The administrative and support staff that aid line workers are best described by which term?

• A. Staff Positions
• B. Work Groups
• C. Span of Control
• D. Virtual Corporation

Answer: (A)

Understanding how organizations classify roles into line versus staff functions. The administrative and support personnel that aid those who directly produce goods or deliver services are described as staff positions because their role is to provide specialized help, advice, and services that enable the line workers to perform more effectively. They don’t directly engage in producing the product or service themselves; instead, they support, advise, and enable the line to operate smoothly. Think of roles like human resources, accounting, IT support, legal, and administrative assistants—these exist to support the line functions rather than to be part of the production process. Other terms don’t fit as well: work groups are teams that carry out tasks, the span of control describes how many subordinates a manager oversees, and a virtual corporation refers to a networked organization relying on outsourcing. Thus, the best descriptor for these roles is staff positions.