Each position in the organisation structure has authority over its lower positions and similarly, each position derives authority from the one above. All other types of organization structure have mostly been either modifications of this organization. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. (2) It gives full freedom to each departmental head to look after his department. 4. Department Managers Function Independently of One Another: All department managers enjoy equal status and authority; also, they function independently of one another. about How does a Valuator Value a Business? A line manager is responsible of achieving the main objectives of the organization by executing main functions such as policy making, target setting and decision making. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. (a) Pure Line Organisation: In pure line organisation, the activities at any one level are the same and all the individuals perform the same type of work and the divisions or departments are made for the sake of control and direction. Lack of Specialization: Since one man has to take decisions on various matters, this system does not foster specialization. This is the oldest and simplest form of the organization and is popularly known as military organization. The authority is given with reference to the assignment of task. Every employee is responsible to his immediate superior. Specialization. 2. Even the workers at the lower level can understand the structure of this organization. All rights reserved. This way, youll be self-motivated to perform well, get along with your coworkers and do a good job. There are both advantages and disadvantages of line organization. Unified Control. While many organizations follow a line organization system, a line and staff system is not suitable for small businesses. Thus, this system can be successfully practised where: (a) The business is carried on a small scale with a small number of subordinates and operatives. (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. Thus, they lose their capacity for independence thinking. (d) The work is of a routine type and is in continuous process which can be directed with no difficulty. This greatly reduces the establishment cost. Organizational structure refers to how individual and team work within an organization are coordinated. Coordination: Since each department is controlled by one man, complete coordination throughout the department is assured. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Their boss is the foreman to whom they communicate their problems and suggestions and from whom they receive their orders. Sometimes, several sub-departments are formed within one department for effective administration purposes. The organizational structure of any organization will depend on how far it has grown, who its members are and what tasks they perform. Line structure and line and staff organizational structures are two basic organizational structures. Learn about:- 1. Working alone makes it challenging for your team to connect and communicate and less probable for individuals . (ii) There is vertical flow of authority and responsibility. A foreman heads each department. Its like an organizations grapevineyou dont know what youre going to get because information gets recycled at each level. In spite of these drawbacks, the line organisation structure is very popular particularly in small organisations where there are less number of levels of authority and a small number of people. (v) There is limit on subordinates under one manager. Simple and Easy To Understand 2. Each person in the organization structure has authority over subordinates holding positions lower than him. Every employee is responsible to his immediate superior. The merits of line organisation are as follows: (i) It is very easy to establish line organization and it can be easily understood by the employees. Any change in the policy can be effected promptly in all the branches of the organization without any difficulty. It is the simplest form of organization and very simple to understand and implement. There are no supportive units for accounting, labour, etc. They are responsible for sharing the information with the rest of the team. Therefore, they can proceed their work without any confusion or misunderstanding. (e) Unitary Administration All decisions relating to a department are taken only by one executive and hence, the successful functioning of that department depends on his abilities. The subordinates start keeping distance from the superiors. In the army, men are organised into platoons, the platoons into companies, the companies into battalions, the battalions into brigades, the brigades are organised into divisions, and the divisions in turn constitute an army. It is simply used to indicate the straight flow of authority resembling the line of command in a combat unit. The line organization has the following advantages: 1. Moreover, an employee knows to whom he/she is responsible and who are responsible to him/her. There is also a lack of grooming the new persons for taking up important work. Under it, the persons having the greater decision-making authority are placed at the top, and those having the least decision-making authority at the bottom. Another way is by seeking . Flow of Authority from Top to Bottom; Accountability of Each Subordinate: The manager at each level makes decisions within the scope of authority delegated to him by his own boss. Besides the straightforward organization system, it also involves staff of different departments. Staff and line are names given to different types of functions in organizations. Type # 1. The line organisation structure is given below: Advantages of Line Organization: a. The links in the chain of command should not be skipped. Flexibility: This system is flexible in the sense that it is subject to quick adjustments to suit the changing conditions. This is suitable only for businesses which are run on a small-scale producing only one item and in which the workers are divided into departments according to the type of work performed by each one of them. The Staff Viewpoint. (iv) Fixed responsibility Everybody in this type of organisation knows to whom he is responsible, and who are responsible to him. