Overload on Managers 2. All the departmental heads are responsible to their immediate superior i.e. This system of organization is also known as Scalar, Traditional or hierarchical form of organization. They are not provided with an opportunity to put forward their view point or problems or suggestions to persons at the top level. In this model chart, the enterprise has three departments or shops namely, Foundry shop, Machine shop and Assembling shop. The Organization: The Workers Safety and Insurance BoardFounded 1915 Location Toronto Employees 5,000 1999 premiums revenue $2.7 million 1999 benefits . Line and staff organization is an expensive organizational structure. (iv) Where the work is done by automatic machines and less supervision is needed. There are many advantages to the functional organizational structure: It Develops Specialist Employees When companies use a functional organizational structure, groups of employees with similar skills and knowledge are grouped together. Staff include all of those that provide specialized skills in support of the line departments. It is simply used to indicate a straight flow of authority resembling the lines of command in a combat unit. Lundy, It 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.. The reactions of subordinates also reach top management in a short span of time. Direct supervision and control also helps in maintaining strong discipline among the workers. The line organisation can be of two types, viz. This kind of authority flows down the line. This organisation is a vertical structure where one person delegates authority to his subordinate and who in turn delegates to his subordinate and so on. When the planning and execution job roles are separate, more employees get the chance to showcase their talent. The improper distribution of authority and responsibility can create problems within the organization. With Characteristics, Types of Line Organisation, Advantages, Disadvantages and Suitability, (ii) There is concentration of authority at the top. What happens when a department manager wants to pass some message to a subordinate in another department? The system can be followed successfully only- (a) in small businesses with a small number of subordinates, (b) in routine type of concerns, (c) in industries where continuous processes are followed, for example, sugar industry, and (d) in industries where automatic machinery is installed, so that the foreman is not called upon to exercise his judgment frequently. Thus, it permits flexibility in operation. The subordinates should get commands only through their immediate superiors. If superiors take a wrong decision, it would be carried out without anybody having the courage to point out its deficiencies. Polska 114 60-401 Pozna bluewhale-press.com. In the line organization there is a vertical line of authority. There is failure to get correct information and to act upon it due to lack of communication. Specialization provides expert advice and proficiency in management. Disclaimer 8. Everybody is responsible for his work and is accountable to his boss. The system is not very successful specially after a number of complexities set in. Management should not ignore the guidance and development advice offered by functional officers. Moreover, it is easily understood by workers. . Uploader Agreement. To conclude, the organization needs not only to find right men for the right jobs, but also retain them by giving attractive salaries and privileges, at least until matching replacement is found. Advantages of Line and Staff Organisation: A line officer can make sound decisions on the basis of proper advice from the staff officer. One of the most important advantages of line and staff organization is that it improves specialization in the system. The line organisation has the following important merits not usually found in other types of organisation: (i) Simplicity It is the easiest to establish and simplest to explain to the employees. Above all the departmental heads, there is a general manager to whom all the department heads are responsible. In spite of many limitations, the importance of line organisation cannot be minimised. line-staff organization, in management, approach in which authorities (e.g., managers) establish goals and directives that are then fulfilled by staff and other workers. B. outsourcing. There is an absolute lack of functional specialization. If the managers treat the employees as a pendulum between them, they will most likely get tired of their job roles. There is scope for favouritism. Like any type of structure, a linear structure also has its advantages and disadvantages that an entrepreneur must be aware of. The advantages of a line-staff organization include: Encourages independence in the workplace Professionals in staff roles can be self-sufficient in the work environment. 5. Each department is under the control of a departmental manager who is responsible to the superior over him. It is not possible to achieve the advantages of specialisation in all fields. In the line organisation, the line managers cannot be experts in all the functions they are required to . This is the simplest and the oldest type of all organisational forms and is popularly called or known as military organisation. It requires more resources, including finance and infrastructure. (iii) Line officers are slow to accept new ideas and they resist change. Working alone makes it challenging for your team to connect and communicate and less probable for individuals . It can be easily designed, and operated without any complication. Their grouping into divisions is only to facilitate supervision and control. (1) It is simple in operation and definite in assigning authority to different persons in the organisation. 3. Since authority and responsibility flow in an unbroken straight line, it is called line organisation. The limits of authority of both line and staff should be prescribed clearly. (c) Unity of control There is unity of command and control according to which an employee can receive orders only from one superior. This line system is not without disadvantages. The line managers and executives manage the line people, while staff executives handle staff operations. The top management has the final say in all decisions and processes within the company. Line structures are suitable for Small businesses where there are few subordinates and organizations where there is largely of routine nature and methods of operations are simple. All the departmental managers enjoy equal status and work independently. All other types of organization structure have mostly been either modifications of this organization. Advantages of Line Organisation: ADVERTISEMENTS: Line organisation offers the following advantages: (a) It is simple to operate and easy to understand. Line managers are vital to the success of any growing business. 11. Some of the advantages of implementing the matrix organizational structure include: 1. Further promotion of the workers would depend upon the reports made about them by the foreman concerned. The subordinates may similarly communicate the order to the workers. 