to use that logic asm and sm have no real authority either. youre all part of a multi-level managerial corporation. at each level youre the b--ch of the level above you. the higher you go the more abuse you take to maintain the position you have. the store manager takes a whole lot of abuse from the people above him....so in return to make up for how inferior they make them feel they have to act just that much more superior to the person below him and on down the chain it goes----. ironically the most powerful person in a store is the part time worker that really doesnt need the job.....and when a corporation builds itself off the backs of a huge low wage workforce they actually risk more than is realized. raise the pay...raise the benefits...and you turn your workforce into your b--ch because itll be too hard for them to go elsewhere and receive the same pay/benefit combo.
that said maybe your store (or your particular position) doesnt hold your department supervisors accountable as managers but not all stores operate that way. it also depends on those who have MOD duties and certain store keys. some stores very much still hold their department supervisors up to the level of the store management team (and it very much s---s for them because theyre expected to maintain their departments and run the store floor) and will also expect those DS's to write up the team thats under them. comes down to how your store manager operates their store and how much they are trying to "develop" the leadership abilities of the department supervisor. heck some store managers dont really give a rats a-- what corporate wants to call them -- department manager, dept. supervisor, service and support manager -- because theres still a store to be run.
Took this from @Ys7I0jd-1zaw .Well said.