A superior delegates authority to a subordinate who in turn delegates authority to his subordinates and so on. It is extremely difficult for one person to handle activities of diverse nature. However, you can make the best out of it by making adequate changes in the organizational structure. (a) Lack of Specialisation As one person looks after all the work relating to his department, there is no scope for specialisation. Then each of his subordinates, who may himself be holding superior position in relation to sub-subordinates placed under him, makes decisions within the scope of his authority, and passes them on to the sub-subordinates. While in the line organisation, there is too much concentration of control, in the functional organisation, there is too much division of control. The Line Viewpoint. It is suitable for concerns. Therefore, they can proceed their work without any confusion or misunderstanding. Maintain Discipline 4. B. Unity of command supports settling the duty in the line organization. Polska 114 60-401 Pozna bluewhale-press.com. They must stay within the limit of their authority and act accordingly. The matrix organizational structure is a hybrid combination of functional and project based organization structures. Due to the fact that decision-making authority is. There is scope for favouritism. He/ she is fully responsible for running the department. Where the number of subordinates and operatives is less. 2. In this way, responsibility is easily fixed. Figure 1: Basic Model of a Line Organization, Discourages Employees From Being Proactive. It is the simplest of all types of organizations. Responsibility, on the other hand, flows upwards. Advantages of Line Organisation: ADVERTISEMENTS: Line organisation offers the following advantages: (a) It is simple to operate and easy to understand. If they are not able the enterprise will not be successful. All the departmental managers enjoy equal status and work independently. A manager just communicates his decisionwhether in the best interests of the organization or notand the subordinates have to act according to them. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Under this organisation, activities on any one level are the same. This affects their creativity and capacity for independent thinking. Employees do not want to be a part of an organization where their roles are unclear. (iii) Each subordinate receives orders only from one superior and is answerable to him only. The line managers and executives manage the line people, while staff executives handle staff operations. Hence, there is no contact between Sales Manager and the workers. Line organisation suffers from lack of specialised skill of experts. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. 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. Every organizational system comes with some pros and cons. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Effective Management 7. They may move higher in the hierarchy by correctly implementing their skills in the processes. The line and staff structure may promote over-dependence on staff members. 4. Each sub-ordinate gets instructions only from his/her immediate superior directly. 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. In an industrial concern, for instance, a foreman neither receives any instructions from, nor issues commands to, another foreman. The lack of managerial specialisation is the demerit of line organisation. Not all managers can come up to this expectation. Above all the departmental heads, there is a general manager to whom all the department heads are responsible. Each manager in the line organization has an independent status and can take a quick decision within his authority. (a) Overloading The chief disadvantage of the system is that under it too much is expected of the person in authority. Line or Military Organization: Structure, Features, Characteristics, Merits, Demerits, Suitability and Branches, With Features, Conditions for Success, Merits, Demerits and Suitability, Hierarchy of Authority Levels, Branches of Line Organisation, Merits, Demerits and Suitability of Line Organisation, Flow of Authority from Top to Bottom; Accountability of Each Subordinate, Department Managers Function Independently of One Another, Subordinates can only Approach Immediate Superior, (2) Clear Division of Authority and Responsibility, Line managers are required to both plan and execute the tasks and duties assigned to them. (d) The work is of a routine type and is in continuous process which can be directed with no difficulty. Learn how your comment data is processed. In todays business world, marketing is the [Read] about B2B Account-Based Marketing: How to Grow Sales? (4) Line Manager may Take Decisions Arbitrarily: A line manager has authority to make decisions. We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. For example, the owner of a small business acts as the leader or manager of inline systems. It can be easily define and explain to all staff. It does not store any personal data. If superiors take a wrong decision, it would be carried out without anybody having the courage to point out its deficiencies. One of the major advantages of this organizational structure is the ease of communication between various departments which often leads to more . In the line organization, managers have to perform a wide range of functions. (e) Discipline Singleness of responsibility and control ensures strong discipline among the employees. 