Line and staff organisation refer to a pattern in which staff specialists advise line managers to perform their duties.

• Managers are of two types – Line Managers and Staff Managers. 

• Line Managers perform the functions of decision-making, issuing orders and controlling while Staff Managers perform the functions of advising, assisting and providing expert and specialised services. 

• There is unity of command. 

• There is a scalar chain.

Merits: This form of the organisation came to existence as an improvement over the line organisation. Line and staff organisation has removed serious drawbacks of the line organisation.

Specialization: It is based on planned specialisation, line managers get the benefit of specialized knowledge of staff specialists at various levels.

Encouragement to research and development programmes: The growth of an enterprise depends largely on various research and development programmes. 

The staff provides this service to the line departments.

Balanced decisions: Line managers may not have specialised knowledge in all areas and due to this line managers may sometimes give wrong orders or pass the wrong judgement. The suggestions and advice are given by the staff manager help them in making a rational judgement and balanced decisions.

Less burden on line managers: Staff managers relieve the line managers from the botheration of concentrating on the specialised functions like accounting, selection and training of employees, public relations etc. Thus there is a less burden online managers. Many problems that are ignored or poorly handled in the line organisation, can be properly covered. It is more flexible.