Page 128 - DCOM102_DMGT101_PRINCIPLES_AND_PRACTICES_OF_MANAGEMENT

Principles and Practices of Management

Notes 2. There is generally a conflict between the line and staff executives. The line managers feel
that staff specialists do not always give right type of advice, and staff officials generally
complain that their advice is not properly attended to.
3. Line managers sometimes may resent the activities of staff members, feeling that prestige
and influence of line managers suffer from the presence of the specialists.

4. The staff experts may be ineffective because they do not get the authority to implement
their recommendations.
5. This type of organisation requires the appointment of large number of staff officers or
experts in addition to the line officers. As a result, this system becomes quite expensive.
6. Although expert information and advice are available, they reach the workers through
the officers and thus run the risk of misunderstanding and misinterpretation.
7. Since staff managers are not accountable for the results, they may not be performing their
duties well.

8. Line mangers deal with problems in a more practical manner. But staff officials who are
specialists in their fields tend to be more theoretical. This may hamper coordination in the
organisation.

7.4.3 Functional Organisation

The difficulty of the line organisation in securing suitable chief executive was overcome by F.W.
Taylor who formulated the Functional type of organisation. As the name implies, the whole
task of management and direction of subordinates should be divided according to the type of
work involved. As far as the workman was concerned, instead of coming in contact with the
management at one point only, he was to receive his daily orders and help directly from eight
different bosses; four of these were located in the planning room and four in the shop. The four
specialists or bosses in the planning room are:
1. Route Clerk: To lay down the sequence of operations and instruct the workers concerned
about it.
2. Instruction Card Clerk: To prepare detailed instructions regarding different aspects of
work.
3. Time and Cost Clerk: To send all information relating to their pay to the workers and to
secure proper returns of work from them.
4. Shop Disciplinarian: To deal with cases of breach of discipline and absenteeism.
The four specialists or bosses at the shop level are:
1. Gang Boss: To assemble and set up tools and machines and to teach the workers to make
all their personal motions in the quickest and best way.
2. Speed Boss: To ensure that machines are run at their best speeds and proper tools are used
by the workers.

3. Repair Boss: To ensure that each worker keeps his machine in good order and maintains
cleanliness around him and his machines.
4. Inspector: To show to the worker how to do the work.

120 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY