Scalar Principle

The scalar principle or scalar chain is based on a precept of management, which reasons that the authority and responsibility of leadership flows downward from top management in an unbroken line, which includes every worker in the organization. It coexists with the concept of chain of command, which is the line of authority that flows from the top of an organization down to rank-andfile members working within the organization. The concept of authority is associated with the right to direct others, which is aligned with a formal appointment to a particular supervisory job or title. According to some experts, the terms scalar chain, line of authority, and chain of command are used synonymously.

The development of the scalar principle derives from the classical principles of management theory developed when Henri Fayol's work was introduced into the United States in the 1940s. Fayol, a French manager, derived 14 principles of management. Fayol's approach to organizing included concepts such as lines of authority, centralization, delegation, departmentalization, division of work, span of control, specialization of jobs, unity of command, and unity of direction. Fayol's work was compatible with the work of Frederick W. Taylor, a pioneer in the field of scientific management principles who linked organizational management theory to the scientific principles of research. Fayol's precepts broadened Taylor's principles in their focus on the structured organizational process of management. Even though the scientific management and classical theorists applied their theoretical constructs to business organizations, their hierarchical principles were also adopted and applied to schools.

A classical organizational theorist would maintain that when the scalar principle is applied properly, there is a clear reporting structure and embedded within it, supervisory relationships, and a distinct communication process. With a clear reporting procedure in place, each person in the organization knows who to report to for direction in regard to work activities. The advantage in adopting the scalar principle would be improved efficiency and coordination through faster decision making and direction, which, in turn, would lead to effective performance within the organization. When the scalar principle is applied to a school district, the supervisory line of authority would begin with the school superintendent or chief administrator and then flow downward accordingly, to the assistant superintendents, principals, assistant principals, departmental chairpersons, teachers, and staff personnel. This arrangement would be laid out visibly in an organizational chart, which would indicate supervision in the various schools, divisions, and departments within the school system.

The scalar principle could be applied within each school unit or building starting with the chief administrator of that building and proceed downward to every person or staff member assigned regardless of the job or job description. It would be the responsibility of the chief administrator assigned to the unit or building to coordinate work activities and establish the lines of communication with the workers assigned to these activities. If there are problems regarding performance, coordination, or unity, then responsibility for those problem situations could also be traced upward, along the chain of command, and back to the chief administrator in authority over that division.

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