POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-OU

ENGR. CHARMIE LYN. B. SARDAN

MASTER IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
PHILOSOPHY AND SCIENCE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION Organization has come a long way to the complexity that it is today: The
present world of formal organization is not neatly divided into
DEFINITION OF ORGANIZATION democratic and -authoritative types, nor into traditional and modem
ones.
Achievement is the be-all and the end-all of any organization. For any
organization to achieve something, it must be organized, operated and THEORIES ON ORGANIZATION
administered.
In most organizations, various forms may be adopted to achieve
Organization is nothing more than the mechanism 'by which administration organizational goals effectively with the least cost. For instance, a
directs, coordinates and controls its business. It is, indeed, the very government may adopt not only one but several theories on organization,
foundation of administration. may discard some principles of one theory but adopt what it finds suitable
for its purpose.
When the organization is ill-designed structurally, when it passes for a
makeshift arrangement, administration is made difficult and ineffective. In many ways, the interest in organization theory is a particularly apt
On the other hand, when.it is logical, clear- cut and streamlined, the example of the interdisciplinary focus of many of the social sciences. It
paramount need of administration has been met. broadens part of the economist’s traditional theory of the firm. For
the student of business, narrowly considered, there are customary
To be more precise, organization seeks re know "who Is to do what is problems of control and administration, The sociologist turns to status,
to be done."! A good executive may be able to secure good results with roles, and the informal structure, as well as to the micro cosmos itself.
a poor organization, and a good organization may produce results from a Political scientists join several other groups in the interest in power and
poor executive. The ideal set-up, however, is a combination of a good authority in hierarchical structure and in the institutional forms of
organization and a good executive. governing structures. Social psychologists apply their concepts about
group structures and communication nets.
A social scientist, Robert S. Weiss, has defined organization as a social
form with four basic characteristics, name (1) a set of individuals in office: For purposes of comparison, some organization theories with their
(2) individual responsibility for definite tasks - functional activities - unique characteristics, usefulness and, perhaps, limitations, will be
which are parts of a division of labor; 3) an organizational goal to examined in this chapter.
which the activities of the staff contribute; and (4) a stable system of Firstly, there is the machine model or scientific management theory of an
coordinative relationships, or a structure. organization: As propounded by its discoverer, Frederick W. Taylor,
the machine model bears the following peculiarities: ·
Another author, Alvin Toffler, defines organization as a "structure of 1. Division of labor and specialization. The functions of the organization
rules filled by humans." are differentiated and placed in separate departments.
(Departmentalization).
Formal organization is, however, differentiated from informal 2. Unity of command and centralization of decision-making.
structure, which latter type "develops during the spontaneous interaction For the various parts of the organization to function correctly, there
of persons and groups within the organization.” must be unified command at the top of the organization.

ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION LECTURE NOTES

3. One-way authority. Authority flows down the line of command, organization structure can be modified according to the work environment,
from the top to the bottom of the organization. as follows:
4. Narrow span of control. There is a limit to the number of immediate 1. Work must be psychologically acceptable to the individual. Its
subordinates that any one individual can effectively performance should not be generally to threaten the individual,
supervise. ( 2. Work must allow man to develop his faculties.
3. The work task must allow the individual considerable room for self-
Also, Taylor suggested functionalization as a system of organization. This determination.
technique would, according to Taylor, make maximum use of the 4. The worker must have the possibility of controlling, in a meaningful way,
specialization skills of individuals in the organization. He applied the the environment within which the task is to be performed.
concept of functionalization to foremen. Since it violated the unity of 5. The organization should not be the sole and final arbiter of behavior.
command doctrine, functional foremanship never was widely accepted. Both the organization and the individual must be subject to an external
However, this concept became at a later time the foundation for the idea moral order.
of functional staff authority which is a most important element in
organization theory. On the other hand, humanists, like Warren G. Bennis, believe that
democracy is an inevitable element in modern organizations, basing their
Another organization operates on the theory of bureaucracy. Max Weber's arguments on pragmatic grounds. Bureaucracy, they contend, no longer
contribution to the organization theory, the bureaucratic model, clearly works and democracy is a “system of values” characterized by the
resembles Taylor's scientific management. The bureaucratic type is following factors:
characterized as follows:
1. Full and free communication, regardless of rank and power.
1. Division of labor, with specified spheres of competence legitimized as 2. A reliance on consensus, rather than on the more customary
official duties. . forms of coercion or compromise, to manage conflict.
2. Hierarchical arrangements of offices, that is, each lower office is below 3. The idea that influence is based on technical competence and
a higher one. knowledge rather than on the vagaries of personal whims or
3. Rules for carrying out the work, to be applied uniformly to individual prerogatives of power.
cases. 4. An atmosphere that permits and even encourages
4. Impersonality. The official is subject to an impersonal order. and emotional expression as well as task-oriented acts.
established norms of conduct and he acts objectively in his contacts 5. A basically human bias, which accepts the inevitability of
with individuals inside and outside of the organization. conflict between the organization and the individuality but
5. Officials are selected on the basis of competence, and not on irrelevant which is willing to cope with and mediate this conflict on
considerations. rational grounds.

