ABSTRACT
This chapter describes a number of concepts that provide the minimum necessary for handling the wide range of ordinary everyday working relationships. It explains the vertical working relationships–with accountability for the outputs of others. The chapter discusses the cross-functional task initiating relationships–without accountability for others' outputs. It focuses on bilateral working relationships and team-working relationships. The chapter notes that underlying every working relationship it must be assumed that the individuals who are caused to work together by virtue of the roles they occupy must endeavor to work effectively with each other. It proposes that the role relationships comprises nondescript class of role relationships called "staff", plus a raft of cross-functional role relationships vaguely felt to exist because people work together in them but that remain unspecified. The chapter focuses on the prescribed limits within which given tasks are carried out, and upon the difficulties that may arise in interpreting them under particular circumstances.