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. The leaders follow the line, staff, and functional authority. The chain of command goes from top to bottom. (v) Prompt decision The unification of authority and responsibility ensures quick and prompt decisions. Survey respondents answered the question, "Please choose the top three leadership whereas Staff is white collared & directly connected to fixed costs, administration, legal matters etc. Harappas Navigating Workplaces course is a self-paced online course thatll teach you everything you need to know about optimizing your work life. Advice is only theoretical and unrealistic. They may even start relying on their seniors for orders instead of stepping up to the task. (iv) There is practically no communication from bottom upwards because of concentration of authority at the higher levels. Improving Line and Staff Relationship 1. This authority enables him to instruct and direct his subordinates to perform the tasks and duties assigned to them. (iii) Strong discipline It ensures excellent discipline. Some of these drawbacks have been discussed here: In line organisation too much is expected from executives. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Line and staff organization is a little more complicated than the line system. It means the staff authority may work to facilitate the process in line control. Many jobs require specialized knowledge to perform them. Line and staff organization is an expensive organizational structure. The operation of line organization is very simple. There is a likelihood that some persons may be given favours and deserving persons, on the other hand, may be ignored. (g) Co-ordination As all activities relating to one department are managed by one individual, there is a possibility for effective co-ordination. Where the scale of business is comparatively small. The authority flows from top to the lower levels. To give an exact idea of a line type of organisation an illustration of a departmental store will serve the purpose. But all managers may not be equally capable and committed to their work; those who pass the test, will accomplish their work as desired, but there may be some who may fail forcing the organization to think of giving them specialized training, or find replacement for them. At each level, the superior makes decisions within the scope of authority derived by him from his own boss. military, vertical, scalar, departmental organization. 2. How to Improve Line and Staff Organization? Quick decisions and their implementation help to get the benefit of business opportunities. He need not to waste time in getting instructions from above. Instruction is given by the boss directly to his subordinates. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Any departure from this scheme may create problems. This branch addresses a lack of expertise in a typicalline organizational structure. Find out more about aline organizational structurewith examples. Employees are fully aware of the boundaries of their jobs. 5. Every manager is required to incorporate these activities in his department. vi. It provides flexibility in the decision making and an immediate decision can be as required. Since one man controls the whole show, the subordinates have to dance according to his tune. According to , the most pressing challenges they face in human resource spectrum are: high degree of employee turnover, management risk (Omolaja ,2015), inadequate management knowledge, shortage of. (f) Flexibility This type of organisation is elastic. Image: Departmental line organization chart. The subordinates should get commands only through their immediate superiors. There is scope for favouritism. 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. The line authority not only becomes the avenue of command to operating personnel, but also provides the channel of communication, coordination and accountability in enterprise. The line organisation represents the structure in a direct vertical relationship through which authority flows. Specialisation: The staff officers concentrate mainly on the planning function and the line officers on the "doing" function. (ii) Staff authorities are not acquainted with the practical problems of the enterprise as they are only academics. Simplicity. There is a direct link between superior and subordinates. In between, there are other levels of management, such as intermediate and supervisory. 2. The traditional chain of command makes decision-making more complex and does not allow for much flexibility. A disadvantage of a line-and-staff organization is conflict between line and staff personnel. There is less probability of conflict. The suggestions and recommendations may not always be accepted. A person receives orders only from his immediate boss. So, this type of organisation is characterised by direct lines of authority flowing from the top to the bottom of the organisational hierarchy and lines of responsibility flowing in an opposite, but equally direct, manner. 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