A third organization operates on what is called the human relations

The open system conceptualization of organization is fully compatible
approach or social ethics theory. This type responds well to a society
with industrial humanism, man-centered organization and democracy. In
that is becoming increasingly characterized by interdependence. this system, energy inputs are taken in from external environment and
converted into outputs, which, in turn, furnish the energy requirements
A reappraisal of this type, however, brought out the fact that it proceeded
for repeating the cycle.
upon the mistaken assumption that all would be solved if managers
In government where service is provided, the tax money re- energizes the
expertly applied human relations skills in their dealings with workers.
cycle.
' ·
Robert T. Golombiewski, the exponent of “man-centered” organization, Organizations are socially contrived and within the organization are
believes that “moral sensitivity can be associated with satisfactory output "sub-systems" which, as described by Daniel Katz and Robert L. Kahn,
and employee’s satisfaction.” He showed how jobs, work flows and
are:

ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION LECTURE NOTES |

 1. Production or technical sub-systems, which, form the 'part of the Secondly, the change in emphasis from the personal rights and welfare of
organization that transforms the input into output (frequently the individual concerned to some impersonal task to which all are equally
referred to as line operations). committed.
2. Supportive structures, of which there are two types: a)
procurement of raw material inputs and disposal of product Thirdly, the change for change itself: the degree and rapidity of innovation
outputs; b) development and maintenance of good relationships with which the organization must cope.
with external structures (as through marketing research,
advertising, and public relations). TYPES OF ORGANIZATION
3. Maintenance substructures, to ensure the necessary inputs of
human energy, that is, the personnel function in all its Public administration is a new term. Yet, it is one of the oldest organized
ramifications (selection, indoctrination and motivation). The activities of man. The business of public administration is to administer the
purpose here is to maintain stability and predictability in the affairs of government after politics has properly defined its objectives.
organization.
4. Adaptive structures, the functions of which are to meet the, The primary objective of public administration is to provide the state with
changing needs of the environment (for instance, planning and an effective government. To achieve this, there must not only be a
research and development groups). · competent administrator but also an organizational structure that is
5. Managerial sub-systems, (the "management), the role of which designed properly.
is to coordinate the other sub-systems, resolve conflicts
between hierarchical levels, and relate external requirements to What does this mean? Simply, that the right types of organization must be
organizational resources and needs. present in all levels of the government bureaucracy. However, the
organization structure by itself cannot perform miracles. It cannot
William G. Scott suggests the interrelationship between organization overcome a lack of administrative direction nor can it cover up
theory and general theory as follows: administrative failure. Its effect though can be modified by the interaction
of its people. Of course, it can facilitate the economical and effective
Modern organizational theory leads, as it has been shown, almost attainment of the desired goals of the organization. In short, it should be
inevitably into a discussion of general system theory. A science of designed to change the behavior of people in the organization.
organization universals has strong advocates, particularly among
biologists. Organization theorists in administrative science cannot afford to As pointed out earlier, public administration is an organization, by itself.
overlook the contributions of general system theory. Indeed, modern However, it is composed not only of policy-making departments or
organization concepts could offer a great deal to those working with ministries but also of several smaller organizations. Each organization has
general system theory. its own particular structure and functions. As such, public administration
cannot be considered neither simple nor static. It is a dynamic,
According to the modern theory, the organization in the present society growing, complex and rapidly changing institution. It continuously
has undergone major changes. The proponent of this theory, Chadwick J. evolves changes in structure in response to the demand of its
Haberstroh, says that there are three dimensions along which major environment.
changes have occurred in organization theory.
Like any other organization, public administration can be
Firstly, the man at the top of the organization changes from the master improved if the people will work to improve it. But it cannot made
whose status is guaranteed by inheritance of title, land or wealth, to the perfect for it is by, for, and of people with human failings.
functionary whose qualification for office is his ability to achieve.
The administrative machinery· of government is not just a
haphazard collection of people. Instead, there are several
organizations with definite patterns, structures and objectives. The

ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION LECTURE NOTES |

kind of structure that an organization takes, and the subdivisions Or, putting it differently, Harold Koontz and Cyril O'Donnell said that
into which it is divided, depend primarily upon its objectives as "organization grows out of the human need for cooperation."
mandated by law.
Chester I. Barnard emphasized, however, that people are forced to
Generally, government institutions may be classified into any of the cooperate with each other for personal reasons. They are forced to
following categories: cooperate to achieve personal goals because of physical, biological;
psychological, and social limitations. Cooperation can be more productive
1. Those that perform purely governmental service functions, such and less costly, in most instances, with some kind of organization
as the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Postal structure.
Services Office, etc.:
2. Those that are organized for business, such as the Development Each development of organization structure relates in some way to the
Bank of the Philippines, the Philippine National Railways, etc. changing forms of organization. With that, the historical approach
3. Those that are organized to dispense justice: such as the will be used in its study. The traditional structures will be classified as line,
Supreme Court, the Department of Justice; etc.; and staff, or a combination of the two. Their modem developments will be
4. Those that are organized on a quasi-judicial basis which exercise represented by the discussion on committee organization. Specifically,
administrative as well as judicial functions, such as the the following subjects will be discussed:
Securities and Exchange Commission, the Land Transportation
Franchising and Regulatory Board, etc. 1. The Line Organization
2. The Staff Function
In each of these categories, the structural relationship is 3. The Line and Staff Organization
generally expected to be well-defined. Unfortunately, there have 4. The Concept of Functionalization
setbacks. Oftentimes, there are variations within the classifications. 5. The Committee Organization
Good organization, after all, must be built slowly and carefully.
In the study of its organization, the changing character of public
Moreover, the totality of activities of these organizations may be administration should also be given adequate consideration. For
considered as the performances of the government itself. That is, example, Dell Gillette Hotchner and William Henry Harbold suggest that:
effective government is the result of an effective public administration.
To put it briefly, public administration should be based on the country’s The extent, organization, and procedures of public administration itself are
natural resources, on the level of ability of its human resources , and closely influenced by the nature of the objectives being pursued and the
its level of economic potential growth. As such, it cannot be isolated social conditions prevailing. Since these are not constant, neither are the
from the organizations of the other sectors of society. forms of administration.

These organizations. if the nation is to attain its perceived goals' of The strength of the organization comes from its people. Indeed, as pointed
national greatness, should work together not only in harmony but out by Edgar F. Huse and James L. Bowditch, it is people who make an
also with a singleness of purpose: national development. organization succeed or fail. However, the way people act is highly
influenced by the design of the organization and the nature and way in
These organizations may, of course, come in all sizes and types. Each which the organization receives its information and work flow through it.
organization is unique to some extent. However, all of them should
possess certain characteristics. Line Organization

Accordingly, Ralph Currier Davis and Alan C. Filley define organization The line organization is the simplest and oldest form of organization
as "a group of individuals cooperating under the direction .of structure. In such structure, authority is delegated directly from top to
executive leadership toward the accomplishment of certain objectives." bottom. In a chart, this shown by an unbroken line.

ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION LECTURE NOTES |

 Despite these disadvantages, the line organization is best used under
In a line organization, there is no staff executives. Both staff and line certain conditions.The line organization is ideal for a small organization
functions are performed by line executives. Each exercises line authority with stable management and operations. Due to its small size, it could
over his own subordinates. avoid the inherent defects. Besides, it cannot financially afford the cost
of staff services.
Figure 2 shows a line organization. It shows that the line executives,
usually called division chiefs in government institutions, exercise authority Moreover, due to its stable structure, it permits also standardization of
on those below them. However, all individuals on one level are its operations to an extent that there is practically no need for staff
independent of others at the same level. Each individual is responsible specialization to support it.
only to the person immediately above him.
A purely line organization is, therefore, seldom found in large, complex
Advantages of line organization. The advantages of line organization can organizations. Oftentimes, it is used by small organizations and by
be summarized as follows: divisions of a large and complex organization. Since small organizations
have a right to exist and to govern themselves as have the big
1. It is simple. It shows the direct lines of responsibility, authority and organizations, the line organization will continue to be used. Besides, it
accountability of each individual in the organization. can be used by the divisions of large organizations to have some of the
2. It facilitates decision-making within the organization due to the advantages of small organizations.
simplicity of its organization structure.
3. It facilitates discipline and control of individuals in the organization Staff Function
for its clarity of chain of command.
4. It facilitates flexibility within the organization as it responds to The authority to decide is, with the line executive. The primary
the changing conditions and demands of its organizational function of the staff executive is to assist his superior officers make the
environment. right decisions and implement them.

