{domain:"www.qualitydigest.com",server:"169.47.211.87"} Skip to main content

User account menu
Main navigation
  • Topics
    • Customer Care
    • FDA Compliance
    • Healthcare
    • Innovation
    • Lean
    • Management
    • Metrology
    • Operations
    • Risk Management
    • Six Sigma
    • Standards
    • Statistics
    • Supply Chain
    • Sustainability
    • Training
  • Videos/Webinars
    • All videos
    • Product Demos
    • Webinars
  • Advertise
    • Advertise
    • Submit B2B Press Release
    • Write for us
  • Metrology Hub
  • Training
  • Subscribe
  • Log in
Mobile Menu
  • Home
  • Topics
    • 3D Metrology-CMSC
    • Customer Care
    • FDA Compliance
    • Healthcare
    • Innovation
    • Lean
    • Management
    • Metrology
    • Operations
    • Risk Management
    • Six Sigma
    • Standards
    • Statistics
    • Supply Chain
    • Sustainability
    • Training
  • Login / Subscribe
  • More...
    • All Features
    • All News
    • All Videos
    • Contact
    • Training

Give Me Authority, You Take Accountability

For this hands-off attitude, I lay much of the blame with quality folks such as myself

Arun Hariharan
Wed, 02/25/2015 - 13:23
  • Comment
  • RSS

Social Sharing block

  • Print
  • Add new comment
Body

Ask employees what is most important to their company and its CEO and they’ll commonly claim it’s the functions that are reported directly to the CEO. However, from my interactions, it seems undeniable that the organization chart plays a significant role in revealing what is important to the leader... and what is not.

ADVERTISEMENT

I have noticed that many CEOs like to hang on to functions that, in some way, confer power, authority, or control over people, money, and other resources. In other words, department heads leading functions such as sales, human resources, and finance directly report to the CEO more often than not. On the other hand, functions that imply responsibility or accountability (in particular, accountability to customers who pay for the company’s product or service) are, often enough, relegated down the line.

 …

Want to continue?
Log in or create a FREE account.
Enter your username or email address
Enter the password that accompanies your username.
By logging in you agree to receive communication from Quality Digest. Privacy Policy.
Create a FREE account
Forgot My Password

Comments

Submitted by Lori Campbell on Wed, 02/25/2015 - 10:06

While I agree with your point

While I agree with your point that Quality should report to CEO's, your point was almost missed based on the poor argument and assumptions you've make as to the positions that do typically report to CEO's.  You state that the functions CEO's like to hang on to "confer power, authority, or control over people, money, and other resources" and functions that imply responsibility or accountability are relegated down the line.  First, I don't know of a CEO who doesn't demand accountability and responsibility REGARDLESS of the position; Sales, HR, and Finance most definitely are responsible and accountable.  How do you deduce otherwise?  Second, power, authority, and control over people, money, and other resources are broad characteristics and lines can be drawn to virtually any position within the company and not solely residing in Sales, HR, and Finance.  I think you could have made a much more effective argument without throwing CEO's under the bus!

  • Reply

Add new comment

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.
Please login to comment.
      

© 2025 Quality Digest. Copyright on content held by Quality Digest or by individual authors. Contact Quality Digest for reprint information.
“Quality Digest" is a trademark owned by Quality Circle Institute Inc.

footer
  • Home
  • Print QD: 1995-2008
  • Print QD: 2008-2009
  • Videos
  • Privacy Policy
  • Write for us
footer second menu
  • Subscribe to Quality Digest
  • About Us
  • Contact Us