Line And Staff Relationship

Maintaining a structural hierarchy within an organization is the first and foremost step to distribution of power. Responsibility is divided based on skill and seniority and such a hierarchy is essential to maintain a flow of information and bring about order within a system and to coordinate all systems together in an organization to function as a whole.

There are different methods and levels of organization in a company that includes personnel from the top level of management to the bottom-most. The most common forms of hierarchy within an organization are the basic line structures and an extension of this form, the line and staff structure.

The basic line structure involves a vertical line of authority. In such an arrangement job responsibility flows directly from top management downwards. Flow of information and authority is from top to bottom. Senior managers instruct and control subordinates. This is essential in core management and in issues that require continuous critical judgment like in production, finance etc,.

As the size of an organization increases there is an increased demand for effective performance and efficiency in the line hierarchy. This brings about a need for specialization at each level of the structure. A simple line management cannot achieve this with its vertical flow of command. To improve the functioning of a line command a modification is brought into it in terms of special staff thus making it a line and staff command.

The function of staff in this line of command is to assess the performance of the line and offer expert advice to manage it better. Staff command generally brings in experts who are well aware of and possess the knowledge and skill required to maintain different points in the line command. Some examples of staff include cost accountants, production experts, quality personnel, legal personnel, scientists and the like.

The authority of a staff command is only of support and advice. They cannot enforce rules or change existing procedures on individual authority.

The advantages of a line and staff command are many. Such a structure helps define problems in detail and bring in expert opinions that would help the management resolve it in less time. The flow of authority is fixed and with each decision made the efficiency of command increases since a number of consultations are made and thorough analysis is made with assistance from the staff. This type of command also helps increase the professionalism and skill of employees with regard to a problem because they are free to focus on their domain in detail and work with the staff to bring in corrections and improvement.

However there are disadvantages as well. One major point of concern is the lack of clear demarcation between line and staff commands. This might lead to confusion among employees with regard to authority. Another major source of trouble is harmony between the line and staff managers. It is important to ensure there is no conflict amidst the two streams of authority.