Delegation: A Key to Management Productivity

Abstract

Delegation is at the heart of management—it is getting work done and meeting goals through others. It is about developing trust and empowering employees. Effective delegation increases productivity as well as production capacity (Burns, 2001). Delegation cannot be viewed as an abstract technique; it depends on individuals and individual needs (Blair, 2003). In this context, a non-experimental ex post facto or correlation design study was used to investigate how delegation was being performed by nurse managers (head nurses) at two different settings (Elshohada Hospital and Quesna Hospital in the Al Minufiyah Governorate of Egypt). A second purpose of the study was to identify the effect that delegation had on head nurses’ productivity. A convincing sample of 35 head nurses working in different units in the two hospitals was included in the study. Data were collected by two tools. The first tool was a two-part questionnaire. Part I included demographic characteristics of the sample size, such as age, education, and years of experience. Part II consisted of 18 statements, translated into Arabic, aimed at assessing the degree of work delegation by respondents. The second tool measured professional productivity by means of efficacy, effectiveness, and efficiency categories (Curtin, 1984). The study concluded that the majority of respondents understood and correctly used delegation. In addition, there was statistically significant correlation between delegation and nurse managers’ productivity. Recommendations were made in light of these findings.