Disadvantages of Line Organization. Although a line organization is good James D. Mooney and Alan C. Reiley explain this relationship as follows:
in most respects, it has certain inherent disadvantages. Some of these
The staff is purely an advisory service… This difference from line
defects can be summarized as follows;
command is implicit in the very meaning of the word staff, which is
something to support or lean upon, but which of itself has no authority to
1. It encourages the development of excessive load of decide or initiate.
administrative responsibility. It becomes the breeding place
of "organizational dictators." The objectives of the staff executives were explained by Davis and Filley
2. It encourages the development of centralization of line control of in this manner:
activities.
3. It lengthens the chain of command of the organization, which The objectives of staff units are to provide secondary values to the line
causes the delays in administrative decisions. which will, in turn, enable the line to achieve its primary service objectives
4. It prevents the development of specialization, other than its basic with greater economy or effectiveness. Some staff units contribute, in
line functions, which is needed to strengthen the capacity of line addition, values that represent some accomplishment of the company’s
executives. collateral objectives. The staff makes an indirect contribution to the
5. It discourages the recruitment and training .of qualified personnel accomplishment of primary objectives.
for the organization. It is difficult to recruit people possessing
several qualifications needed to perform his tasks. As a support to the line executive, the objectives of a staff executive should
depend upon the kind or type of service, advice, or assistance needed by

ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION LECTURE NOTES |

his superior officers. As staff executive, his responsibility is limited to the The weakness of many forms of staff service is that the counselor is
authority given to him to achieve his staff function. dependent on the man whom he counsels, and hence is subject to the
danger of sinking to the level of a "yes" man.
As often stated, a staff position is created not to separate the line executive
from his own organization but for him to link together. Hence, one of the problems of staff function is how to integrate the
individuals with the organization without losing their individual freedom
It should be pointed out that the staff executive, within his own and effectiveness.
organization, exercises line authority over his immediate subordinates. In
this particular situation, he has the right to make decisions and to Finally, it could perhaps be said that the effectiveness of the staff executive
command his subordinates to accomplish their assigned task. The is a matter of personal relationships between the line executive and
exercise of these rights is considered final by his immediate subordinates. himself.
He has the authority to hold them accountable for the results of their
assigned functions. Line and Staff Organization

The situation, however, with respect to the other units of the organization The line and staff is the pattern of most large and complex organizations.
is different. There, the staff executive has no authority, except staff In it, all executives are either on the staff or in the line depending on their
authority, if he was assigned to do so. By this, it means that he was given authority and functions. As such, its inherent nature is one of authority
the right to advise, inform, and recommend action to the executives of relationships.
these units. However, he cannot command them or their subordinates to
accept such action in the same manner he can upon his own subordinates. In this arrangement, the line authority carries the right to require
the execution of orders, while the staff executive has the authority to
Theoretically, the function of the line or staff executives is properly defines. suggest on how such orders could be implemented. In short, the staff
Accordingly, a line executive's function is to act and the staff executive's executive serves the line executives.
function is to think. However, in actual practice, these functions are not
properly delineated. This is supposed to a very simple arrangement. Yet, it is very difficult to
implement. People do not just have organization; they make organization.
Moreover, there are certain exemptions to this concept. As has been
mentioned, a staff executive normally exercises staff authority with respect An example of a line and staff organization is shown Figure 3.
to the other units of the organization. The same situation is also true
to line executives in the other chains of command. As such, the line The chief executive of the organization, regardless of his title,
executives perform staff functions when dealing with members of other is head of both line and staff. As such, he has the responsibility and the
units of the organization. authority of coordinating these. Some of the titles of chief executives are
President, General Manager, Administrator, Director-General, and
Of course, the staff executive, with respect to his own subordinates, may Managing Director.
exercise line authority. However, he may choose not to exercise such
right. He may instead elect to advise, inform or recommend rather than Figure 3 shows the sharp lines of supervision and control, as well
command them. as the lines of coordination, of and among executives of the different
units of the organization. It shows also that the line executives are
These exemptions normally create the conflict between line and staff directly under the chief executive. These line executives are
executives. On the other hand, as pointed out by Mooney, the staff directly responsible for the implementation of plans, programs,
service could be totally useless to a line executive. and projects of the organization in their respective jurisdictions.

