Which statement best describes the unity of command principle?

• A. There is one supervisor per employee
• B. Each employee reports to multiple supervisors
• C. Supervisors share authority equally
• D. Command is elected by team consensus

Answer: (A)

Unity of command means an employee receives orders from one supervisor only. This keeps directions consistent and makes responsibility clear, so there aren’t conflicting instructions or multiple bosses giving different priorities. If someone reported to more than one supervisor, conflicting guidance could arise and accountability would blur. The other ideas describe different concepts—sharing authority among supervisors isn’t about an employee’s reporting line, and decision-making by team consensus or multiple supervisors would still violate the single-boss rule.