This chapter of the book "The Functions of the Executive," by Chester I. Barnard (1938), explores the theory of authority. An approximate definition of authority for the purpose of this study is: the character of a communication (order) in a formal organization by virtue of which it is accepted by a contributor to or "member" of the organization as governing the action he contributes. According to this definition, authority involves two aspects: first, the subjective, the personal, the accepting of a communication as authoritative; and, second, the objective aspect--the character in the communication by virtue of which it is accepted. According to Barnard, authority is another name for willingness and capacity of individuals to submit to the necessities of coöperative systems. Furthermore, authority arises from the technological and social limitations of coöperative systems on the one hand, and of individuals on the other. Therefore, the status of authority in a society is the measure both of the development of individuals and of the technological and social conditions of the society.