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. He communicates his decisions and orders to his subordinates. (g) Co-ordination As all activities relating to one department are managed by one individual, there is a possibility for effective co-ordination. The quantum of authority is highest at the top and reduces at each successive level down the hierarchy. APR what is it and how to calculate it for a loan? The top-down approach helps streamline communication. If they are not able the enterprise will not be successful. Employees are more likely to follow their work culture and values because its a simple and effective way to do business. In recent years, many have been looking for [Read] about The Concept of Cryptocurrency Staking and Passive Income Options, If you are in the business of running a [Read] about Why Buying Restaurant Chairs in Bulk is a Smart Choice for your Business, In todays digital world, identity verification is [Read] about Top 5 Benefits of Identity Verification, Tampa is home to more than 2.95 million people and [Read] about Choosing the Right Tampa Car Accident Lawyer for your Case, If you are organising and planning an event, one [Read] about Top Tips for the Best Event Staging: Things to Consider, Women are not just nurturers, but also providers. This is known by different names, i.e. Co-ordination: . Responsibility, on the other hand, flows upwards. And others may be good at execution but not so when it. Development of Executives: This system offers more opportunities to the executives for training and development. Report a Violation 11. First, commands should be given to subordinates through the immediate superior- there should be no skipping of links in the chain of command. The number of subordinates should be such that they are properly supervised. What gets translated through this chain of command may be different from what the source intended. (ii) Every person is in in charge of persons working under him. (iv) Fixed responsibility Everybody in this type of organisation knows to whom he is responsible, and who are responsible to him. 6. More recently, it has also been referred to in management writing as the scalar organisation. Learn how your comment data is processed. Heres a breakdown of the power in each. Line and staff structure is adapted by medium to large organizations with several employees. Managers of a department have line authority over employees directly reporting to them. All organizations follow specific organizational structures to run the company smoothly. Line personnel command the workers and give feedback. For example, human resources, accounting, public relations and the legal . Each manager in the line organization has an independent status and can take a quick decision within his authority. (ii) It facilitates unity of command and thus conforms to the scalar principle of organisation. Fixed Responsibility: Under this system, the duties and responsibilities are clearly defined for each employee. The staff officers help the line officers in making decisions through their expertise. They are bound to follow instructions from their superiors. There are no staff personnel to advice line officers. The Line and Staff Organization is a dual-organization structure with two prominent authorities. Line Organisation is the oldest form of organization. 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. Coordination: Since each department is controlled by one man, complete coordination throughout the department is assured. Everything you need to know about the line organisational . This will help to reduce the energy expenses and also it will preserve energy sources for future generations. The leaders follow the line, staff, and functional authority. It does not store any personal data. Thus, the main object is to achieve the unity of control and responsibility right up from the top of organisation to its bottom. For example, the person heading the marketing department will have the knowledge and skill necessary to carry the process with full responsibility and successfully run his team. (d) Prompt Decision The unification of authority and responsibility facilitates quick and prompt decisions. (d) Scope for favouritism There may be a good deal of nepotism and jobbery. Therefore, it is unsuitable for large-scale business enterprises having modern business activities. Classical theories of organization associated with Henri Fayol, Frederick W . military, vertical, scalar, departmental organization. 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. Matthew is a Co-Founder at BusinessFinanceArticles.org. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Every employee is responsible to his immediate superior. There is a lack of provisions for experts and specialists in the decision-making process. However, authority does not always translate to effectiveness. (ix) Lines of authority are vertical i.e. Telegram ChannelJoin telegram channel https://t.me/skillicsFunctional Structure https://youtu.be/CkmjGWAv5t4Divisional Structurehttps://youtu.be/SxCT5cRuGPAM. Each unit is placed under a commander and his word is final as far as his subordinates are concerned. It means a subordinate is responsible to only one superior. 1. In line organisation final decision-making is done by the top management. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Everybody knows his work and also to whom he is responsible. Definition, Types, Reasons, and Pros/Cons. This means relying a little too much on their individual capability, knowledge and experience. In this blog, we'll explore six benefits of Change Management when . The superior can exercise effective control and supervise over the persons under him. At departmental level manager is in charge and he can direct the activities of his juniors. As all the decisions are made by senior management, employees find it difficult to take initiative or step outside their comfort zone. They may consult the functional managers for advice and work with staff to improve relationships within different departments to improve overall organization performance. In line organisation, the line of authority consists of an uninterrupted series of authority steps and forms a hierarchical arrangement. Two types of managerial authority are granted by an organizational structure. 7. Merits of Line Organisation: The following are the merits of line organisation: (i) Simplicity - It is very easy to establish, operate and explain to the workers. The allocation of work will also help in fixing responsibility of various individuals. There may be a good deal of nepotism and jobbery and personal prejudices. (ii) Line officers reject the advice without giving reasons. It also governs the . By this method, specialisation is attained. Simplicity. Line organization structure is also known as a simple organization or military organization. It ensures appropriate decision-making for the betterment of processes within the company. (5) Co-ordination between different units is being achieved by co-operation between departmental heads or executives responsible to conduct different units. The only problem with a credit card is that it will usually carry a high APR. For example, quality control officers may guide the production department in improving the stability of the product. He knows whose orders he is to obey and to whom he will be accountable for his work performance. These are issues that are vital to the company's success, but which do not require a large work group to accomplish. This may become the reason for lack of co-ordination among different departments. Storage Discipline: The vertical arrangement of authority and the singleness of responsibility ensures excellent discipline. They only impart their suggestions to line authorities. The general manager is in charge of all the departments and he can easily co-ordinate the work of various departments. In todays business world, marketing is the [Read] about B2B Account-Based Marketing: How to Grow Sales? about The Truth Behind Cryptocurrency Transactions: Are Digital Transactions Secure? Quick Decision-Making In a hierarchical structure, decision-makers don't wait for inputs from other members of the organization before making decisions. Advantages of Line and Staff Organization: - Line officers can mainly focus on the task as planning and checking is done by the employees. Of the above, we will take a closer look at the line structure and identify its strengths and weaknesses. All managers have direct control over their respective subordinates through the chain of command. No employee has more than one manager to order him and no manager can order an employee who is not his subordinate. 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