6. Providing physical facilities and right environment: The success
13.9.2 Line and Staff Organization
The line executive is often described as the individual who stands in the primary chain of command and is directly concerned with the accomplishment of primary objectives. Line organization provides decision-making authority to the individuals at the top of the organization
structure and a channel for the flow of communication through a scalar chain of authority. Line executives are generalists and do not possess specialized knowledge which is a must to tackle complicated problems.
With a view to give specialist aid to line executives, staff positions are created throughout the structure. Staff elements bring expert and specialized knowledge to provide advice to line managers so that they may discharge their responsibilities successfully.
In line and staff organization, the line authority remains the same as it does in the line organization. Authority flows from top to bottom. The main difference is that specialists are attached to line managers to advise them on important matters. These specialists stand ready with their specialty to serve line men as and when their services are called for to collect information and to give help which will enable the line officials to carry out their activities better. The staff officers do not have any power of command in the organization as they are employed to provide expert advice to the line officers. Staff means a supporting function intended to help the line manager. In most organizations, the use of staff can be traced to the need for help in handling details, gathering data for decision-making and offering advice on specific managerial problems. Staff investigates and supplies information and recommendations to managers who make
decisions. Specialized staff positions are created to give counsel and assistance in each specialized field of effort as shown in Fig.10.2:
Board of Directors
Executive Managing Controller
Committee Director of Finance
Assistant to Managing
Director
Manager Manager Manger
Division A Division B Division C
Fig. 10.2 Line and Staff Organization
Line and staff structure has gained popularity because certain problems of management have become very complex and, in order to deal with them, expert knowledge is necessary which can be provided by the staff officers.
For instance, personnel department is established as staff department to
advise the line executives on personnel matters. Similarly, finance, law and public relations departments may be set up to advice on problems related to finance and accounting, law and public relations.
The staff officers do not have any power of command in the organization as they are employed to provide advice to the line officers. In most organizations, the use of staff can be traced to the need for help in handing details, gathering data and offering advice on specific managerial problems.
Advantages of Line and Staff Organization
(i) Specialised knowledge. Line managers get the benefit of specialized knowledge of staff specialists at various levels.
(ii) Reduction of burden. Staff specialists relieve the line managers of the botheration of concentrating on specialized functions like accounting, selection and training, public relations, etc.
(iii) Proper weight age. Many problems that are ignored or poorly handled in the line organization can be properly covered in the line and staff organization by the use of staff specialists.
(iv) Better decisions. Staff specialists help the line executives in taking better decisions by providing them with adequate information of right type at the right moment and expert advice.
(v) Flexibility. Line and staff organization is more flexible as compared to the line organization. General staff can be employed to help line managers at various levels.
(vi) Unity of command. Under this system, the experts provide special guidance without giving orders. It is the line manager who only has got the right to give orders. The result is that the enterprises takes advantage of functional organization while maintaining the unity of command i.e., one subordinate receiving orders from one boss only.
Demerits of Line and Staff Organization
Line and staff organization suffers from the following drawbacks:
(i) There is generally a conflict between the line and staff executives.
There is a danger that the staff may encroach on the line authority.
Line managers feel that staff specialists do not always give right type of advice, and staff officials generally complain that their advice is not properly attended to.
(ii) The allocation of duties between the line and staff executives is generally not very clear. This may hamper coordination in the organization.
(iii) Since staff men are not accountable for the results, they may not be performing their duties well.
(iv) There is a wide difference between the orientation of the line and staff men. Line executive’s deals with problems in a more practical manner. But staff officials who are specialists in their fields tend to be more theoretical.
Superiority of Line and Staff Organization over Line Organization
Line and staff organization is considered better than the line organization because of the following reasons:
(i) Staff makes available expert advice to line executives. This is necessary to deals with complex problems of management. For instance, personnel department is established as a staff department to advise the top executives and other line executives on personnel matters.
(ii) Better decisions are ensured in line and staff organization as compared to a simple line organization.
(iii) Line and staff structure is more suitable for large organizations as expert advice is always available. The line managers can make use of the knowledge of staff specialists to deal with complicated problems. Therefore, line and staff organization is certainly better than line organization.