Support staff
Support staff provide services that assist the organisation without directly producing its principal output in Mintzberg’s model. Examples depend on the organisation and can include catering, payroll or legal support. Distinguish providing an indirect service from designing standards for others, which is a technostructure role. The same activity can be a core service in one organisation and support in another.
Worked example
An internal legal team supports a manufacturing company’s contracts and disputes. In a law firm selling legal services, lawyers doing comparable client work instead belong to the operating core.
Common mistake
Do not assume support means unimportant or unskilled. Classify the role relative to the organisation’s main output, and recognise that some jobs combine responsibilities.
Where it appears in your exams
| Qualification | Exam | Relationship | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACCA | BT | Supporting | September 2026–June 2027 |
| ACCA | SBL | Supporting | September 2026–June 2027 |
| FIA | FBT | Supporting | September 2026–June 2027 |
