BUSINESS FINANCE BANKING EDUCATION GENERAL LAW SCIENCE

IT ENGLISH

Flying Tiger Copenhagen

Zobacz świąteczne dekoracje
Znajdź przeróżne dekoracje świąteczne

Store info Directions

Difference Between Line and Line & Staff

Organization
Last updated on January 31, 2018 by Surbhi S

Line Organization is the form of organization, wherein the authority flows from the person
present at the top of the organizational hierarchy to the person working at the lowest
level. In line and staff organization, the hierarchy remains same as in the line organization,
but specialists are attached to the front line managers to advise and guide them on
significant issues.

A structural relationship is required to be developed between different departments and

the people working in them, for effectively accomplishing the objectives of the
organization. And so, formal relationship between the members of the organization is set
up, so as to coordinate their efforts. Two such formal organizational relationships are line
organization and line & staff organization.

In the given article we’ve made a comparison of the two types of organization, so read this
out.

Content: Line Vs Line and Staff Organization

1. Comparison Chart
2. Definition
3. Key Differences
4. Conclusion

Comparison Chart

BASIS FOR
LINE ORGANIZATION LINE AND STAFF ORGANIZATION
COMPARISON

Meaning The organization in which the The organization structure, in which

authority and responsibility specialist are added to the line
moves downward, and managers to provide guidance and
accountability flows upward, is support, is called line and staff
called line organization. organization.

Authority Command Command and Advise

Discipline Strict Loose

Executives Line executives are generalist. Line executives are generalist and
staff executives are specialist.

Degree of Absolute centralization Partly centralized and partly

centralization decentralized

Appropriate Small organization with less Large organization with a number of

for number of employees. employees.

Definition of Line Organization

Line organization, as the name suggests, is an organization wherein a direct vertical

relationship between the superior and subordinate exists. It relies on the scalar principle,
which encompasses that authority flows downward, i.e. the person at the top, delegates
authority to the person at the middle, who in turn delegates the authority to the bottom
level.

When it comes to the quantum of authority, it is highest at the foremost level, which tends
to decrease at each following level.

This type of organization is characterised by a direct chain of command, which is like a

thread that passes through all the members of the organization. So, who is responsible for
what and who is accountable to whom is defined, that is to say, subordinates work under
the supervision of the superior.

Definition of Line and Staff Organization

Line and staff organization is the organization that combines the merits of line and
functional organization, by adding the functional specialist to the line organization. Here,
line authority stays same, as in the case of line organization and it flows downward. The
functional experts, give advise to the front line managers, in the matters relevant to the
object of the organization. The specialist works as staff and serves the line officials, by
supporting and guiding them, whenever necessary.

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. Moreover, there is a benefit of specialization, as in work is divided between the line
and staff executives, and they focus on their respective area.

In this type of organization, the decision making is quick and easy, as the expert advice can
help in making better decisions.

Key Differences Between Line and Line & Staff

Organization
The points given below explain the difference between line and line & staff
organization:

1. Line organization can be understood as a vertical organization, wherein the

superior can give orders to a subordinate, through a direct chain of command.
Line and staff organization is the organization structure, in which there is a
normal departmentation of the regular business operations, and there is the
functional specialist to perform specialised activities.

2. While line authority relies on command, line and staff authority is based on
command and advise.

3. As we talk about discipline, line organization, is strict, whereas line and staff
organization is loose.

4. In a line organization, the line executives are the generalist, who is directly
responsible for accomplishing the objectives of the organization. On the other
hand, in line and staff organization, the staff executives are specialist who
supports and advice the line managers in the accomplishment of organization’s
objectives.

5. There is centralization of authority in a line organization, and so all the decisions

of the organization are taken by the top authority only. Conversely, in line and
staff organization, there is a combination of centralisation and decentralisation,
in essence, some of the decisions are centrally taken while some are diffused.

6. Line organization, is good for small corporations, as, in such a structure, the
authority is concentrated at the top, which makes it difficult to manage if the
number of employees are large. On the contrary, Line and staff organization, is
best suited for large corporations due to the presence of staff specialist, who
use their knowledge to advice line managers on complex issues.

Conclusion

To sum up, line and staff organization is an advancement over the line organization, So, it
is quite obvious that the former is better than the latter as it reduces the limitations of the
line organization. At present, line and staff organization, is implemented in most of the
organizations, because in the competitive business environment, specialised knowledge is
required to survive and grow in the market.

Klinika Medycyny Estetycznej

SIM-MED | Medycyna…
Kraków 8AM–6PM

You Might Also Like:

Difference Between Power and Difference Between Upward and

Authority Downward Communication

Difference Between Line and Line Difference Between Faculty and

Segment Staff

Difference Between Formal and Difference Between Non-Profit

Informal Organization and Not-for-Profit Organization

Comments

Marianne Beechy says

February 2, 2018 at 9:57 pm

Thanks

Reply

Kratika says
March 16, 2021 at 10:52 pm

Thankyou

Reply

Bhavay Kalra says

January 31, 2021 at 11:24 pm

The Explanation was Wonderful !

Reply

Oluwafemi says
September 3, 2021 at 10:55 am

I concur with the similarities and the conclusion, thanks

Reply

CHARLES FURAHA R says

December 19, 2021 at 12:24 am

It’s very good summary

Reply

Keter Kiplagat says

March 16, 2022 at 7:40 pm

Quite clear and comprehensive keep it up, we keep learning

Reply

Leave a Reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment *

Name *

Email *

Website

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

POST COMMENT

Search the site ...

TOP 5 DIFFERENCES

Difference Between PERT and CPM

Difference Between Micro and Macro Economics

Difference Between Developed Countries and Developing Countries

Difference Between Management and Administration

Difference Between Qualitative and Quantitative Research

RELATED DIFFERENCES

Difference Between Skimming and Scanning

Difference Between BCG and GE Matrices

Difference Between Debtors and Creditors

Difference Between Mortgage and Charge

Difference Between MLA and APA

NEW ADDITIONS

Difference Between Revising and Editing

Difference Between Who’s and Whose

Difference Between Invoke and Evoke

Difference Between Accident and Incident

Difference Between Do and Make

Difference Between Continual and Continuous

Difference Between Travel and Tourism

Difference Between Affiliate Marketing and Digital Marketing

Difference Between Quite and Quiet

Difference Between Private Goods and Public Goods

Copyright © 2023 · Key Di!erences · Contact Us · About Us · Privacy

Privacy and cookie settings Managed by Google. Complies with IAB TCF. CMP ID: 300