the range or limit of authority, competence, responsibility, concern, or intention
andy describes a fight with his wife leslie. “my father is visiting from new york. i drive out to get lunch for all of us. i come back into the kitchen and there’s dad eating all the left-over chinese food. so i say, ‘can’t you leave some for the rest of us? and besides, i told you i was going out for food’ and he says, ‘but i like chinese better.’ so later leslie corners me and says, ‘don’t yell at your dad!’ don’t you think it’s ok to tell my dad how i feel?” well, yeah; but it’s probably also ok that she wants to respect the elders. hard to win that argument, whereas your relationship with your dad isn’t really in her purview. wouldn’t you stand on firmer ground saying, “hey, butt out?”
in organizations, clarity of purview can be quite helpful. who is formally responsible? i want a refund on this computer that died after 4 days. who do i talk to? "yes, sir, that would be joe, the assistant manager." ok!
blurry purview can be annoying. satellite tv installation is scheduled for 8 am to noon; it’s now 1 pm, and no one has shown. “well, i don’t know, sir; i guess they’ll be there soon.” who knows the schedule? “that would be dispatch.” can i speak with them? “sir, i have no way of reaching them. if they don’t come today, i’m sure they’ll be there tomorrow.” apparently, no one is charged with actually connecting 
the installers to the customers.
as akira kurasawa’s movie, “ikiru (to live)” begins, a group of mothers from a poor neighborhood presents to the city zoning department a petition for a children’s playground. the zoning officer directs them to public works, where the clerk says, “you need a building permit.” they walk to the building department: “ahhhh, for a project like this, you first need approval from sanitation.” sanitation directs them to zoning – where they started.
