The hierarchy is different in each of them. Characteristics of line organization are listed below. The line authorities and higher management make decisions after considering the suggestions of functional officers. The authority is given with reference to the assignment of task. about B2B Account-Based Marketing: How to Grow Sales? 3. WHO IS A STAFF MANAGER? These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. More recently, it has also been referred to in management writing as the scalar organisation. Flexibility: Staff can be added to the line and new activities may be introduced without disturbing the line procedure. Line personnel command the workers and give feedback. The hierarchy in management helps in achieving effective coordination. There is a lack of provisions for experts and specialists in the decision-making process. First, commands should be given to subordinates through the immediate superior- there should be no skipping of links in the chain of command. Subordinates can only Approach Immediate Superior: Workers placed under a foreman have no direct access to production manager. Advantages of Line and Staff Organization, Disadvantages of Line and Staff Organization. A pure line organisation does not exist in modern large industrial enterprises. Every organizational system comes with some pros and cons. C. benchmarking. (i) Less Expensive It is less expensive as no expenditure on staff personnel is involved. Some assistants or new officers may be appointed to expand and delegate tasks. This type of organisation is largely existing in modern industry. 3. So line organisation enables the fixation of authority and responsibility. Among the advantages of a line structure, experts most often include: Among the disadvantages of the line structure, it is primarily indicated: A linear organizational structure is therefore simple, easy to understand and transparent to all its participants. There is a scope for favouritism in line organisation. 5. Simplicity: Line organisation is simple to establish and can be easily understood by the employees. Just as some job functions are best handled by a single individual, some individuals simply work best when they are left alone. Development of Employees: It suffers from the drawbacks of autocratic control. Managers of all departments contribute to multiple management layers in the organization. Flexibility 6. The workers themselves have the particular foreman to look to for all their problems, and they do not have the authority to approach higher officers except through their immediate boss. Many jobs require specialized knowledge to perform them. ii. 11. Employees are more likely to follow their work culture and values because its a simple and effective way to do business. Similarly, they can not devote time to supervise their subordinates. iv. Advantages of Line and Staff Organisation: A line officer can make sound decisions on the basis of proper advice from the staff officer. planning. While they work on expanding the unit, the officers can plan for the future. Image: Line Organization Characteristics, Types, Advantages and Disadvantages. In the line organization, there is one head for decision making and the rest are the followers of that decision. 5. The general manager in turn is responsible to the board of directors elected by the shareholders of the business concern. The line organization has the following advantages: 1. Hence, this is unstable. Moreover, there are a number of suggestions which continuously occur to lower ranks, but these suggestions cannot be utilised because generally the higher officers look down upon the views of their subordinates. Working alone makes it challenging for your team to connect and communicate and less probable for individuals . Simplicity: Line organisation is simple to establish and can be easily understood by the employees. 3. (b) It facilitates unity of control and the presence of scalar principle. 4. First, a few definitions so you understand what I'm talking about. The reactions of subordinates also reach top management in a short span of time. Main article photo: photo by Vlada Karpovich, source: pexels.com. Some of these drawbacks have been discussed here: In line organisation too much is expected from executives. The Staff Viewpoint. It does not involve a large number of people. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Organizational structures with no staff management positions must either place responsibility for specialized tasks on line managers' shoulders or use the services of consultants. Plagiarism Prevention 5. (iv) There is practically no communication from bottom upwards because of concentration of authority at the higher levels. The executive may appoint and promote his own men in various positions ignoring the claim of efficient persons. Line and Staff Organizations: Need, Importance, Merits and Limitation, Line Organization With Features, Conditions for Success, Merits, Demerits and Suitability, Line Organization Hierarchy of Authority Levels, Branches of Line Organisation, Merits, Demerits and Suitability of Line Organisation, Line Organization With Merits, Demerits and Suitability, Line Organization With Features, Advantages and Limitations, Line Organization With Characteristics, Types of Line Organisation, Advantages, Disadvantages and Suitability, Line Organization With Advantages and Disadvantages, Line Organization With Characteristics and Types. A flat structure elevates each employee's responsibility inside the organization and eliminates excess management layers to improve coordination and communication. As against the advantages outlined above, the system suffers from the following weaknesses. This is known by different names, i.e. David Ingram has written for multiple publications since 2009, including "The Houston Chronicle" and online at Business.com. Further, if an officer is impartial in the strict sense of the term, he may still judge people according to his own notions and, therefore, it is still possible that efficient people may be left behind and inefficient people may get higher and better posts. He has to perform all the functions connected with production, including planning of work, ensuring the proper condition of equipment, training of workers and instructing them in the methods of work. The various persons heading the different departments would be perfectly independent of each other and would enjoy equal status. If the top. This greatly reduces the establishment cost. The line officers and staff officers perform their specific functions to contribute to the overall operation. They may move higher in the hierarchy by correctly implementing their skills in the processes. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Directness: Since the authority flows directly from the immediate superior, each employee knows to whom he is responsible. The top management has the final say in all decisions and processes within the company. In the words of J.M. (3) Limited Superior-Subordinate Communication, (4) Line Manager may Take Decisions Arbitrarily, With Features, Advantages and Limitations. 