When the vice president of sales tells her sales director to “get the sales presentation ready by Tuesday,” she is exercising her line authority. Staff authority gives a manager the right to advise other managers or employees. It creates an advisory relationship. When the human resource manager suggests that the plant manager use a particular selection test, he or she is exercising staff authority.If you are a line manager, you will hold responsibilities to issue orders, provide directions and establish rules and procedures. For example, as a sales manager, you will be responsible for requiring adherence to your rules relative to sales quotas and goals.
On the other hand, an HR manager is a staff manager and, like all staff managers, is responsible for influencing and advising others. Within the HR department you may be responsible for establishing goals and giving orders to those in your department thus serving as a line manager within HR. Your principal duty to the organization as a whole, however, is that of a staff function, much the same as a purchasing department.