Objectives of Unity of Command Principle of Management
The objectives that make the Unity of Command principle so important are as follows:
- To establish a direct relationship between employees and their superior.
- To get innovation, development and support from all organization’s employees.
- To help employees be more experienced and more productive.
- To avoid conflicts or confusion about how to respond to an order.
- To establish an order within the organization which will ensure productivity.
Advantages of Unity of Command Principle of Management
The advantages of the Unity of Command principle in Management are:
- Unity of Command helps in developing a much clearer, harmonious, and cordial relationship between superiors and subordinates.
- Prevents dual subordination.
- Unity of Command results in clear and well-organized authority, accountability, and responsibility among the various levels in the organization.
- It helps reduce and avoid duplication of work between different levels of an organization’s workforce.
- It helps managers in making quick or immediate decisions correctly.
- This principle of management will ensure efficient and effective discipline among organizational personnel.
- Unity of command principle guarantees better teamwork and coordination of workers in the business organization.
- This principle increases motivation and generates a positive attitude among workers of the organization.
- It leads to higher productivity of goods and services which consequently creates a better image or brand of the business in the market.
Disadvantages of Unity of Command Principle of Management
The disadvantages of the Unity of Command principle in Management are:
- Strict adherence to the Unity of Command principle can limit flexibility within an organization.
- This principle may obstruct the flow of ideas and information between different departments.
- When all the communication and decision-making authority is concentrated on a single supervisor, it can create bottlenecks and overload.
- Too much dependency on the principle of Unity of Command may negatively impact individual autonomy and empowerment.
- Rigid hierarchies within an organization can hinder responsiveness to change.
- Team members may be reluctant to leave their comfort zones in this scenario, thus hindering the evolving business needs.
The Final Word
The principle of Unity of Command of Management ensures that there is enough time for the employees to understand how to appropriately conduct the given task. Unity of Command promotes better understanding between boss and employees. Employees can make their minds free from other tasks, and this enables the effectiveness of the performance of employees.
Hence, it must be emphasized that an employee should be responsible to only one boss at a given time, until the completion of a given task. Only after the completion of the particular task, he will receive instruction from other bosses.
