The connection of authority and responsibility that joins one level of an organization to another.

• A. Chain of authority
• B. Organizational Chart
• C. Chain of command
• D. Promotional Pyramid

Answer: (C)

The chain of command is the pathway that connects authority and responsibility from one level to the next. It establishes who has the authority to issue orders, who is responsible for carrying them out, and who reports to whom, creating a clear line of command and accountability. This structure ensures instructions and information flow downward, while feedback and performance issues move upward, reducing confusion and helping coordinate tasks. In a telecommunicator setting, for example, a supervisor’s directives pass down to shift leads and dispatchers, and reports or problems travel back up through the same chain. An organizational chart shows who holds which roles and how they relate, but it doesn’t itself govern how commands flow; the chain of command does that by defining the actual path of authority and responsibility.