Committees, processes, groups and teams

1. PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT Planning Organizing Leading Controlling

2. Committees, Teams and Group Decision Makinghttp://www.slideshare.net/Subjectmaterial Chapter 11

3. TABLE OF CONTENTS THE NATURE OF COMMITTEES AND GROUPS REASON FOR MAKING COMMITTEES AND GROUPS DISADVANTAGES AND MISUSE OF COMMITTEES SUCCESSFUL OPERATION OF COMMITTEES AND GROUPS XADDITIONAL GROUP CONCEPTS TEAMS CONFLICTS IN COMMITTEES, GROUPS AND TEAMS

4. THE NATURE OF COMMITTEES AND GROUPS A. GROUP PROCESSES IN COMMITTES There are four stages of group development; these may not be followed in sequence although. Forming: when the members of the group get to know one another Storming: When the members of the group determine the objective of the meeting and conflict arises Norming: When the group agrees on norms and some rules of behavior Performing: When the group gets down to the task People play certain roles in committees Some are Information seekers, some are conveyers

5. THE NATURE OF COMMITTEES AND GROUPS Some encourage others to contribute; Some follow Some try to coordinate the group’s effort, or to achieve a compromise in case of conflicts; some are aggressive The seating arrangements also give clues to the social set up of the group The people who know each other, often sit next to each other The chairperson usually sits on a head chair; in modern setups the head chair is being removed, to promote equality Listen to verbal communication, as well as non verbal cues is also important while interacting in groups

6. THE NATURE OF COMMITTEES AND GROUPS FUNCTIONS AND FORMALITY OF COMMITTES AND GROUPS Managerial functions; some committees carry out the managerial functions such as planning, staffing, leading, controlling etc, while others do not Decision making roles; Some have the decision making authority; while other only deliberate on the problems Recommendation function Some have the authority to give recommendations to the managers; who may or may not accept them Information functions: Some committees are designed to receive information only

7. THE NATURE OF COMMITTEES AND GROUPS Line or staff function: Plural executive: a line committee which also carries out managerial functions, such as the board of directors Staff committee: a committee which has advisory relationship to the superiors Formal or Informal; Formal: established as a part of the organization structure; with delegation of authority and duties Informal; established for group thinking or group decision on a particular problem; without delegation of authority. Permanent or temporary; The committees (formal or informal) may be permanent or temporary; depending upon the tasks or projects these are assigned for.

8. REASONS FOR USING COMMITTEES AND GROUPS: GROUP DELIBERATION AND JUDGEMENT: Most of the problems faced in enterprise either related to finance, engineering or sales required more knowledge, experience and judgment than an individual possesses. The committees are more widely used for the reason of getting the advantage of group deliberation and judgment FEAR OF TOO MUCH AUTHORITY IN A SINGLE PERSON The committees however are also formed to eliminate the probability of giving too much authority in a single person; such as president’s decisions may be challenged in a law making committee ie Congress/ Parliament

9. REASONS FOR USING COMMITTEES AND GROUPS: REPRESENTATION OF INTERESTED GROUPS: Such as selection of board of directors COORDINATION OF DEPARTMENTS, PLANS AND POLICIES TRANSMISSION AND SHARING OF INFORMATION CONSOLIDATION OF AUTHORITY MOTIVATION THROUGH PARTICIPATION

10. DISADVANTAGES AND MISUSE OF COMMITTEES: They are costly They may result in compromises rather than an optimal decision They may lead to indecision They can split responsibility They can lead to a situation in which a few persons impose their will on the majority, not allowing the participation of other members Committees should never be used as a replacement of a manager, for research study, for unimportant decisions and for decisions beyond the participants’ authority

11. SUCCESSFUL OPERATIONS OF COMMITTEES AND GROUPS: The following are the guidelines useful for making the committees successful AUTHORITY: The authority in terms of decision making, making recommendations or merely deliberating the issue should be clearly identified SIZE: A committee should be large enough to promote deliberation and include the breadth of expertise required for the job, but not so large as to waste time or foster indecision. MEMBERSHIP: The members : Must represent the interests they are expected to serve Must posses the required authority Be able to perform in a group Should have the capacity of communicating well Should be able to reach conclusions by group thinking

12. SUCCESSFUL OPERATIONS OF COMMITTEES AND GROUPS: SUBJECT MATTER: The agenda should be selected carefully and distributed in advance CHAIRPERSON The chairperson sets the tone of the meeting, integrates the ideas, and keeps the discussions from wandering MINUTES: Careful minutes should be taken and distributed amongst the participants before reaching a conclusion COST-EFFECTIVENESS: The costs should be offset by tangible and intangible benefits

13. TEAMS “A small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, set of performance, goals and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable” Team building Self-managing teams Virtual teams

14. CONFLICTS IN COMMITTEES, GROUPS AND TEAMS Conflict may arise between individuals, between groups and between the organization and its environment They may be dealt by communicating the norms in advance They may also be dealt by the leaders, with the styles varying in different situations