In pointing out one of the weaknesses of the staff services, Mooney said:

ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION LECTURE NOTES |

Some of the titles of line executives are Vice-President, attain a certain degree of professional achievement. In contrast,
Department Manager, Division Director, and Regional it may be under-utilized if they wait to be called for staff support.
Commander. On the other hand, the staff executive may carry The knowledge of some line executives might be limited with
the title of Personnel Officer, Budget Director, Assistant to the regards to the special problems of the organization, such
President, Director of Research, and Special Assistant. as budgeting personnel administration, and related areas.
3. It creates administrative problems if the staff authority is not
The activity of the staff may be based on functional requirements of carefully defined.
the organization, such as personnel, fiscal, planning, research,
training, and public relations. A staff executive may be assigned to There is no easy way to avoid these disadvantages, but for both line
be responsible for each function. and staff executives to know, understand, and accept their personal
and official limitations.
Moreover, the staff department by itself is structured internally, as
shown in Figure 3, as line organization. Meaning, within the Conflicts between Line and Staff Executives. Why is it that there has
organization, its people report in a straight line to its head. been a conflict between line and staff executives for so long and in so
many organizations?
Speaking of the line-staff relationships, Leonard D. White has said that:
To Irving Smith Kogan, the cause of such conflicts could be explained in
Line authorities ... are the central elements of any administrative this manner:
system; staff and auxiliary agencies are necessary in a large and
complex organization, but they are secondary. They serve the line; the It is not always clear which functions are line and which are staff. Indeed,
line serves the people. an individual may be staff in relation to another. In general, however,
the specialized departments or units which carry out the main activity
Advantages of Line-Staff Organization. The advantages of line and staff of the corporation are line; those which act in an advisory or
organization may be summarized as follows: service capacity to the line units are staff.

1. It maintains a single line of responsibility, authority, and Moreover, organization structure, says Kogan, is "only a means to an
accountability. end." It is also "not permanently fixed." Besides most staff positions were
2. It provides the line executives with staff support of specialized created when the organization increased its size and the complexity of its
knowledge or capability. administration is at its highest point.
3. It frees the line executive from performing functions not directly
related to his work. Can the conflict between line and staff executives be removed?
4. It facilitates the recruitment and training of people needed by Certainly; however, it will require the organization to first meet certain
the organization. conditions before it can be fully resolved.

Disadvantages of Line-Staff Organization. The disadvantage of line and Some of the conditions are the following:
staff organization may be summarized as follows:
1. Every executive should understand the "purpose of the task. He
1. It creates a source of conflicts between line and staff executives. should know whether he operates in a line or a staff capacity.
The existence of staff executives, oftentimes is a source of This understanding of responsibility should be accompanied
problems in the organization. Line executives may consider by accepting the reality that the line executives have the
the staff as a threat to their own positions. authority to make decisions and to act on them.
2. It forces the staff executives to insist on their advices to line
executives to show their importance in the organization and to

ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION LECTURE NOTES |

 2. The staff executives should be contented to exercise staff executive should know when and how to effectively use the staff
authority. That is, the right to advise and counsel the line specialists within their organizations.
executives.
3. The staff executives should know that the effectiveness of It should be made clear that in a large and complex organization, the line
their services depends primarily on their ability to make their and staff executives should reinforce each other. One cannot be
recommendations complete enough to be accepted or dissociated from the other. However, as Koontz and O'Donnell point out:
rejected by their superiors. In short, they endeavor to submit a the "staff-line conflicts may develop to such extent that they can be
"completed staff work." resolved only by reorganization.”

The "completed staff work" requires the staff executive to present his Concept of Functionalization
recommendation in a clear manner. It should be based upon the full
consideration of a problem. It requires also clearance with the: persons The concept of functionalization is advocated by Frederick W. Taylor. He
significantly affected by it, as well as the suggestions about avoiding was the first man recorded in history to advocate the concept of a
difficulties involved. completely functional management. This he did when he devised an
organization plan which fully applied the principles of division of labor and
Oftentimes, it demands the preparation of paper work, such as letters, specialization.
directives, job descriptions and specifications so that the proposal should
be accepted or rejected by the .line executive without him conducting For a functional organization to be effective, well-qualified individuals
further studies, long conferences, or unnecessary administrative works. should be appointed to all positions. Each individual should know exactly
In other words, should he accepts the recommendation, the "completed what is expected of him and what he expects others to do. Each position,
staff work" provides him all the necessary administrative machineries including its requirements, should be well-defined so that it could be
to put it into effect immediately. evaluated periodically.

