Conflict between Staff and Line Managerial Officers

Introduction The article "Conflict between staff and line managerial officers" from Melville Dalton describes the situation of staff organizations in the 1950s. In this time staff organizations are relatively new and were "a response to many complex interrelated forces" . The goal in demanding specialists in form of "staff people" was to create higher production and more efficiency. This introduction of a new organizational structure is related to some problems which occur. The following questions treat …

…improvements and "impressively low operating costs" in the line. On the other side are recommendations from the line which also make a transfer to the line possible. Conclusion There are several conflicts between line and staff officers which are a consequence of social, structural and functional differences. Beside this the line officers fears changes in work environment and the control of top management. The authority and promotion issue is the last part of the conflict.