Line and staff organisation

Meaning

In a line and staff organisation, line authority runs downwards from superior to subordinate as in a pure line organisation, and experts are added to advise the line managers on important matters. Those who develop ideas and give advice, and stand outside the chain of command, are staff; those who carry out the ideas and form part of the chain of command are line. Most organisations have both, which is why this is the commonest form. In a Gurugram consumer-electronics firm, the plant and sales heads are line managers, while the legal, quality and human resource specialists who advise them are staff.

Line and staff relationships

Line and staff are best understood as relationships. Line authority gives a superior direct authority over a subordinate; the staff relationship is advisory, its job being to investigate, research and advise the line managers to whom staff report. A staff head still has line authority over the people in his own department.

Merits

It keeps the benefits of the line organisation and adds these:

• Line managers get the specialised knowledge of experts.
• Staff take over specialised work such as accounting, selection and training, and public relations, so line managers can concentrate on their own work.
• Staff supply the right information at the right time, which leads to better decisions.
• It is more flexible than a pure line organisation, since experts can be added as needed.

Demerits

• Line and staff often clash: staff complain that their advice is ignored, line managers that staff know only theory.
• Staff are not accountable for results, so they may not perform their duties properly.
• Limited promotion chances lead staff to compete for the favour of senior line officers, and to leave when a better opening appears.