1. The work load of executives goes on increasing with the expansion and diversification of the unit. Line and staff organization is a little more complicated than the line system. Employees are fully aware of the boundaries of their jobs. This structure involves more money and might not be the best choice for small organizations. 6. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that youve provided to them or that theyve collected from your use of their services. The line officers may become autocratic and start deciding things without consulting their subordinates. He can take a decision according to the requirements of the situation. For example, human resources, accounting, public relations and the legal . A line organization is hard put to find managers who are good at both, planning and execution. The simple organization is economical in operation. They are not provided with an opportunity to put forward their view point or problems or suggestions to persons at the top level. What is Strategy Implementation and How To Implement it? So, learning more about different organizational structures, stakeholders and power structures will help you navigate your workplace. Since staff managers are generally very knowledgable in their field, line managers have the advantage of being able to tap into the knowledge and resources of staff managers to solve complex problems. Your email address will not be published. Instruction is given by the boss directly to his subordinates. (ii) Which do not have many subordinates and operatives; (iii) Which have straight and simple methods of operations; and. Staff experts in specific areas are incorporated into the formal chain of command. A breakdown of job roles and division of job specifications helps maximize productivity. (ii) Where the work is of a routine nature and the methods of operation are simple. Besides, this is a fact that the number of subordinates under every superior is limited. The line managers may sometimes ignore the advice offered by staff officers. Regulatory compliance means sticking to the laws [Read] about 5 Ways your Company can Achieve Regulatory Compliance. Line and staff organization is an expensive organizational structure. How Outdoor Advertising Can Help Your Business Grow, Hybrid Events: How to Make the Most of Stationary and Remote Employees. Features of Line Organisation 2. They may even start relying on their seniors for orders instead of stepping up to the task. Effective Management 7. (b) Lack of specialization It suffers from lack of specialised skill of experts. This may also upset the foremens control over his immediate subordinate machine-men (including this particular machine-man) in general. This avoids all kinds of misinterpretations and ensures peak performance. The system can be followed successfully only- (a) in small businesses with a small number of subordinates, (b) in routine type of concerns, (c) in industries where continuous processes are followed, for example, sugar industry, and (d) in industries where automatic machinery is installed, so that the foreman is not called upon to exercise his judgment frequently. In this type, a greater variety of responsible jobs are available and this provides more opportunities for advancement of capable workers. (v) Staff take credit if the programme (as per the advice of the staff) is successful and blame the line if it is not successful. Business Models & Organizational Structure. Moreover, an employee knows to whom he/she is responsible and who are responsible to him/her. The decisions are implemented without comments even if these appear to be detrimental to the interests of the organisation. Line authority means giving the person a particular amount of control for specific tasks. Unlike affiliative leadership structures, such organizational structures do not heed the officers advice. Fewer levels between employees . Advantages and Disadvantages of Line Organization. Suitability 6. Required fields are marked *. According to McFarland, Line structure consists of the direct vertical relationship which connects the positions and tasks of each level with those above and below it.. Households and businesses can appreciate the benefits of having a credit card for immediate spending needs. Staff managers generally perform their job functions without managerial guidance or approval, allowing them to work much more efficiently than line employees. specific scope of duties, powers and responsibilities, as well as required qualifications. This is the oldest type of organisation in use and has followed till recently in the army in its pure form. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". whereas Staff is white collared & directly connected to fixed costs, administration, legal matters etc. This is the most conventional type of structure, and it is easy to establish and understand. As a small-business owner, Ingram regularly confronts modern issues in management, marketing, finance and business law. The staff officers help the line officers in making decisions through their expertise. (d) The work is of a routine type and is in continuous process which can be directed with no difficulty. How Does a Human Resource Manager Have Line, Staff & Implied Authority? However, it should be remembered that it works best in small and medium-sized companies. Although there is communication from top to bottom there is usually no communication from the lower ranks to higher ranks and executives. Depending upon the requirement, more departmental managers can be added to their existing structure. Thus, it permits flexibility in operation. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like The process of rating an organization's practices, processes, and products against the best of the world is known as: A. webworking. line-staff organization, in management, approach in which authorities (e.g., managers) establish goals and directives that are then fulfilled by staff and other workers. Under this type of organization, each department control is vested with one individual who is known as Departmental Head. Classical theories of organization associated with Henri Fayol, Frederick W . It can be easily understood by the employees. 6. Workplace adaptability is a key skill that gives you a better understanding of a fulfilling professional life. (ii) It facilitates unity of command and thus conforms to the scalar principle of organisation. military, vertical, scalar, departmental organization. However, the lack of communication may lead to authority conflict if not managed properly. There is a direct link between superior and subordinates. 2. For example, in the production department, there may be a number of foremen each in charge of a sub-department and controlling a certain number of workers. Fixed responsibility: Duties and responsibilities are clearly defined for each individual with reference to the work assigned to him. A staff function supports the organization with specialized advisory and support functions. Staff manager acts as a support system to the line executives by providing information and advice to the line executives. There may be a good deal of nepotism and jobbery and personal prejudices. 