POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-OU
ENGR. CHARMIE LYN. B. SARDAN
MASTER IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
PHILOSOPHY AND SCIENCE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION
DEFINITION OF ORGANIZATION
Achievement is the be-all and the end-all of any organization. For any
organization to achieve something, it must be organized, operated and
administered.
Organization is nothing more than the mechanism 'by which
administration directs, coordinates and controls its business. It is,
indeed, the very foundation of administration.
When the organization is ill-designed structurally, when it passes for a
makeshift arrangement, administration is made difficult and ineffective.
On the other hand, when.it is logical, clear- cut and streamlined, the
paramount need of administration has been met.
To be more precise, organization seeks re know "who Is to do what
is to be done."! A good executive may be able to secure good results
with a poor organization, and a good organization may produce results
from a poor executive. The ideal set-up, however, is a combination of a
good organization and a good executive.
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:
(2) individual responsibility for definite tasks - functional activities -
which are parts of a division of labor; 3) an organizational goal to
which the activities of the staff contribute; and (4) a stable system
of coordinative relationships, or a structure.
Another author, Alvin Toffler, defines organization as a "structure of
rules filled by humans."
Formal organization is, however, differentiated from informal
structure, which latter type "develops during the spontaneous interaction
of persons and groups within the organization.”
ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION LECTURE NOTES
Organization has come a long way to the complexity that it is today:
The present world of formal organization is not neatly divided into
democratic and -authoritative types, nor into traditional and modem
ones.
THEORIES ON ORGANIZATION
In most organizations, various forms may be adopted to achieve
organizational goals effectively with the least cost. For instance, a
government may adopt not only one but several theories on organization,
may discard some principles of one theory but adopt what it finds suitable
for its purpose.
In many ways, the interest in organization theory is a particularly apt
example of the interdisciplinary focus of many of the social sciences. It
broadens part of the economist’s traditional theory of the firm. For
the student of business, narrowly considered, there are customary
problems of control and administration, The sociologist turns to
status, roles, and the informal structure, as well as to the micro
cosmos itself. Political scientists join several other groups in the
interest in power and authority in hierarchical structure and in the
institutional forms of governing structures. Social psychologists apply
their concepts about group structures and communication nets.
For purposes of comparison, some organization theories with their
unique characteristics, usefulness and, perhaps, limitations, will be
examined in this chapter.
Firstly, there is the machine model or scientific management theory of
an organization: As propounded by its discoverer, Frederick W.
Taylor, the machine model bears the following peculiarities:
·
1. Division of labor and specialization. The functions of the
organization are differentiated and placed in separate departments.
(Departmentalization).
2. Unity of command and centralization of decision-making.
For the various parts of the organization to function correctly, there
must be unified command at the top of the organization.
3. One-way authority. Authority flows down the line
of command, from the top to the bottom
of the organization.
4. Narrow span of control. There is a limit to the
number of immediate subordinates that any
one individual can effectively supervise.
( 3. The work task must allow the individual
Also, Taylor suggested functionalization as a
system of organization. This technique would,
according to Taylor, make maximum use of the
specialization skills of individuals in the
organization. He applied the concept of
functionalization to foremen. Since it violated the
unity of command doctrine, functional foremanship
never was widely accepted. However, this concept
became at a later time the foundation for the idea of
functional staff authority which is a most important
element in organization theory.
Another organization operates on the theory of
bureaucracy. Max Weber's contribution to the
organization theory, the bureaucratic model, clearly
resembles Taylor's scientific management. The
bureaucratic type is characterized as follows:
1. Division of labor, with specified spheres of
competence legitimized as official duties. . more customary forms of coercion or
2. Hierarchical arrangements of offices, that is, each
lower office is below a higher one.
3. Rules for carrying out the work, to be applied
uniformly to individual cases.
4. Impersonality. The official is subject to an
impersonal order. and established norms of
conduct and he acts objectively in his contacts
with individuals inside and outside of the
organization.
5. Officials are selected on the basis of competence,
and not on irrelevant considerations.
