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Describe in brief about Committee organisation with its merits and demerits.
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Committee can be defined as a group of organisational members who discuss and develop solutions
to problems. It can be either line or staff and can be established on a standing (permanent) or an ad
hoc basis. In business enterprises, the board of directors constitutes the committee at the highest
level. The purpose of such committees is to discuss various problems and recommend solutions to the
management. It is generally found to co-exist with line and staff type of organisation. The Board of
Directors of a company is an example of a committee organisation. This form of organisation is suitable
for taking decisions on policy matters or laying down broad objective for the enterprise.
Merits or advantages
The committee form of organisation offers following advantages:
(1) It is an excellent medium of discussion and education and of communication between
management and workers.
(2) It is extremely useful in coordinating plans as well as in facilitating their execution.
(3) Setting organisational objectives, and developing and finalising plans and policies require
pooling of information, abilities and expertise, as well as integration of conflicting interests and view
points. It is not one man's job, and is best performed by committees.
(4) Sometimes problems are so complex or of inter-departmental nature that they are best solved
by committees composed of concerned executives.
(5) It is able to serve as a mechanism of participative decision making. By participating in
discussions or decision, a member feels motivated in accepting a situation or implementing a decision. ,
(6) Committee form of decision making is, of course, a democratic process. It reduces the tyranny of
executive authority and provides for participative decision-making.
(7) It is extremely useful in coordinating plans as well as in facilitating their execution.
Demerits or Disadvantages
The disadvantages of the committee organisation are as follows:
(1) It is an expensive device both in terms of time and cost.
(2) Nobody is accountable for committee decisions. A committee decision is nobody's decision just
because it is everybody's decision.
(3) Often committees result into more conflict than problem solving.
(4) The decisions taken in committee organisation are the result of compromise and hence they are
generally slow in forthcoming and weak.
