LINE & STAFF

RELATIONSHIPS

WHAT IS LINE & STAFF

RELATIONSHIP
Proper

functioning of any organization is highly depended

on the authority - responsibility relationships among

people working in groups to achieve declared objectives
of the organization. In most organizations there are two
wide categories of personnel vise line and staf.
Different

people assume as they work together to

accomplish results.

tell us
who are the decision makers (line)
who provides advice and service (staf)

not

static, play different roles as relationship

LINE AUTHORITY
Line

is the category of personnel with direct responsibility

for achieving the objectives of the organization.

OR
Involved

with activities directly related to the achievement

of the departments goals and,

Line personnel carry out the primary activities of a business and are

considered essential to the basic functioning of the organization.

Line

managers make the majority of the decisions and direct

staff personnel to achieve company goals.

Line

has command authority (decision-making) necessary to

reach the goals for which line is accountable.

STAFF AUTHORITY

Refers to the category of personnel who help the line to

work most effectively in accomplishing such objectives.
OR

Involved with activities that contribute to the attainment of

the lines goals indirectly.
Provide advice and services to help in reaching lines goals.

A staff function is a secondary business activity that

supports the line functions of a business to achieve the
objectives.
In business management, staff functions are usually defined as
all functions that are not line functions.

The nature of this function is advisory.

The people belonging to this function investigate, research,
and give advice to their line managers.

LINE & STAFF RELATIONSHIP

Within

the line, a superior exercises

direct supervision over a subordinate and

it is a direct relationship.
But

the relationship of staf with the line

is advisory in nature.
The

staf investigate, research, and give

advice to the line managers to

accomplishment of the organization goals.

In

the above diagram the Legal Advisor is a staf personnel

and the staf authority is represented by dotted lines is
advisory in nature

BENEFITS
Within

an organization

Healthy environment at all time

help in the accomplishment of the both
line and staf goals effectively and
efficiently.
Whole-hearted support by both to
achieve their goals.
build channel of communication.

LINE STAFF
CONFLICTS
It

is also important to keep the relationship between line and

staf healthy all the time.
There is always a chance for disharmony since line and staf
personnel have different backgrounds.

The

line managers may think that staf personnel are not

accountable for their actions as they have no direct
responsibility in core functions of the organizations.
The line positions may not give due consideration to the advice of
the staf personnel thinking that they have no experience in
operational activities and hence their recommendations and ideas
may lack applicability.

At

this, staf managers may feel that line managers do

not make the right use of talents of the staf personnel and
are not open to new ideas.
Since staf personnel lack authority, they may not be able to
implement their solutions for problems.
This creates an embarrassing situation for the staf personnel.

LIMITATIONS
Blame

game between line and staf: The staf only

proposes a plan; the function to implement that plan
is of the line.
If a plan fails the staf blames the line, and the line
blames the staf.

Hostile

environment can prevail: Some line managers

don't like to get suggestions from staf members;
sometimes, however, they are pressured into
accepting staf plans.
This creates friction between the two functions.
Sometimes this pressure is due to the goodwill of
staf as they hold expertise in their field, that lands
line into dire straits (there are, of course, always).

business can usually survive the failure of, or use

substitutes for the staf function.

CONCLUSION
Line

authority is ultimately accountable to achieve the

organization goals.
Line

has decision command for accomplishing their goals.

Staf

provides advice and service to help line in reaching goals.

Staf

function is a secondary business activity that supports the

line functions of a business to achieve the objectives.

Instead

of focusing on the traditional roles

(boss/subordinate), place the focus on accountability and

teamwork.
Shared

responsibility is the result of a common goal and a clear

understanding of the interrelationship between functions.

Staf

are consultant not servant.

END