This document discusses the concepts of line and staff authority relationships in organizations. It defines line functions as those directly responsible for achieving objectives, while staff functions support the line. There is sometimes confusion between line and staff due to differing authority relationships within roles. The document also covers delegation of authority through decentralization. Key principles of delegation discussed include unity of command, absoluteness of responsibility, and parity between authority and responsibility. Factors like decision cost and uniformity determine the appropriate level of decentralization.

1. LINE AND STAFF,
DECENTRALISATION

2. LINE AND STAFF…
 DEALS WITH THE AUTHORITY
RELATIONSHIPS
 i.e THE PROBLEMS OF LINE AND
STAFF
 WHAT IS POWER, RESPONSIBILITY
AND AUTHORITY?
 WHAT ARE AUTHORITY
RELATIONSHIPS?

3. AUTHORITY AND POWER


1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
POWER IS THE ABILITY OF INDIVIDUALS
OR GROUPS TO INDUCE OR INFLUENCE
THE BELIEFS OR ACTIONS OF OTHER
PERSONS OR GROUPS
POWER:
LEGITIMATE
EXPERT
REFERENT
REWARD
COERCIVE

4. AUTHORITY AND POWER
 AUTHORITY IN AN ORGANISATION IS
THE POWER IN A POSITION ( AND
THROUGH IT THE PERSON
OCCUPYING THE POSITION ) TO
EXERCISE DISCRETION IN MAKING
DECISIONS AFFECTING OTHERS.
 IT IS POWER, BUT IN AN
ORGANISATIONAL SETTING

5. LINE AND STAFF
 LINE FUNCTIONS ARE THOSE WHICH HAVE
DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY FOR
ACCOMPLISHING THE OBJECTIVES OF THE
ENTERPRISE.
 STAFF REFERS TO THOSE ELEMENTS OF
THE ORGANISATION THAT HELP THE LINE
TO WORK MOST EFFECTIVELY IN
ACCOMPLISHING THE PRIMARY
OBJECTIVES OF AN ENTERPRISE.

6. LINE AND STAFF..
 STAFF FUNCTIONS : PURCHASE,
ACCOUNTING, PERSONNEL, &
QUALITY CONTROL.
 LINE: PRODUCTION, MARKETING &
SALES, FINANCE.
 WHY CONFUSION?

7. LINE AND STAFF…
 THERE IS A LINE OF AUTHORITY
FLOW FROM SUPERIOR TO
SUBORDINATE KNOWN AS THE ‘
‘

8. SCALAR PRINCIPLE
 THE CLEARER THE LINE OF AUTHORITY
FROM THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY FOR
MANAGEMENT IN AN ENTERPRISE TO
EVERY SUBORDINATE POSITION , THE
MORE EFFECTIVE WILL BE REPONSIBLE
DECISION MAKING AND ORGANISED
COMMUNICATION.
*

9. STAFF…
 STAFF RELATIONSHIP IS ADVISORY.
 THE FUNCTION OF PEOPLE IN STAFF
POSITION IS TO INVESTIGATE ,
RESEARCH AND GIVE ADVICE TO LINE
MANAGERS TO WHOM THEY REPORT.

10. LINE AND STAFF…
 LINE AND STAFF ARE DISTINGUISHED
BY THEIR AUTHORITY
RELATIONSHIPS AND NOT WHAT
THEY DO
 E.g. THE PR DEPT IS PURELY STAFF..
BUT WITHIN THE DEPT THERE WILL BE
LINE AND STAFF RELATIONSHIPS

11. FUNCTIONAL AUTHORITY
 IT IS THE POWER WHICH AN
INDIVIDUAL OR DEPARTMENT MAY
HAVE DELEGATED TO IT OVER
SPECIFIED PROCESSES , PRACTICES,
POLICIES , OR OTHER MATTERS
RELATING TO ACTIVITIES
UNDERTAKEN BY PERSONNEL IN
DEPARTMENTS OTHER THAN ITS
OWN.

12. BENEFITS OF STAFF:
1. THEIR ADVICE IS CRITICAL AS THEY
HAVE SPECIALISED KNOWLEDGE IN
THEIR AREAS
2. THE ADVICE COULD BE CRITICAL IN
SOLVING A PROBLEM

13. LIMITATIONS OF STAFF:
 DANGER OF UNDERMINING LINE
AUTHORITY
 LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY
 THINKING IN A VACUUM
 MANAGERIAL PROBLEMS

14. MAKING STAFF WORK
EFFECTIVELY:
 UNDERSTANDING AUTHORITY




RELATIONSHIPS
MAKE LINE LISTEN TO STAFF
KEEP STAFF INFORMED
COMPLETED STAFF WORK - i.e ADVICE NOT
CONTROL
MANAGERS HAVE RESPONSIBILITY AND
ARE ACCOUNTABLE

15. DECENTRALISATION

16. DECENTRALISATION..
 IT IS THE FUNDAMENTAL ASPECT OF
DELEGATION
 IT IS MORE OF HOW MUCH OF
AUTHORITY IS TO BE DELEGATED
RATHER THAN WHAT KIND OF
AUTHORITY IS TO BE DELEGATED.

17. DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY
 THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF
DELEGATION IS TO MAKE
ORGANISATION POSSIBLE
 ENABLES DECISION MAKING
 EFFECTIVE SUPERVISION

18. HOW IS AUTHORITY
DELEGATED?
1. WHEN DECISION MAKING POWER IS
VESTED IN A SUBORDINATE BY A
SUPERIOR
2. SUPERIORS CANNOT DELEGATE
AUTHORITY WHICH THEY DO NOT
HAVE.

19. PROCESS OF DELEGATION..
 THE DETERMINATION OF RESULTS
EXPECTED FROM PERSONS IN A POSITION
 THE ASSIGNMENT OF TASKS TO PERSONS
IN A POSITION
 THE DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY FOR
ACCOMPLISHING THESE TASKS
 THE HOLDING OF PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THESE
TASKS.

20. PRINCIPLES OF DELEGATION:
 PRINCIPLE OF DELEGATION BY RESULTS






EXPECTED
PRINCIPLE OF FUNCTIONAL DEFINITION
SCALAR PRINCIPLE
AUTHORITY PRINCIPLE
PRINCIPLE OF UNITY OF COMMAND
PRINCIPLE OF ABSOLUTENESS OF
RESPONSIBILITY
PRINCIPLE OF PARITY OF AUTHORITY AND
RESPONSIBILITY
 GOTO

21. PRINCIPLE OF DELEGATION BY
RESULTS EXPECTED
 AUTHORITY DELEGATED TO AN
INDIVIDUAL MANAGER SHOULD BE
ADEQUATE TO ENSURE THE ABILITY
TO ACCOMPLISH RESULTS
EXPECTED.
BACK

22. PRINCIPLE OF FUNCTIONAL
DEFINITION
 THE MORE A POSITION OR A DEPARTMENT HAS
CLEAR DEFINITIONS OF RESULTS EXPECTED ,
ACTIVITIES TO BE UNDERTAKEN ,
ORGANISATIONAL AUTHORITY DELEGATED, AND
AUTHORITY AND INFORMATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS
WITH OTHER POSITIONS UNDERSTOOD, THE
MORE ADEQUATELY THE RESPONSIBLE
INDIVIDUALS CAN CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS
ACCOMPLISHING ENTERPRISE OBJECTIVES.
BACK

23. AUTHORITY LEVEL PRINCIPLE
 MAINTAINANCE OF INTENDED
DELEGATION REQUIRES THAT
DECISIONS WITHIN THE AUTHORITY
COMPETENCE OF INDIVIDUALS BE
MADE BY THEM AND NOT BE
REFERRED UPWARD IN THE
ORGANISATION STRUCTURE.

24. **

25. PRINCIPLE OF UNITY OF
COMMAND
 THE MORE COMPLETELY AN INDIVIDUAL
HAS A REPORTING RELATIONSHIP TO A
SINGLE SUPERIOR , THE LESS THE
PROBLEM OF CONFLICT IN INSTRUCTIONS
AND THE GREATER THE FEELING OF
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR
RESULTS.
 BACK

26. PRINCIPLE OF ABSOLUTENESS
OF RESPONSIBILITY
 THE RESPONSIBILITY OF SUBORDINATES
TO THEIR SUPERIORS FOR PERFORMANCE
IS ABSOLUTE , ONCE THEY HAVE
ACCEPTED AN ASSIGNMENT AND THE
POWER TO CARRY IT OUT, AND THE
SUPERIORS CANNOT ESCAPE
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ORGANISATION
ACTIVITIES OF THEIR SUBORDINATES.
 BACK

27. PRINCIPLE OF PARITY OF
RESPONSIBILITY AND
AUTHORITY
 THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ACTIONS
CANNOT BE GREATER THAN THAT IMPLIED
BY AUTHORITY DELEGATED NOR SHOULD
IT BE LESS.
 BACK

28. THE ART OF DELEGATION
 RECEPTIVENESS
 WILLINGNESS TO LET GO
 WILLINGNESS TO LET OTHERS MAKE
MISTAKES
 WILLINGNESS TO TRUST
SUBORDINATES
 WILLINGNESS TO ESTABLISH AND
USE BROAD CONTROLS

29. FACTORS DETERMINING
DEGREE OF
DECENTRALISATION:
 COSTLINESS OF THE DECISION
 UNIFORMITY OF POLICY
 HISTORY OF THE ENTERPRISE
 MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHY
 ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES
 AVAILABILITY OF MANAGERS

30. RECENTRALISATION
 WHAT IS IT?
 HOW MUCH TO DECENTRALISE?
1. Verifiable objectives
2. Technique of organisation i.e. state each
manager’s duites and responsibilities
3. Character of top leadership
4. Stretch span of management to the
maximum
5.Promote managers only when they have
good subordinates to take their place

31. EFFECTIVE ORGANISATION.

32. SOME MISTAKES IN
ORGANISING..
 FAILURE TO PLAN PROPERLY
 FAILURE TO DELEGATE AUTHORITY
 FAILURE TO BALANCE DELEGATION
 GRANTING AUTHORITY WITHOUT
RESPONSIBILITY
 HOLDING PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE WHO
DO NOT HAVE AUTHORITY

33. THE END.