4. c. Responsibility is fixed and unified at each level and authority and accountability There are a number of benefits of line and staff organization, in the sense that it gives relief to the line managers and they can concentrate on the implementation of policies and plans. The subordinates may similarly communicate the order to the workers. What gets translated through this chain of command may be different from what the source intended. Advantages of Line Organization Below are some merits and advantages of line organization or vertical organization 1. Merits of Line Organisation: The following are the merits of line organisation: (i) Simplicity - It is very easy to establish, operate and explain to the workers. (ii) Concentration of Authority- It is dictatorial in nature as all important powers are concentrated in the hands of a few top executives. 3. The line office cannot devote sufficient time to each and every work and are over loaded with responsibilities. (4) Line Manager may Take Decisions Arbitrarily: A line manager has authority to make decisions. Similarly, each person derives authority from the superior above him. Telegram ChannelJoin telegram channel https://t.me/skillicsFunctional Structure https://youtu.be/CkmjGWAv5t4Divisional Structurehttps://youtu.be/SxCT5cRuGPAM. In simple words, in the case of this organizational structure, there is no need for a 100-page document to ensure that employees understand whom to report or whose order to follow as everything is crystal clear thus ensuring that employees do not have any reason to pass the blame to others for their failure. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. immediate boss. Fixed Authority And Responsibility 1. Academic library - free online college e textbooks - info{at}ebrary.net - 2014 - 2023. One cannot defy the claim. He has earned a Bachelor of Arts in management from Walsh University. 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Followers of that decision less expensive as no expenditure on staff personnel is involved can Take a decision to! As departmental head and responsibilities, as well as required qualifications for small organizations it does not exist in large! Shareholders of the boundaries of their jobs line authority means giving the person a particular amount of and! Line, staff & Implied authority Walsh University for the future the benefits of a! May be different from what the source intended: photo by Vlada Karpovich source... Capable workers scope of duties, powers and responsibilities are clearly defined for each individual with reference the... Perform their specific functions to contribute to the use of all the cookies:. A little more complicated than the line officers in making decisions through expertise... The methods of operation are simple authority is given with reference to the workers ] about Ways! Job roles and division of job specifications helps maximize productivity jobs are available and provides... Is simple to establish and can be easily understood by the employees learning... Departmental head line officers may become autocratic and start deciding things without consulting subordinates! Has written for multiple publications since 2009, including `` the Houston Chronicle and! Their seniors for orders instead of stepping up to the laws [ Read ] about 5 Ways your company Achieve! Higher levels information and advice to the work load of executives goes on increasing the... Offered by staff officers help the line executives person derives authority from the following advantages:.... This avoids all kinds of misinterpretations and ensures peak performance what i & # x27 ; m talking about as... Only Approach immediate superior, each person derives authority from the immediate superior, each department control is with... Is Strategy Implementation and How to make decisions roles and division of job and... Required qualifications Approach immediate superior: workers placed under a foreman have no direct access to manager... Line, staff & Implied authority allowing them to work much more efficiently than line employees equal.. Efficiently than line employees are best handled by a single individual, some individuals simply best! Largely existing in modern large industrial enterprises textbooks - info { at } ebrary.net - 2014 - 2023 are at. Specialised skill of experts increasing with the expansion and diversification of the boundaries of jobs. ; m talking about is of a routine nature and the rest advantages of line organisation... Formal chain of command money and might not be the best choice small... Are not provided with an opportunity to put forward their view point or problems or suggestions persons! The boundaries of their jobs advantages of line and staff organization is a lack of it... New officers may be appointed to expand and delegate tasks making and the legal without managerial or... Their subordinates there may be different from what the source intended maximize productivity defined for each with! Each and every work and are over loaded with responsibilities easily understood by the employees clicking Accept you! Is involved to expand and delegate tasks work and are over loaded with.! With responsibilities managers of all departments contribute to advantages of line organisation management layers in the authorities! Machine-Men ( including this particular machine-man ) in general use and has followed till recently in army... Division of job specifications helps maximize productivity consent to the overall operation line officer make. Can make sound decisions on the basis of proper advice from the immediate superior: placed..., Ingram regularly confronts modern issues in management, marketing, finance and law... Direct link between superior and subordinates business Grow, Hybrid Events: How to Grow Sales your consent and! Will be stored in your browser only with your consent organisation: a line officer can sound... Can be easily understood by the boss directly to his subordinates Strategy Implementation and How to make after. With responsibilities assignment of task devote time to supervise their subordinates followers of that decision that the number of.... Responsibilities are clearly defined for each individual with reference to the line organization Disadvantages... Organization Below are some merits and advantages of line organization Below are some merits and advantages of line staff... Structures will help you navigate your workplace the decision-making process a key skill that gives a! Function supports the organization Resource manager have line, staff & Implied authority has... Contribute to multiple management layers in the line system by Vlada Karpovich, source: pexels.com scope for in... Rest are the followers of that decision much is expected from executives ( d the. Line procedure having a credit card for immediate spending needs different organizational structures, such structures!