AUTHORITY RELATIONSHIP

Bibliography And References

Essentials Of Management
P-(165-169)
By Harold Koontz & Heinz
Weihrich

Management

P-(350-369)

By S.A. Sherlekar

Management

P-(389-411)

By Edmund R. Gray & Larry R.

Smeltzer

Principles of Management
By L.M. Prasad

& WWW.GOOGLE.CO.IN

P-(369-405)

Authority
Authority may be defined as the power to make decisions

which guide the actions of another. It is a relationship

between two individuals: one superior, another subordinate.
The superior frames and transmits decision with the
expectation that these will be accepted by the subordinate.

FORMAL AUTHORITY THEORY

Authority

Traditional Authority

Legal Authority

Charismatic Authority

Concept of Line and Staff Authority

Line functions are those which have direct responsibility

for accomplishing the objective of the enterprise and staff

refers to those elements of the organisation that help the
line to work most effectively in accomplishing the prime
objectives of the enterprise.
-Allen
Line theory becomes apparent from the scalar principle
as being that relationship in which a superior exercises
direct supervision over a subordinate an authority
relationship direct line or step. The nature of staff
relationship is advisory . The function of people in a pure
staff capacity is to investigate, research and give advice to
line managers to whom they report.
-Harold Koontz &Heinz
Weihrich

Line Authority :
Chain of Command
President
Vice-President
Supervisor
Employee

STAFF AUTHORITY
Staff Authority

Advisory
Staff
Authority

Functional
Staff
Authority

Concurring
Staff
Authority

Control
Staff
Authority

General Manager
General Secretary
Operation Manager

Production
Engineer

Workers
(Foreman)

Finance Manager

Charted
Accountant

Marketing Manager

Advertisement
Specialist

Workers
Workers
Workers
Workers
Workers
(Foreman) (Accountant) (Accountant)(Sales Officer)(Sales Officer)

FUNCTIONAL AUTHORITY
Personal
Manager

Accounts
Manager

Production Manager

Legal
Manager

Public Relations
Manager

Marketing Manager

LINE AND STAFF CONFLICT

View Points of Line Managers
Lack of responsibility
Encroachment of line authority
Dilution of authority
Theoretical bias

View Points of Staff Managers

Lack of proper use of staff
Resistance of new ideas
Lack of proper authority

HOW TO OVERCOME LINE STAFF

CONFLICT
Understanding of Authority Relationships
Proper use of Staff
Completed Staff Work
Setting Congenial Organisational Climate

CONCLUSION
Demarcation between line and staff may be possible at
the initial stage of the organisation, but when it grows,
its functions become more and more complex, the
demarcation between line and staff functions becomes
progressively fuzzier.