Scalar Chain in Management
The formal line of authority, which moves gradually from the lowest to the highest rank in a straight line, is known as the scalar chain. Specific people sitting at specific positions need to know a lot of information about the management system. The scalar chain principle of management is a root that specifies the chain of people through which the information should be communicated to the desired person or location for a faster pace of work.
To facilitate proper communication of the supervisory committee's orders and the subordinate’s feelings, Fayol stated that every organizational information must follow a particular route and flow in a chain.
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The Advantages of Scalar Chain
Every organization must strictly follow the scalar chain for proper functioning. During the entire communication process, there must be no overlapping of any steps, which reduces the chance of any miscommunications. In any business, multiple numbers of problems occur, but if a scalar chain is present, then every employee is aware of whom to approach in case of solving a problem. A required message can be communicated by the top management to the entire organization by following the scalar chain principle of management. If the proper route is known, then the top management team’s order can be easily executed by the supervisors at each level without any communication gap. Unnecessary organizational chaos will be avoided.
Henri Fayol Scalar Chain
The famous ladder diagram of Henri Fayol explained to several organizations the scalar chain principle of management and how the flow of information should take place. Let us consider that in an organization, there are M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U number of employees at various posts. Say, for example, employee O needs to communicate with employee S through the scalar chain diagram then the route should first follow from O to N followed by M and then to R. Hence, the information will follow a route of four steps to reach from employee O to the employee S.
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Henri Fayol Scalar Chain
In case of any discrepancies, delay, or confusion, the accountable person can be questioned immediately, and problems can be easily solved. It will automatically felicitate a clear system of communication and authority. While asking the question of what is scalar chain many people forget to ask what are the disadvantages or limitations of a scalar chain. The main disadvantage of a scalar chain is that it consumes a huge amount of time. There are situations where immediate actions are required, but if one goes on following the scalar chain route, then it can delay the action or decision to be taken as the main information takes a lot of time to reach the specific person. This sort of delay can bring huge losses to the company as well.
Concept of Gang Plank
We already know that scalar chain refers to the route of the flow of information to the desired person in an organization. We have already discovered that it has its limits and disadvantages. Hence, Henri Fayol introduced his new concept of Gang Plank. In case of any emergencies, two employees of different departments of the same enterprise but having the same position can communicate without following any route. This will automatically save a lot of time and allow a person to take immediate decisions which can avoid unnecessary organizational losses. In the case of the above example, employee O can directly communicate with employee S in case of emergency using the Gang Plank theory, which is yet another principle of a scalar chain. This increases proficiency levels and effectiveness. This concept has been further modified nowadays as per modern-day management.
What Happens if Scalar Chain is Violated?
If the close supervisors are ignored, then it can cause unnecessary bitterness in employee relationships. Improper communication of information or delay in communicating a piece of information to the right person can turn out to be fatal for an enterprise at any moment. If a scalar change in management is not maintained, then in case of any miscommunication or problems, it becomes very difficult to find the person responsible for the act. But if this route is maintained, then systematic and faster communication amongst employees can be maintained. All problems can be easily solved due to clear communication records, and employees will have better relationships amongst themselves.
Conclusion
If a scalar change in management is not maintained, then in case of any miscommunication or problems, it becomes very difficult to find the person responsible for the act. But if this route is maintained, then systematic and faster communication amongst employees can be maintained. All problems can be easily solved due to clear communication records, and employees will have better relationships amongst themselves.
FAQs on Scalar Chain
1. What is scalar chain?
Whenever you are running an institution or enterprise, there are a lot of factors that keep the enterprise running. One of the most crucial parts is communication amongst seniors and juniors along with the other employees. Now, the most common question is what is a scalar chain. But before that, we need to understand how this information flows because the route of information flow is what a scalar chain deals with. It is a simple line that connects the highest point of authority to the person at the lowest rank in the entire organization. But if this route is not followed, then it can create multiple miscommunications, which can inflict huge losses on the company. The communication flow should always be planned from before and informed by the senior executives to their juniors.
2. What is the principle of scalar chain?
Henri Fayol discovered 14 major principles of management, which are pretty much famous amongst the management community nowadays. He was the one to develop the scalar chain. The chain of management from the person sitting at the top of management to the employee working in the lowest management rank is known as the scalar chain. It identifies the route through which the information should travel to increase the productivity levels of the employees. It allows a company to achieve effective decision-making and communication to achieve its objectives. To avoid any unnecessary ambiguity, this route of communication should always be predefined by a company. Every department of a company must follow a separate scalar chain for further better communication.