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. Fixed responsibility: Duties and responsibilities are clearly defined for each individual with reference to the work assigned to him. Both are equally important to an organization. Line organization enables the staff to work more toward the . In this form of organization responsibilities are fixed and defined. The departmental manager is responsible or answerable to his immediate superior i.e. Suitability 6. Every person in the organization is in the direct chain of command. There are no staff personnel to advice line officers. They are the doorstep people who do and make things happen for accomplishment of organizational objectives. How to Improve Line and Staff Organization? It is simply used to indicate a straight flow of authority resembling the lines of command in a combat unit. to improve overall organization performance. A line function is one that directly advances an organization in its core work. i. Simplicity- Simple to understand and develop. Line-staff organization, in management, approach in which authorities Besides, this is a fact that the number of subordinates under every superior is limited. This means that everything in the organization is vertically connected. Unlike affiliative leadership structures, such organizational structures do not heed the officers advice. Matthew was a floor manager at a local restaurant in Wales. The line management must give appropriate reasons in case of rejection. Flexibility: This system is flexible in the sense that it is subject to quick adjustments to suit the changing conditions. Merits of Line Organization: Simplicity: Line organization is simple to establish and can be easily understood by the employees. Line managers can work more efficiently with staff managers handling specialized functions. 3. The general manager is in charge of all the departments and he can easily co-ordinate the work of various departments. Modern business is so complex that it is extremely difficult for one person to carry in his head all the necessary details about his work in his department. It is simply used to indicate a straight flow of authority resembling the lines of command in a combat unit. The clarity of authority and tasks within the company introduces discipline. And, every employee is directly responsible to his immediate superior. The modern military organisations do not entirely rely on line organisation. Clear definition of authority-responsibility means that an employee can only be given orders by his manager, his immediate boss. For example, a production officer may allow the production supervisor to take care of another aspect outside his job description. Since they are to take decisions with regard to every aspect of business, the quality of decisions may suffer. Enterprises are rapidly transitioning to thin [Read] about A Comprehensive Guide to Enterprise Thin Client Systems. A manager can only order his immediate subordinates, and for the subordinates the dictate is First obey, and then argue. There are both advantages and disadvantages of line organization. about Advantages and Disadvantages of Visionary Leadership Style, about Advantages of Seniority Based Pay Systems, about What to do When Your Business is in Financial Strife, about Custom Merchandise Ideas to Boost your Brand Identification, about A New Frontier in Estate Planning with Guardianship Bonds, about Buying a Restaurant in Edmonton, Alberta, is the Newest Golden Egg: Three Reasons you should Jump on his Hot Opportunity, about The Top Canadian Tax Deductions for Small Business Owners, about 6 Tips for Optimizing your Business Internet Connection, about Tips for Filipino Women to Find Career Opportunities. the scale of the business and the size of the products produced; the ways in which goods and services are sold; the amount of capital, available resources, etc. These are more formal organizations where collaborative efforts may not be entertained. Required fields are marked *. Line organization is the oldest and simplest method of administrative organization. Image: Departmental line organization chart. military, vertical, scalar, departmental organization. (ii) Line officers reject the advice without giving reasons. Line managers make formal decisions within their sphere of authority that directly influence the way a company does business, including production goals, organizational policies and compensation decisions. The executive may appoint and promote his own men in various positions ignoring the claim of efficient persons. Simplicity: Line organisation is simple to establish and can be easily understood by the employees. There are no better examples than those of history. Instruction is given by the boss directly to his subordinates. For example, quality control officers may guide the production department in improving the stability of the product. Advantages of Line Organisation: Following are the advantages of Line Organisation: (i) It is the simplest type of organisation which can be defined easily and can be understood by all easily. (ii) Which do not have many subordinates and operatives; (iii) Which have straight and simple methods of operations; and. Matthew is a Co-Founder at BusinessFinanceArticles.org. Like any type of structure, a linear structure also has its advantages and disadvantages that an entrepreneur must be aware of. There should be a hierarchical arrangement of giving commands. 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? Outside of reporting to senior management, each task belongs to individual employees. There is also a lack of grooming the new persons for taking up important work. The authority is given with reference to the assignment of task. Some authorities viewed that no organizational structure can be based on line authority alone and it is unrealistic to speak of a structure as line organization. Simplicity. Another benefit of line organization is that it is easier to make someone accountable and responsible for the task assigned to him or her so if any mistake happens one can easily pinpoint the person due to whom the mistake has happened and there is no scope for him or her putting blame on other persons of the company.