Question

1. Do you agree or disagree with Chester Barnard that authority flows upward rather than downward?

2. Of all the historical management ideas reviewed in this chapter, which seem to be the most important? Why?

Chapter 2 from Management ( a faith-based pespective) by michael E. Cafferky.

Answer 1

1.

Chester Bernard made these comments based on a more democratic view of the authority which places more weight on the subordinates than the leader. He believed that subordinates will only recognize a authority if the message meets certain conditions and if they believe the message is no interest to them, they will not respond which gives them the ultimate authority ,making the authoroty bottom up or with upward flow.

I agree with the statement to an extent, because subordinates in current business settings will only listen to messages from up if they satisfy some criteria for them and since the deciding power and acknowledgement resides with the subordinates ,it'd not be wrong to recognize the upward flow of authority.