Responsibility can be defined as the state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or having control over someone. It is also the state or fact of being accountable or to blame for something. It is also the opportunity or ability to act independently and take decisions without authorization.
Authority, on the other hand, is the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience. It can be a person or organization having political or administrative power and control. It is also the power to influence others, especially because of one’s commanding manner or one’s recognized knowledge about something.
For the purpose of this article we shall be using the highlighted definitions. Responsibility and authority are vital tools needed for the discharge of duty as far as Quality Management is concerned. Authority and Responsibility go hand in hand but are not the same thing. The major difference is that Authority can be transferred through delegation but Responsibility can never be transferred.
A Quality Manager has the responsibility to assure that products and processes met set standards. He/she also has authority to do all that is necessary to fulfill the objective of assuring quality. Quality Management has many aspects within an organization but all these aspects are overseen by the Quality Manager. Within an organization there is line inspection, testing, water treatment, training, monitoring, cleaning etc. all these activities are not carried out by the Quality Manager but he has a responsibility to ensure they are carried out. This is achieved by appointing people who receive authority to carry out assigned duties and then report back. In the event of failure of any of these appointees to carry out their duties as stipulated it is the Quality Manager that will be held accountable. This means that someone can have authority without responsibility but no one can have responsibility without authority.
The Quality Manager is the Head of the Quality Department. Depending on how an organization is set up, there will be Chemistry Laboratory, Microbiology Laboratory, Sample Collection, Documentation, and to some extent Research and Development. All these units have Heads and personnel who work under and report to the Quality Manager. It is safe to say that all these units and their Heads work with the authority delegated to them by the Quality Manager who reserves the responsibility to ensure the job is not just done but done satisfactorily.
I have met Quality Managers in my 11 years of practice who enjoy authority but do not want any responsibility. They issue out instructions not minding whether the person being instructed is qualified or adequately trained to carry out the task. It doesn’t matter if the subordinate is sick or has lost a family member. This approach is wrong as it breeds fear in subordinates and leads to mistakes and strife. Abuse of authority over time creates a Quality Monster instead of a Quality Manager. I have also met Quality Managers who understand the delicate difference between Authority and Responsibility. They engage the tool of delegation appropriately knowing that they have responsibility. Having responsibility means one follows up on those whom authority have been given, supervising and inspecting jobs done to ensure they are up to expected standards. When this is over done it leads to what Management Consultants call Micro-management. Let’s always bear this in mind.
A Quality Manager has the responsibility to ensure that all those he has authority over are adequately qualified to execute their job descriptions. It is also his duty to be certain that samples are collected at the appropriate time and with the appropriate containers, sent to the lab at the right time and in the right state, are analyzed according to SOPs and results written as soon as they are out, deviations investigated and resolved to logical conclusions etc. all these are other activities are what lead to product release which is signed by the Quality Manager. He signs the Product Release Note in the knowledge that he did not carry out any of the tests but that he is sure the tests have been carried out appropriately without compromise. He signs in the knowledge that should anything go wrong after product has been certified fit for release it is him that will be held accountable and not the person whom he delegated authority to.
A Quality Manager in a certain company discovered that a filling machine was dispensing low weight. He informed the Production Manager of this discovery. The Production Manager knew the machine was dispensing low weight but because he had to meet his target he couldn’t shut down the machine. The Quality Manager did not have the operational authority to shut down the machine so he went away. Some weeks later there were complaints from customers that some pouches were underweight and Management was embarrassed to hear such report. A meeting was summoned and guess who the first shot was fired at: The Quality Manager. His defense was that he informed the Production Manager. Of course the Production Manager denied and asked the Quality Manager to provide documentation as evidence. There was none. When I was brought into the picture, I pointed out to the Management that the Quality Manager was saddled with a responsibility but was not given the authority he needed to do his job. What he would have done, had he the authority to do so, was order that the machine be shut down for repairs, inform the Production Manager via email and send a report to Management. If you do not have the authority you need to carry out your duties please discuss this with your Management as it is dangerous and may send you out of your job and/or to jail.
Every Quality Manager should have responsibility and authority. Responsibility is not transferable, but authority can be transferred through delegation. When you delegate authority please follow up to be definite that the instruction you gave was carried out accordingly. In the end, it is you that will be held accountable not the person you delegated authority to.
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