Which Type of Department (Line or Staff) Is Most Important to an Organization? Why? Could an Organization Function Without Either of Them? Why or Why Not? 

Rachel Preen

Management 301

Written Assignment #3

Which type of department (line or staff) is most important to an organization? Why? Could an organization function without either of them? Why or why not? 

When discussing any part of management theory you must take into consideration to many different aspects. From what kind of organization is it? What their goals are? What type of management approach does the company have? And what is the overall “tone” of the company? Answering these questions can provide, at least, a starting point on answering management questions about the company. Who is primary in establishing the answers to these questions? The upper management, specifically the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or President. This is the primary reason why I believe that upper management is the most important role in an organization.

Throughout and organization managers at all levels fulfil important roles, many of these roles feed off a manager above them, except top level management. Top level managements main purpose is to set in place plans and goals for the entire organization. (Plunkett, Attner, & Allen, 2007). Without these plans and expectation being established the organization would have no direction. The managers under the top level managers would not have a plan to implement or goals to work towards. Top level managers are the only ones who can set these goals as they are the only ones with access and the ability to decipher all of the pertinent information. For example a top level manager has access to the sales figures, perhaps has commissioned a market study for a product, knows if human resources has been successful in hiring people, knows if extra money can be or should be invested in new production equipment; the list goes on. A middle manager only has knowledge of their department, not necessarily how their department interacts with another department, that task is a part of top level management.

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