Introduction
We will be taking a close look at the scalar chain along with its benefits and limitations. There used to be no established line of communication for the members of an organisation at different levels. This led to many problems which impacted the functioning of a business organisation.
A subordinate received orders from multiple seniors within different departments which were conflicting in nature. Along with this, there was no clear method to communicate an employee’s ideas or grievances to the upper level management. The management started looking at ideas which could help them resolve this issue.
Henri Fayol then proposed a solution by creating a clear line of authority and a direct channel of communication between superiors and their subordinates. This came to be known as the Scalar chain and was a part of Fayol’s 14 principles of management. Let us dive right in and take a clear look at its impacts and implications in the broader framework of management.
Benefits and Importance
There were numerous benefits of following the scalar chain method of top down communication where one subordinate was to follow the orders and report to only one direct superior. Even today, a scalar chain mode of communication is followed. Some of the most prominent benefits of this are as follows:
Increased Organisational Efficiency
The biggest impact of the scalar chain was that it reduced the clutter which hindered the message from reaching its destination. Earlier, there used to be no segmentation within different departments and as a result, the message was lost in transmission. This occurred as a result of red tape and it resulted in operational delays and loss of efficiency.
With the introduction of the scalar chain, a subordinate knew who they had to contact and the superior knew who they were going to be managing. Another advantage was the drop in mismanagement due to departmental conflicts. This resulted in a reduction of communication delays and allowed for a smooth sailing within different departments.
Easier Conflict Resolution
Along with a vertical mode of communication, the scalar chain also suggests lateral communication at the same level between different individuals within the organisational structure. This was introduced because it has been observed that a major roadblock in an organisation’s growth is the discord between employees. It can be heavily reduced if there is a direct channel for grievance redressal for all members of the company.
For this purpose, a human resource department was created. They work in parallel with different departments and are tasked with listening to the issues of all the employees. The HR department then undertakes the initiative to work on the conflict resolution by suggesting the best course of action for all the involved members.
Incentivizes Better Performance
When an employee finds difficulty in reporting their accomplishments to the management, they will lose their motivation. If this goes on for too long, it will lead to a decline in the worker morale and the organisation may lose out on a great employee. The scalar chain addresses this issue and finds the perfect solution for both the employees and the employer.
The subordinate can directly report that they have completed their goals to their immediate boss. Their superior can then report the same to their senior and ultimately the word goes to the seniormost management. The message of the employee’s good work passes on resulting in them receiving a promotion or a raise, sometimes a combination of both.
Issues and Limitations
Every coin has two sides and similarly a principle can appear perfect in theory but have certain problems in practice. The same is true for management concepts as well including the concept of the scalar chain. Let us take a brief look at some of its limitations:
Delayed Decision Making
The scalar chain model of communication has major drawbacks as well. For getting their message across, an employee has to communicate it to their direct superior. The superior conveys the message to their immediate superior and the cycle continues until it reaches the upper management.
Due to this unnecessary repetition, there is a high chance that it does not reach the decision makers on time. The scalar chain principle was the only mode of communication during the industrial era but as technology has progressed, it has become obsolete. Nowadays, an email is the most formal mode of communication and it gets the message across without causing disruptions.
Leads to Rigidity
When an employee is confined to a singular mode of communication channel, it leads to a rigid organisational structure. This structure is problematic because it can lead to conflict between teams. When this issue is left unchecked for a long duration of time, it will result in the same problem that it was designed to solve.
That problem is “conflict among employees”. Earlier, it is caused due to improper communication channels and after the formulation of the scalar chain model, it may be caused due to rigid hierarchical order of message transmission. If this happens, alternative routes of interaction should be adopted.
Reduction in Innovation
The most obvious problem with a scalar chain is that it can inhibit the employees from coming up with innovative ideas. It will be caused due to the fear of repercussions if an employee’s immediate superior does not find the idea worth pursuing. However, there is a small catch.
The head of the corporation may find the idea worthwhile but this will be only possible if this idea reaches them. There is a slim chance that an idea reaches the head of the company if any member which is a part of the rigid chain of command rejects it at any stage. In such a case, innovative ideas may not see the light of the day and the corporation loses out from coming up with a major breakthrough plan.
Conclusion
This was a short read but I tried to cover most of the important aspects of the scalar chain along with its benefits and limitations. When the idea of a scalar chain was first conceptualised, it had to deal with the operational issues within a business enterprise and it did just that. It proved to be an effective method to reduce delays and increase efficiency of a business firm.
Nowadays, the issues have evolved and new means of communication channels have emerged. This does not mean that the scalar chain did not serve any purpose. There would be no evolution of formal channels of communication (such as the email) if the scalar chain did not exist.
If you have any questions, feel free to drop them in the comments down below. You can also choose to take a quick look at our recent article on stagflation. Hope to see you soon with another useful discussion.