The line-staff problems certainly would be reduced if the staff executive It is for these reasons that organizations are functionalized. This is done
would limit his activities within his functions of assisting the line by subdividing them into departments or divisions, such as personnel,
executives. budget, physical plant, administrative, etc. One purpose is to allow the
people to work effectively in groups as they work alone.
On the "subtle and complex process" of providing professional support, ·
Douglas McGregor primarily stresses that “help is always defined by the The organization structure of the government, as can be observed, is
recipient," believes that an action taken by the staff for the "good of the organized on a functional basis. That is, the various departments and the
organization" is the root of many line-staff problems. He explains that bureaus under them are patently assigned accomplish certain goals of
many headquarters staff units offer or impose their services in a interested sectors of society. Figure 4 shows an example of a functional
paternalistic manner and rely on inappropriate methods of control. When organization.
such offers or impositions are rejected. McGregor says, the recipients of ·
the help are seen as "resistant, stupid, indifferent to organizational needs, Advantages of Functional Organization. The following are the
etc.” advantages of functional organization:

It is clear then that staff executives should allow the line executives 1. It permits a high degree of specialization.
to define the kind of assistance they need. Also, the line executives 2. It is easier to fill positions in such an organization since functional
should be left on their own to decide on how the plans should be specialists are required to have only a limited number of talents.
implemented. After all, it is the line executives who will be accountable for 3. It permits each specialist to become an expert in his own field. He
such action. Of course, this kind of relationship expects that the line can concentrate his efforts on his specialization.

ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION LECTURE NOTES |

 4. It provides better technical supervision for subordinates than of Governors, the state universities by their Board of Regents. These are
would be possible where supervisors must perform less similar only a few of the many examples that may be cited.
functions.
At this point, it is important to bear in mind the counsel of Davis and Filley.
Disadvantages of Functional Organizations. The inherent disadvantages
of functional organizations may be summarized follows: A committee is no substitute for individual action. But it does perform
some functions more effectively than an individual could perform them.
1. It suffers from dual authority and violates the principle of single
On this situation, Koontz and O'Donnell added the following information:
accountability. No organization can run smoothly when a single
individual has more than one boss.
Committees may also be formal or informal. If established as part of
2. Authority and responsibility often overlap. It is hard to draw sharp
the organization structure, with specifically delegated duties and
line between functions, so that passing-the-buck is a problem.
authority, they are formal. Or they may be informal, that is, organized
3. It is often difficult to get technical experts to work together
without specific delegation of authority and usually by some persons
smoothly. Each is likely to feel that his area of specialization is
desiring group thinking or group decision on a particular problem. Thus,
the most important.
a manager may have a problem on which he needs advice from other
managers or specialists outside his departments and may call a
Committee Organization special meeting for the purpose. Indeed, this kind of motivation, plus
the occasional need for gathering together in one room all the
The committee is one of the most controversial devices organization. authority available to deal with an unusual problem, gives rise to
This refers to "a group of persons to whom as a group, some many of the numerous conferences in organizational life.
matter is committed." As such, committee may be considered as a ·
generic term which is also applicable to board, commission, task force,
group or team, among others. Regardless of how the committee was formed and the nature of authority
vested upon it, it is essential to know, understand, and accept that
According to Davis and Fifley: it is a group of persons charged with solving specific problems. As
such, it may be disbanded and regrouped to deal with new problems.
A committee is a staff group which meets for the purpose of affecting an
integration of ideas, leading to a meeting of minds, concerning a solution Committee Authority. There are several types of authority commonly
for some problems. vested in a committee. They are as follows:
However, Koontz and O'Donnell take a different view. For them:

A committee may be either line or staff, depending upon its authority. If 1. A committee may have a broad decision-making authority. The
its authority involves decision making affecting subordinates chief executive may be included in the membership of top
responsible to it, it is a plural executive and a line committee; committees. Under such circumstances the committee makes
if its authority relationship to a superior is advisory, then it is a staff decision with the approval of the top executive of the
committee. organization, and this executive is held accountable for its
success.
2. A committee may have limited functional authority making
The committee is widely use in all types of organizations. In the national
decisions within its specialized functional area subject to approval
government of the Philippines, a large number of agencies are being
administered by committees. The Government Service Insurance System by the chief executive.
is being administered by the Board of Trustees, the Philippine Council 3. A committee may have advisory, investigative, and
recommendatory authority. The nature and scope of such
for Agriculture and Resources Research and Development by its
authority should be specified clearly.
Governing Board, the Development Bank of the Philippines by its Board

ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION LECTURE NOTES |

 4. A committee may have no authority, functioning merely as an 3. Where the committees are required to come to some conclusion
educational or communicative tool of management. or reach some decision, there is danger that their action will be
watered down or even meaningless. If the matter under
The granting of different types of authority to committee has resulted consideration is so simple that differences of opinion do not exist,
in much confusion as to their real nature and functions. the use of committee time is wasteful. The danger of compromise
at the level of the least common denominator of agreement grows
The functions of a committee are like that of an individual executive. It as the percentage of agreement felt necessary for committee
may function as a line executive supervising an operative and action increases.
specialized unit of the organization. Or, it may function like a staff 4. The time required for thorough deliberation, the discussion of
executive supporting the activities of the line executives of the peripheral or tangential subjects, and the difficulty of reaching
organization. agreements often result in indecision.
5. The indecisiveness of committees gives the chairman or a strong
Advantages of the Committee Organization. The benefits re be gained member opportunity to force the committee into a decision, for it
by the use of committees may be summarized as follows: is a rare group of men who can participate in the exercise of
authority on a team basis. In other cases, the members join in
combat until one wins his point or until the group is disbanded by
1. Harmony may be developed among executives who were formerly
a superior authority.
suspicious of each other. Through group action, they become
better informed about the attitudes and reasoning of the others. 6. When the authority to study or make recommendations is
2. The viewpoint of young executives is broadened the participation delegated to a group, the fact is that authority is dispersed
throughout the group. This splitting of responsibility is one of the
in large-scale problems. Capable talent may be spotted early.
chief disadvantages of a committee. Since no one can practically
3. Continuity of committee functions may be provided replacing only
or logically feel accountable for the actions of the group, no
a few committee members at a time.
one feels honestly, responsible for his action within it.
7. Committees seek unanimous or near-unanimous
conclusions or decisions.
Disadvantages of the Committee Organization. The disadvantages of
Best Use of Committees. When is a committee best used? The following
committees may be summarized as follows:
are some of the conditions under which the use of a committee is most
suitable:
1. Certain dangers of committees have been so widely reviewed that
many managers make little use of them. Disparaging attitudes are (a) Where group deliberations and Judgment are important. When the
reflected in such definitions as “a committee is made up of the unfit problem facing an executive may mean great expense or even failure for
selected by the unwilling to do the unnecessary.” the business, it is wise to obtain the studied opinion of a group of intelligent
2. The cost of committee action in time is likely to be considerable. A and informed persons.
committee may require members to travel some distance to reach (b) Fear of improper use of authority. Important decisions may be made
a meeting. During the meeting, each member has the right to be at divisional of plant levels when both administrative and operative
heard, to have his point of view discussed, to challenge and cross- management functions have been highly decentralized. We cannot hold
examine the points of view of others, and to go over grounds for a subordinates completely accountable for results unless we delegate the
considered group conclusion. If the committee must reached a rights of decisions and command that are necessary for the
unanimous or nearly unanimous decision, the discussion is likely accomplishment of these results. On the other hand, actions taken on the
to be lengthy. And if a decision can be reached quickly, the basis of these decisions may affect the reputation, growth and profitability
meeting may have been unnecessary in the first place. the entire company.

ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION LECTURE NOTES |

(c) Represent interested groups. Often there are groups within the
organization which have a functional interest in committee matters. While Avoidance of Use of Committees. Under the following conditions
no committee can be fully representative and still retain the efficiency the use of a committee is definitely not suitable:
associated with a limited membership, ii is wise to provide for as much
representation as practicable.
(d) Motivation through participation. The very fact that an individual has a a) When one manager is better. The committee cannot be used
part in arriving at a recommended course of action does much to insure effectively where direction, supervision, and corrective action must
his support. It is axiomatic that we usually support our own ideas. An be performed. Leading is an individual, not a group function;
executive can do much to assure acceptance of a plan if interested b) Fact-gathering and research. Gathering and tabulating data is the
parties are invited to participate in its development. job of an individual. Where committee work necessitates such
(e) Coordination of planning. The committee is useful to coordinate activity, it should be made the responsibility of a single individual.
the thinking of various technical staffs and line functions. The committee .He, in turn, may assign phases of the investigation to the
provides for an immediate exchange of ideas that would be impossible in members of his task force.
formal channels of communication. c) Fast decision making. Authorities generally agree that the
(f) Policy, development and interpretation. Because it is a representative committee is not suitable when decisiveness is at a premium.
group of various facets of the organization, the committee is useful in d) Substitute for other weaknesses. The committee cannot cure
recommending policy or in deciding questions about policy interpretation. existing weakness in the organization structure, in the planning
(g) Administrative communication. The committee provides a means ability of management, or in the general quality personnel.
of communicating information .quickly and efficiently to members of an e) Rubber-stamp predetermined solutions. The benefits of
organization. It permits immediate communications to many functions of participation are not present when a committee has only the right
the organization and provides an opportunity to clear up points that are not to rubber-stamp predetermined solutions. Indeed, the opposite
understood. effect may occur, with motivation reduced rather than increased.
(h) Training. The conference, which is a special type of committee, is an f) Present technical reports or printed material which could be
excellent means of training a limited number of executives. While slower circulated. Lengthy technical reports which are outside the
than the pure lecture or textbook as a training device, the method is knowledge of executives should be reduces to a pertinent
superior in that it enables the conferee to participate in arriving at summary and presented in that fashion. Furthermore, committee
conclusions. Even though the points brought out in conference discussions time should not be used to read printed material which could be
have predetermined by the conference leader, the participant tends to circulated among the participants to be read at their leisure.
accept and remember them better because of this involvement. g) Perform work. The committee is not a work group. As in fact-
(i) Innovation. In recent years, there has been a great deal of controversy gathering, detailed work activities should be done by members
about whether a group can produce more or better ideas than individuals individually and should be merely coordinated in committee
acting separately. While it is unlikely that mediocre participants can meetings.
produce any more than mediocre results when acting in a group, it is true
that there is some advantage in group activity when applied to creative
While the strength of the committee is on its membership, it is also its
endeavors. The interaction brings out points of view that would otherwise limitation. As such, additional limitations could be added in the use of
remain latent and permits a cross fertilization that would be impossible if committee.
each acted individually.
Q) Avoid action. Because it is inherently slow, the committee may be
used to advantage by a line manager who wishes to avoid taking a) If a committee has to decide an issue which has been argued by
immediate action. The manager who is faced with an emotional demand members, the decision may be a mediocre compromise by its
of some importance may appoint a committee. By the time a decision is members. This problem, of course, can be reduced by not
reached, the emotion of the moment usually will have given way to requiring a unanimous agreement, by competent chairmanship,
reason and intelligence. and by the willingness of members to cooperate.
b) Group thinking is often influenced by emotionalism.

ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION LECTURE NOTES |

 c) The committee tends to diffuse responsibility, making it difficult to The line and staff is the pattern of most large and co-organizations. In it,
fix accountability for committee decisions upon any one of the all executives are either on the staff or line depending on their authority
members. and functions.
d) Group action is inherently slow and indecisive. If the decisions
must be made quickly, it is better to use a single executive. The authority to decide is with the line executive. The primary function
e) There is an opportunity, particularly where an unanimous opinion of a staff executive is to assist his superiors make the right decisions and
is required, to one person to dominate group. He may do this in implementing them.
by refusing to agree otherwise unanimous agreement, forcing
compromise with his point of view. The existence of staff executives is often a source of conflicts in the
organization. The conflicts, however, can be removed certain conditions.
As has been pointed out, in the working of the committee, one individual
could become so powerful that he could dominate the rest. That Frederick W. Taylor was the first man to advocate concept of a
individual could practically give orders, without assuming any completely functional management. For a functional organization to be
responsibility, and all others have to obey, no standing the objectives of effective, well-qualified individuals should be appointed. ·
the group.
The committee is one of the most controversial devices of organization.
But no organization, large or small, wants to be ruled by a force. An It is no substitute for individual action. However, it does perform some
organization ruled by a single individual might continue to exist, but it would functions more effectively than an individual could perform. Due to the
be ineffective. variations of authority vested in committees, much confusion has
resulted as to their nature and functions. The committee should be
In fact, even dictators must seek the support of a majority of his people. In used under certain conditions. In certain cases, its uses should be
doing so, sometimes, he must keep them formed to hide the weaknesses definitely avoided. Despite the disadvantages, it is observed that
of his administration. the use of committees in all types of organizations continue to
increase.
To avoid such situation happening in a committee, each individual should
realize that he is an important part of the organization. He is a leader,
even if he only leads himself.

In many organizations, for instance, the need is great individuals to band

and work together to prevent the emergence such "organizational
dictators."
,
Despite the disadvantages, it is observed that the use committees in all
types of organization continue to increase.

Summary
Organizations may come in all sizes and types. Each organization is
unique to some extent. With its advantages and disadvantages, however,
all of them must possess certain common characteristics.

The line organization is the simplest and oldest form organization

structure.

ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION LECTURE NOTES |