Unity of Command: Since the workers are responsible only to one superior, unity of command is made possible. (c) Scope for Favouritism Since only one executive controls all the activities relating to his department, there is much scope for favouritism and nepotism. The work load of executives goes on increasing with the expansion and diversification of the unit. 1. 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. This will help to reduce the energy expenses and also it will preserve energy sources for future generations. (d) Scope for favouritism There may be a good deal of nepotism and jobbery. (i) Less Expensive It is less expensive as no expenditure on staff personnel is involved. It may increase the employee turnover rate if the job roles are unclear. Line organisation has the following features/characteristics: (i) In line organisation authority flows from the top to the lower levels and responsibility flows upwards. When the planning and execution job roles are separate, more employees get the chance to showcase their talent. 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. Further promotion of the workers would depend upon the reports made about them by the foreman concerned. There is thus a hierarchical arrangement of authority. Specialized employees help the line staff in processes by offering expert advice. Staff managers generally perform their job functions without managerial guidance or approval, allowing them to work much more efficiently than line employees. Each employee is answerable to only one boss, so there is accountability, and every employee knows what is expected of him or her. His task is challenging and he is expected to discharge his responsibility in an efficient way. Clear-cut division of authority and responsibility- The authority and responsibility of every person is clearly defined. Another way is by seeking . Encourages Carelessness: As the staff officer is not concerned with the execution of the plan, he may not take proper precautions and care before he advises the line officer. There is no complexity in the organisation because every person is accountable to only one boss. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. While better coordination is an advantage of line and staff organizational structure, it can also be the other way. The line organization structure is very simple to understand and simple to operate. Terms of Service 7. Line and staff organization is an expensive organizational structure. Line organization structure chart tends to simplify and clarify responsibility, authority, and accountability relationships. Thus, they lose their capacity for independence thinking. Existence of superior-subordinate relationship. Some assistants or new officers may be appointed to expand and delegate tasks. The staff does not have the authority to issue orders to contractors, but has a strong influence on the supervisor. (v) There is limit on subordinates under one manager. The lower level officials do not show initiative in suggesting new things. Everybody is responsible for his work and is accountable to his boss. Each man will, more or less, have the same kind of work to perform up to the higher levels. A line organization is easy to establish. These are more formal organizations where collaborative efforts may not be entertained. It will hamper their effectiveness. And others may be good at execution but not so when it. A departmental head receives orders from the general manager and passes them on to his immediate subordinates. The concept of line organization holds that in any organization derived from a scalar process, there must be a single head who commands it. Line Organisation is the oldest form of organization. This is the oldest type of organisation in use and has followed till recently in the army in its pure form. The line office cannot devote sufficient time to each and every work and are over loaded with responsibilities. Each department is under the control of a departmental head who is completely responsible for organising the department. Account Disable 12. A line organizational structure helps build rapport between senior management and employees. Line organization structure is also known as a simple organization or military organization. Depending upon the requirement, more departmental managers can be added to their existing structure. Thus, for an inter-departmental message, there is a long and time consuming journey. Each organizational structure has its specific characteristics. about How does a Valuator Value a Business? One can not operate without the o. (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. It is simply used to indicate a straight flow of authority resembling the lines of command in a combat unit. Thus it relates to Jack of All Traders But Master of None. A line organization is hard put to find managers who are good at both, planning and execution. The officers work according to their whims and preferences. Understanding the difference in the role of staff and line functions makes the best use of the workforce within the organization. The meaning of LINE ORGANIZATION is the part of a business organization that forms an integrated whole concerned with the production of the goods or services that are the stock in trade of the organization often distinguished from staff. However, you can make the best out of it by making adequate changes in the organizational structure. What is Strategy Implementation and How To Implement it? Source: accountlearning.com. One of the advantages of the line organization structure is simplicity. It allows them to look for plans for the growth of the company. A line of credit is usually cheaper than using a credit card. It improves different coordinations among all employees and personnel. At departmental level manager is in charge and he can direct the activities of his juniors. Organizational structure refers to how individual and team work within an organization are coordinated. According to referenceforbusiness.com, staff managers often play a support role to line managers. 2. c. Responsibility is fixed and unified at each level and authority and accountability Everything you need to know about the line organisational . The line managers have the following to say about the staff people: (i) Staff authority undermines line authority and interferes in the work of line managers. Most of the work done in aline organizational structureis routine. Employees are expected to work on the same tasks without upskilling or learning about other aspects of the business. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. (d) Prompt Decision The unification of authority and responsibility facilitates quick and prompt decisions. v. Prompt Decisions- As the superiors enjoy full authority, quick decisions are taken by them. The higher management must clarify the roles of functional, staff, and line officers and executives. 1. In between, there are other levels of management, such as intermediate and supervisory. Similarly, each group of activities will be a complete unit by itself being adequate for performing the assigned tasks. The top-level manager can take decisions according to requirements without taking technical suggestions from experts and specialists. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Required fields are marked *. 