A line and staff organization combines a traditional line structure with specialized staff assistants. In this setup, middle managers plan specialized tasks and guide lower-ranked employees but have no direct authority over them. The direct managers have line authority over their teams. This structure is useful for large sales forces, diverse product lines, and extensive customer bases. While it allows for better division of labor and specialization, it can also lead to higher costs and slower decision-making due to the need for multiple managers' input.
A line and staff organisation is a line organisation with added staff assistants that
specialise in various areas. Middle management is responsible for the planning of
the different specialised activities and plays more of an advisory role for the lower-
ranked employees. These managers only have staff authority over the lower-ranked
employees, whereas the specialised manager directly in charge of the lower-ranked
employees has line authority. A line and staff organisation is used when there is a
large sales force, the market is geographic in nature, the product line is varied and
there is a large customer base. Line and staff organisations are characterised by
benefits of labour division and specialisation, but the total costs may be high and
decision-making slower because various managers have to be consulted
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