Principle: UNITY OF COMMAND

Unity of Command means getting orders/ command from only one supervisor.

Fayol has stated “As soon as two superiors impose their authority over the same person or department, uneasiness makes itself felt. Dual command is a perpetual source of conflict.”

This principle states that an individual should get orders from a single superior so that he does not get confused and can discharge his duties effectively.

This principle advocates that only one boss should give order to an individual so that he can understand what to do and can perform systematically with greater efficiency. If more than one boss will instruct an individual, he will certainly get confused about his responsibility and will not be able to perform even a single activity because he faces the dilemma of “whom should he follow?”

In case of more than one boss, problem of ego clash between the bosses arises because every superior wants his orders to be executed by his subordinate. This problem of ego clash also causes conflicting situation in the organization, which hampers the organization growth.

Positive impacts of this principle:

Ø  Prevents dual subordination;

Ø  Easy to fix responsibility to an individual;

Ø  Harmonious and cordial relation among the management and the employees; and

Ø  Performance of the employees will increase.

Consequences of violation of this principle:

Ø  Reduces efficiency of subordinates;

Ø  Creates confused situation for the subordinates;

Ø  Subordinates can easily escape from their responsibility and duties;

Ø  Ego clash between managers;

Ø  Overlapping of orders and instructions; and

Ø  Hard to maintain discipline in the organization.