What is Authority and types of Authorities?

Authority defines the power of a person to:

• Right to make decisions
• To direct the work of others
• To give orders

Types of Authority in an organization

 There are two type of authority:

•  Line authority
• Staff authority

 lets describe each in brief:

What is Line Authority?

Top managers have (Line authority) or have power or right to:

• Issue orders to staff managers or employees (down the chain of command)

• Lead as superiors to subordinates
• Line managers direct and give orders to staff managers.

What is Staff Authority?

Some managers have (staff authority) or have power or right to:

• He or she can not give orders but he can advise other managers or employees on the basis of instructions or orders he or she received from top or line mangers.
• They have limited authority to issue orders to his or her own department. (Supportive or advisory departments like human resource management department, Quality Control Department, Marketing Department, Procurement Department etc).
• They associate line managers in managing functions like production or sales.

Is human resource managers are line managers or staff managers?

     HR manager are staff mangers as they can assist and advise line manager in HR activities like Staffing, Job Analysis, Performance Appraisal, retention of human Capital, Importance of HR, compensations employee salary & benefits, incentives, recruitment, hiring, Training & development, Equal Employment Opportunity and Labor Relations etc.