2. Meaning:
A committee is a group of persons taken, or selected from the entire
organization to do some assigned work collectively
Definition:
According to Louis A. Allen, “A committee is a body of persons
appointed or elected to meet on an organized basis for the
consideration of matters brought before it.”
3. Committees help in the following areas:
To draw viewpoints on different aspects of business
To allow various groups of people to help in the process of
governance
To help in the conduct of specialized functions like fund raising, audit
or elections
To investigate situations and to suggest recommendations
To resolve problems making use of the power or authority given to it
4. To maintain order within the organization
To secure co-operation of different departments
To enable co-ordination between different departments and
individuals
By bringing about unity of direction
To help in the process of public relations by representing the
organization to the community, by enhancing the organization’s image,
and by communicating with the press
5. TYPES OF COMMITTEES
On the basis of time, committees may be of two types:
i) Standing Committee
ii) Ad- Hoc Committee
On the basis of structure, there are two types of committees:
i) Formal Committees
ii) Informal Committees
6. On the basis of functions, committees can be of two types:
i) Executive Committee
ii) Advisory Committee
On the basis of character, there are two types of committees:
i) Line Committee
ii) Staff Committee
7. Constitution of committees may also involve the formation of
i) Sub-committee
ii) Coordinating or Joint committee
8. Advantages of Committees:
Enables people to come together, discuss, assess pros and cons
before taking a decision
Since people from different sections of the organization come
together, it improves co-ordination and communication within the
organization
It enables presentation of balanced views from the perspective of all
departments rather than a lopsided view of a few
It lifts the morale of subordinates as they are given recognition
9. It prevents concentration of powers in the hands of few
It enables the members to transmit correct and authentic
information and also convey the background of taking those decisions
making them more acceptable
It acts as a forum for training executives in the art of problem solving
10. Disadvantages of Committees:
Decision taking is delayed
Some members may not speak out fearing that they are wrong
Some members may dominate the proceedings
There is no accountability for a decision when it goes wrong and may
lead to blame game
Relationships between committee members could be strained during
the proceedings
