Differences between Line Organization Structure and Line & Staff Organization Structure

Here, we are going to discuss the differences that we can find between the Line Organization Structure and Line & Staff Organization Structure.

Line Organizational Structure is one of the simplest types of organizational structures. Its authority flows from top to bottom. Unlike other structures, specialized and supportive services do not take place in these organizations. The chain of command and each department head has control over their departments.

Line-staffs Organization Structure in management, approach in which authorities establish goals and directives that are then fulfilled by staffs and other workers. In a highly centralized structure, decisions are made by a few executives or managers and flow downward through the enterprise.

Perhaps the most important (and obvious) difference between line and staff is the purpose: line’s purpose is to work directly toward organizational goals, whereas staff advises and assists. Another important difference is authority. Line authority is generally considered as the formal (legitimate) authority created by the organizational hierarchy.

The Differences between are about the meaning, authority, discipline, executives, degree of centralization, etc. They are explained below.