what is the relationship between staff and line authority?

Brown Line - Chicago Transit Authority - was created in 1907.

Pink Line - Chicago Transit Authority - was created in 2006.

A person holding a line authority is higher than a person holding a staff authority. this is because a line authority flows from the head of the organization to the subordinate staffs. a good example of a line authority is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

On the other hand, a staff authority will comprise only the head of a certain department within the whole organization and his/her staff. A good example of a staff authority is a company supervisor whose authority is primarily felt by his/her juniors and not the whole organization

Line authority or function is a Direct or main function of an individual or department. It involves Direct and Legitimate Authority over subordinates. It decides what to do, and when to do it. eg., Production for a Manufacturing company.

Staff Authority on the other hand is an assistant function as it guides line managers or functions into performing a specific activity. They are more specialized and therefore provide advice to Line authority. eg., Human Resource (HR) for a Manufacturing company.