Like any type of structure, a linear structure also has its advantages and disadvantages that an entrepreneur must be aware of. b. Communication is fast and easy and feedback can be acted upon faster. Hence, discipline can be maintained there. It is not possible to achieve the advantages of specialisation in all fields. The staff offers specialized/technical suggestions, advice and ideas to the senior management. iv. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". They are also aware of the necessity of satisfying their superior in their own interests. (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. 1. Copyright 10. (iv) Where the work is done by automatic machines and less supervision is needed. 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. Also, he alone is accountable for performance of his department. All rights reserved. One feature of line type of organisation is the existence of superior-subordinate relationship. They judge the performance of persons according to their own likings. Development of Employees: At each level, the superior makes decisions within the scope of authority derived by him from his own boss. It is suitable for concerns. Another way is by seeking . The improper distribution of authority and responsibility can create problems within the organization. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. This form of organisation is followed in military establishments. Each foreman works independently, without any formal line of authority or responsibility with other foremen and takes orders from his superior or superintendent to whom he is directly responsible. 2. (4) There is no question as to responsibility or authority. The open office arrangement has the fantastic benefit of enhancing business culture. Conditions for Success of Line Organisation 3. Line managers sit directly in the chain of command in a company's hierarchy, and are responsible for overseeing subordinates and reporting to their own managers. The organizational structure is shaped by factors such as: No matter what organizational structure we choose, certain elements will always be present in it: management (except for self-managing teams, about which read here), i.e. There are fixed responsibilities so theres little to no room for error. Each manager knows what he is required to do. (v) There is limit on subordinates under one manager. 3. Among the advantages of a line structure, experts most often include: Theyre fully-aware of their responsibilities which helps them complete their tasks on their own. Since the organization includes line and staff functions, decisions can be made easily. Staff experts in specific areas are incorporated into the formal chain of command. Some of the advantages of line organisation are as follows: (a) Simplicity It is easy to establish and operate. Privacy Policy 9. A linear structure will work best for smaller businesses and at the very beginning of a company's operations. 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. about B2B Account-Based Marketing: How to Grow Sales? Secondly, there should be only one chain, i.e., command should be received from only one immediate superior. Under this system, authority flows from the men at the top to the lowest man vertically. A line of credit is usually cheaper than using a credit card. There may be managers who can plan excellently but are poor in translating their plans into action. There is scope for favouritism. (iii) There is unity of command. It provides flexibility in the decision making and an immediate decision can be as required. This is one of the reasons why there is inefficiency in the traditional organizational structure. Hence, this is unstable. Although there is communication from top to bottom there is usually no communication from the lower ranks to higher ranks and executives. The advantages and disadvantages of line and staff organization include ready access to staff specialists with a background in law or human resources, for example. Although an executive can delegate authority, he has ultimate responsibility for results. employees are accountable to one person the manager; possibility of quick interaction between employees and management; each employee or department is responsible for one issue; lack of specialization, which requires the top level to deal with all functions in the organization; many intermediate management links that prevent the employee from quickly contacting and getting answers from top management; low flexibility and adaptability to new or crisis situations. 3. Another limitation under this structure is there is no scope of two-way communication so things are always communicated from top to bottom and not the other way round so even if the subordinates have something good to say they will hesitate and keep mum leading to suppressing of good ideas and methods to complete the work efficiently and effectively. In this model chart, the enterprise has three departments or shops namely, Foundry shop, Machine shop and Assembling shop. The line officers only have to perform the routine work and leave the rest to staff officers. Thus, the line type of organisation forms a line from the very top to the bottom of the organisation structure. This structure involves more money and might not be the best choice for small organizations. Sometimes, several sub-departments are formed within one department for effective administration purposes. Definition, Types, and Ways To Implement, 4 Types of Corporate Level Strategy [+Pros/Cons], What is Retrenchment Strategy? Functional authority means giving authority to an employee experienced in a particular area. Responsibility is fixed. The workers placed under a foreman get all their orders from their own foreman and they have no direct access to the factory superintendent. (iii) Each subordinate receives orders only from one superior and is answerable to him only. He communicates his decisions and orders to his subordinates. Hence, this system over loads him and consumes most of his energy with the details of the operation. (iii) There is clear-cut identification of authority and responsibility relationship. An organization where information is disseminated from one person to the other based on rank and position follows aline organizational structure. 10. Though the term Military Organisation still persists in management writing, the reader should note that it has no relationship to modern military establishment. Simple and Easy To Understand 2. This may lead to wrong adjustments or wrong decision-making on the part of the executives. He has earned a Bachelor of Arts in management from Walsh University. (3) Instructions are given direct from the boss to his subordinate enabling instructions to move in a direct line without any interruption. The top-down approach helps streamline communication. You may choose the one that suits your companys needs the best. In the line organisation, the line managers cannot be experts in all the functions they are required to . When we draw the line it is always straight the only point is it can be either be drawn vertically or horizontally and in the case of the company that follows the line organization structure same thing applies. Communication- Communication is fast and easy as there is only vertical flow of communication. Under it, the persons having the greater decision-making authority are placed at the top, and those having the least decision-making authority at the bottom. military, vertical, scalar, departmental organization. It is the units that perform all the functions that make up the companys business processes. There is scope for favouritism. (ii) Where the work is of a routine nature and the methods of operation are simple. The advantages are noted below. A disadvantage of a line-and-staff organization is conflict between line and staff personnel. Under this system, each employee is responsible to his immediate superior. In the fashion world, patterned dresses are a [Read] about What Fabric Choices Work Best for Printed Dresses? 6. 4. The links in the chain of command should not be skipped. And, every employee is directly responsible to his immediate superior. What happens when a department manager wants to pass some message to a subordinate in another department? B. 3. In setting the departments, the similarity of function is taken into account. The term military organisation is, therefore, rather misleading. Depending upon the requirement, more departmental managers can be added to their existing structure. The officers work according to their whims and preferences. They are only required to do as told to them by respective managers. First, a few definitions so you understand what I'm talking about. Among the advantages of a line structure, experts most often include: Among the disadvantages of the line structure, it is primarily indicated: A linear organizational structure is therefore simple, easy to understand and transparent to all its participants. It means the staff authority may work to facilitate the process in line control. (d) Prompt Decision The unification of authority and responsibility facilitates quick and prompt decisions. Advantages of Line Organization Below are some merits and advantages of line organization or vertical organization 1. To achieve organizational goals and objectives, individual work needs to be coordinated and managed. Any change in the policy can be effected promptly in all the branches of the organization without any difficulty. Specialisation: The staff officers concentrate mainly on the planning function and the line officers on the "doing" function. 7. 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. 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