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. David Ingram has written for multiple publications since 2009, including "The Houston Chronicle" and online at Business.com. Each department is under the control of a departmental manager who is responsible to the superior over him. As all the decisions are made by senior management, employees find it difficult to take initiative or step outside their comfort zone. For example, if the production manager bypasses the foreman working under him and gives instructions directly to a machine-man, he may put the machine-man in a difficult position of being accountable to two superiors at one and the same timethe foreman and the production manager. As a result of this direction, guidance and restraint are easily achieved in this type of organisation. The managerial growth also suffers because lower level persons are not involved in decision-making process. Is working for a manufacturing company right for you? And so it goes on. Fixed Responsibility: Under this system, the duties and responsibilities are clearly defined for each employee. Every employee is responsible to his immediate superior. (i) Heavy Burden of Work- Since the departmental head has to look after all the activities of his department, he is over burdened with work. Advantages Of Line Organization A line organizational structure has many advantages but they depend on the type of business and number of employees. Flexibility: This system is flexible in the sense that it is subject to quick adjustments to suit the changing conditions. 3. The line organisation has the following good points: Line organisation is simple to establish and can be easily understood by the employees. (c) Inadequacy of communication There is a failure to get correct information and to act upon it. But as between one foreman and another, there is no formal line of authority or responsibility. Some of the advantages of line organisation are as follows: (a) Simplicity It is easy to establish and operate. Under this system the departmental head is involved in taking and executing various decisions. Each section in charge has direct control over his section. This always includes production and sales, and sometimes marketing. In line organisation every person is under the command of one boss only. Simplicity. This is known by different names, i.e. (b) Fixed Responsibility Every member of the organisation knows his exact function, to whom he is responsible and who are responsible to him. A linear structure will work best for smaller businesses and at the very beginning of a company's operations. Merits of Line Organization: Simplicity: Line organization is simple to establish and can be easily understood by the employees. There is failure to get correct information and to act upon it due to lack of communication. Overload on Managers 2. Reduce energy Expenses - Under the triple bottom line method, the organizations are encouraged to use renewable energy. For example, at the lowest levels, all workers may perform a similar activity, but for control and supervision they may be divided into different groups, each placed under a foreman. Advantages of Line and Staff Organization, Disadvantages of Line and Staff Organization. All other types of organization structure have mostly been either modifications of this organization. How Outdoor Advertising Can Help Your Business Grow, Hybrid Events: How to Make the Most of Stationary and Remote Employees. 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. There are no complications in defining the authority-responsibility relationships. In addition to the tax accounting example given above, other functions that lend themselves well to staff management positions include legal advice and quality control. about A Comprehensive Guide to Enterprise Thin Client Systems. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Specialization. Similarly, a manager has to look after various departments and functions at a time. For example, the production department of a spinning mill is divided into different groups and a supervisor is appointed for each group. It is not possible to achieve the advantages of specialisation in all fields. What Are the Tasks of Organizational Structure? So line organisation enables the fixation of authority and responsibility. Even though marked by lack of specialization, overburdening of competent managers, absence of communication between managers and subordinates, and subjective element in decision-making, line system of organization will suit businesses which are small in size, or where the work involved is of a routine nature, or machine-based. (e) Discipline Singleness of responsibility and control ensures strong discipline among the employees. 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. 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. Again, even within a department, there may be several sub-departments. Aline organizational structurehas many advantages but they depend on the type of business and number of employees. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Hence, less expenses is incurred for adopting line organization. Among the advantages of a line structure, experts most often include: Even the workers at the lower level can understand the structure of this organization. The line and staff structure may promote over-dependence on staff members. Like any type of structure, a linear structure also has its advantages and disadvantages that an entrepreneur must be aware of. The message can be passed on only through the manager who has the authority over both the departments. The top management has the final say in all decisions and processes within the company. This is the simplest and oldest, known as chain of command or scalar principle. A superior delegates authority to a subordinate who in turn delegates authority to his subordinates and so on. 5. Having a three-way authority system in the company facilitates expansion and growth. (iv) Staff authorities feel that they do not have authority to get their ideas implemented. Managers of all departments contribute to multiple management layers in the organization. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Responsibility is fixed. Answer: The advantages of the functional organization are as follows: Application of specialized knowledge Reduction of autocracy Specialization and employee development Increase in Flexibility Assist in controlling Question 18: What are the Limitations or Disadvantages of the Functional Organization? A person receives orders only from his immediate boss. The first and foremost advantage of line organization is that it is very simple to understand and implement in the organization and hence there is no need to give extensive training to employees about the structure of the organization as all employees will know that flow of authority will be in a line and that too from top to bottom so there is It depends on the type of work, functions and industry the organization operates in. . It is the simplest form of organization and very simple to understand and implement. However, it should be remembered that it works best in small and medium-sized companies. (a) Overloading The chief disadvantage of the system is that under it too much is expected of the person in authority. 5. As such, they can not devote sufficient time to creative functions. Plagiarism Prevention 5. (c) It enables clear cut definition of authority and responsibility. In this type of organisation, the whole unit is divided into different departments that are convenient for control purposes. (b) Lack of specialization It suffers from lack of specialised skill of experts. Expert Advice: The staff officers provide expert advice and guidance to line officers and by this, the enterprise as a whole gets benefit. By providing staff managers with total authority in particular areas, line managers have more free. (iii) There is unity of command. 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