A board member bypasses the administrator and gives staff direct instructions. What governance principle is violated?

• A. Unity of command
• B. Delegation of authority
• C. Transparency in reporting
• D. Hierarchical governance

Answer: (A)

Unity of command means staff should receive direction from a single supervisor and follow one authoritative line of authority for any task. When a board member bypasses the administrator and gives staff direct instructions, that single chain of command is broken. Staff end up with conflicting directions from more than one source, which creates confusion, erodes accountability, and makes it unclear who is responsible for outcomes. It also undermines the administrator’s ability to manage day-to-day operations and to implement board policy consistently, which is essential for coherent governance and oversight. The other options don’t fit as well: delegation of authority involves formally transferring decision-making down the proper channels, whereas bypassing those channels is the key issue here; transparency in reporting concerns openness of information; hierarchical governance is broader and doesn’t pinpoint the disruption caused by multiple sources of direction.