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'letslearnfinance_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_2',107,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-letslearnfinance_com-medrectangle-4-0'); if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'letslearnfinance_com-banner-1','ezslot_9',134,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-letslearnfinance_com-banner-1-0');Since decisions are taken by the person at the top only the response time to any situation is quick and short besides there is a lot of flexibility due to the presence of a single authority which makes it easier to respond to any situations which may arise from time to time. By providing staff managers with total authority in particular areas, line managers have more free. Subordinates have no freedom to do their job. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'letslearnfinance_com-leader-1','ezslot_8',110,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-letslearnfinance_com-leader-1-0');As one can see from the above that line organization has both advantages, as well as disadvantages, and any company thinking of applying this form of organization structure should carefully analyze both the aspects and then take the decision. 1. Simplicity: This system is very simple and can operate very easily. Plagiarism Prevention 5. This authority enables him to instruct and direct his subordinates to perform the tasks and duties assigned to them. The line organisation can be of two types, viz. 2. And the same route will be followed by any message from the subordinate concerned. Advantages Of Line Organization A line organizational structure has many advantages but they depend on the type of business and number of employees. Heres a breakdown of the power in each. Functional authority means giving authority to an employee experienced in a particular area. Thus, they lose their capacity for independence thinking. 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. Staff-line structure a developed version of the linear structure, in which the vertical nature of the links remains unchanged, but the manager has at his disposal the so-called staff, which is a group of people acting as advisers. A person receives orders only from his immediate boss. The viewpoints of both line and staff of this conflict are given below: A. The hierarchy in management helps in achieving effective coordination. Where the process of production is continuous or special. 3. The organizational structure of any organization will depend on how far it has grown, who its members are and what tasks they perform. Characteristics of line organization are listed below. 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. Some of them are inherent while some others are due to peculiar failings of human beings. Manage Settings The direct relationship is prevailing between the sub-ordinate and immediate superior. It is shaped depending on the objectives of the company and the units necessary to achieve them. Choosing the right one is crucial for achieving the companys goals. Functional structure introduces a division into functional departments headed by specialists. It can be easily established and easily understood by the workers. Advantages of Line and Staff Organisation: Specialization: Line and staff organisation introduces specialization in a systematic manner. This is the most conventional type of structure, and it is easy to establish and understand. 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. (v) It facilitates prompt decision-making because there is definite authority at every level. If, therefore, something happens to an efficient manager, the future of the department and of the concern as a whole would be in jeopardy. 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. (ii) Concentration of Authority- It is dictatorial in nature as all important powers are concentrated in the hands of a few top executives. Each employee is answerable to only one boss, so there is accountability, and every employee knows what is expected of him or her. (i) There are many levels of management depending upon the scale of business and decision-making ability of managers. Line Organisation is the oldest form of organization. Uploader Agreement. 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. Your email address will not be published. However, a line and staff. Responsibility is fixed. Effective Control and Supervision: Line and staff structure is adapted by medium to large organizations with several employees. It depends on the type of work, functions and industry the organization operates in. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In a simple organizational structure, various departments are autonomous, and there is little communication with each other. (iv) It ensures excellent discipline in the enterprise because everyindividual knows to whom he is responsible. Quick decisions and their implementation help to get the benefit of business opportunities. It allows them to look for plans for the growth of the company. 4. In this model chart, the enterprise has three departments or shops namely, Foundry shop, Machine shop and Assembling shop. APR what is it and how to calculate it for a loan? As such, they can not devote sufficient time to creative functions. It explains the tasks of every worker in an organization. Merits of Line Organisation: The line organisation has the following good points: ADVERTISEMENTS: 1. 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And decision-making ability of managers capacity for independent thinking managers with total in!

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