Iii) Chain Of Command

. The chain of command is an unbroken line of authority that extends from the top of the organisation to the lowest echelon and clarifies who reports to whom. It answers questions from employees, such as "to whom do I go if I have a problem?" and "to whom am I responsible?".

. The chain of command is associated with the concept of authority and unity of command. Authority refers to the managerial position that gives orders and expects the orders to be carried out. To facilitate coordination, each managerial position is given a place in the chain of command, and each manager is given a degree of authority in order to meet his or her responsibilities. The unity of command helps preserve the concept of an unbroken line of authority, ie a person should have one, and only one, superior to whom he or she is directly responsible. If the unity of command is broken, a subordinate might have to cope with conflicting demands from several superiors.

. With advances in computer technology and trends towards employing employees, the chain of command, authority and unit of command concepts are less relevant today. Computers have given a wider access across the organisation to information, and allowed for better communications between all levels of an organisation. Associated with this empowerment is notion of teams (self-managed, cross-functional, etc)

Question: to whom do individuals and groups report?