This document discusses the concepts of line and staff authority relationships in organizations. It defines key terms like power, authority, line functions, and staff functions. Staff functions provide advice to help line managers accomplish organizational objectives, but staff have no direct authority over line. Principles of effective delegation are outlined, including defining expected results, functional roles, and maintaining a clear line of authority. Decentralization is the degree to which decision-making authority is delegated within an organization, based on factors like cost, uniformity, and managerial skills.

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

POWER:Power is the ability or potentials of a person to influence
another person or a group to perform an act.
1.Referent Power
2. Legitimate Power
3. Expert Power
4. Coercive Power
5. Reward Power

4. AUTHORITY AND POWER
Authority :It is the formal right given to a manager to command or to
give orders to perform a certain task.
Authority is given to a manager to achieve the objectives of
the organization.
It is a right to get the things done through others.
It is a right to take decisions.
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 organization that
help the line to work most effectively in accomplishing
the primary objectives of an enterprise.

6. 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.

7. 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

8. LINE AND STAFF..
Staff functions :-
purchase, accounting, personnel, & quality control.
Line functions:-
production, marketing & sales, finance.
CONFUSION? ? ? ?

9. 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.

10. BENEFITS OF STAFF:
1.
2.
Their advice is critical as they have specialised knowledge
in their areas
The advice could be critical in solving a problem

11. LIMITATIONS OF STAFF:
Danger of undermining line authority
Lack of responsibility
Thinking in a vacuum
Managerial problems

12. MAKING STAFF WORK EFFECTIVELY:
Understanding authority relationships
Make line listen to staff
Keep staff informed
COMPLETED STAFF WORK - i.e. ADVICE NOT
CONTROL

13. DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY
Give the necessary authority to make decisions within the
area of their assigned duties
Enables decision making
Effective supervision
THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF DELEGATION IS TO MAKE
ORGANISATION POSSIBLE

14. HOW IS AUTHORITY DELEGATED?
1. When decision making power is vested in subordinate
by a superior
2. Superiors cannot delegate authority which they do not
have.

15. 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.

16. 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

17. PRINCIPLE OF DELEGATION BY
RESULTS EXPECTED
Authority delegated to an individual manager should be
adequate to ensure the ability to accomplish results
expected.

18. PRINCIPLE OF FUNCTIONAL
DEFINITION
The more a position or a department has clear
definitions of results expected , activities to be
undertaken , organizational authority delegated, and
authority and informational relationships with other
positions understood, the more adequately the
responsible individuals can contribute towards
accomplishing enterprise objectives.

19. 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
responsible decision making and communication.

20. 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 organization
structure.

21. 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.

22. 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 organization activities of
their subordinates.

23. 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.

24. THE ART OF DELEGATION
Receptiveness
Willingness to achieve
Willingness to let others make mistakes
Willingness to trust subordinates
Willingness to establish and use broad controls

25. 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.

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

27. 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

28. EFFECTIVE ORGANISATION.

29. 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

30. THE END.