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 P-(369-405)
By L.M. Prasad
& WWW.GOOGLE.CO.IN
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.
The subordinate executes such decisions and his conduct is
determined by them .”
- Simon

“The willing and unconditional compliance of people, resting

upon their belief that it is legitimate for superior to impose
his will on them and illegitimate for them to refuse to obey .”
- Max
Weber
 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 Functional
Staff Staff
Authority Authority

Concurring Control
Staff Staff
Authority Authority
 General Manager

General Secretary

Operation Manager Finance Manager Marketing Manager

Production Charted Advertisement

Engineer Accountant Specialist

Workers Workers Workers Workers Workers Workers

(Foreman) (Foreman) (Accountant) (Accountant)(Sales Officer)(Sales Officer)
FUNCTIONAL AUTHORITY

Personal Accounts Legal Public Relations

Manager Manager Manager Manager

Production 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.