A third organization operates on what is called
the human relations approach or social ethics
theory. This type responds well to a society that is
becoming increasingly characterized by
interdependence.
A reappraisal of this type, however, brought out the
fact that it proceeded upon the mistaken assumption
that all would be solved if managers expertly applied
human relations skills in their dealings with workers.
Robert T. Golombiewski, the exponent of “man-
centered” organization, believes that “moral
sensitivity can be associated with satisfactory output
and employee’s satisfaction.” He showed how jobs,
work flows and organization structure can be
modified according to the work environment, as
follows:
1. Work must be psychologically acceptable to the
individual. Its performance should not be generally
to threaten the individual,
2. Work must allow man to develop his faculties.
considerable room for self-determination.
4. The worker must have the possibility of
controlling, in a meaningful way, the environment
within which the task is to be performed.
5. The organization should not be the sole and final
arbiter of behavior. Both the organization and the
individual must be subject to an external moral
order.
On the other hand, humanists, like Warren G.
Bennis, believe that democracy is an inevitable
element in modern organizations, basing their
arguments on pragmatic grounds. Bureaucracy,
they contend, no longer works and democracy is a
“system of values” characterized by the following
factors:
1. Full and free communication, regardless of
rank and power.
2. A reliance on consensus, rather than on the
compromise, to manage conflict.
3. The idea that influence is based on
technical competence and knowledge rather
than on the vagaries of personal whims or
prerogatives of power.
4. An atmosphere that permits and
even encourages emotional expression as
well as task-oriented acts.
5. A basically human bias, which accepts
the inevitability of conflict between the
organization and the individuality but
which is willing to cope with and
mediate this conflict on rational grounds.
The open system conceptualization of organization
is fully compatible with industrial humanism, man-
centered organization and democracy. In this
system, energy inputs are taken in from external
environment and converted into outputs, which, in
turn, furnish the energy requirements for repeating
the cycle.
In government where service is provided, the tax
money re- energizes the cycle.
' ·
Organizations are socially contrived and within
the organization are "sub-systems" which, as
described by Daniel Katz and Robert L. Kahn, are:
ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION LECTURE NOTES |
 1. Production or technical sub-systems, which,
form the 'part of the organization that
transforms the input into output (frequently
referred to as line operations).
2. Supportive structures, of which there are
two types: a) procurement of raw material
inputs and disposal of product outputs; b)
development and maintenance of good
relationships with external structures (as
through marketing research, advertising,
and public relations).
3. Maintenance substructures, to ensure the
necessary inputs of human energy, that
is, the personnel function in all its
ramifications (selection, indoctrination
and motivation). The purpose here is to
maintain stability and predictability in the
organization.
4. Adaptive structures, the functions of
which are to meet the, changing needs of
the environment (for instance, planning and
research and development groups). ·
5. Managerial sub-systems, (the
"management), the role of which is to
coordinate the other sub-systems,
resolve conflicts between hierarchical
levels, and relate external requirements to
organizational resources and needs.
William G. Scott suggests the interrelationship
between organization theory and general theory as
follows:
Modern organizational theory leads, as it has
been shown, almost inevitably into a discussion of
general system theory. A science of organization
universals has strong advocates, particularly among
biologists. Organization theorists in administrative
science cannot afford to overlook the contributions
of general system theory. Indeed, modern
organization concepts could offer a great deal to
those working with general system theory.
According to the modern theory, the organization in
the present society has undergone major changes.
The proponent of this theory, Chadwick J.
Haberstroh, says that there are three dimensions
along which major changes have occurred in
organization theory.
Firstly, the man at the top of the organization
changes from the master whose status is
guaranteed by inheritance of title, land or wealth, to
the functionary whose qualification for office is his
ability to achieve.
Secondly, the change in emphasis from the
personal rights and welfare of the individual
concerned to some impersonal task to which all are
equally committed.
Thirdly, the change for change itself: the degree and
rapidity of innovation with which the organization
must cope.
TYPES OF ORGANIZATION
Public administration is a new term. Yet, it is one of
the oldest organized activities of man. The business
of public administration is to administer the affairs of
government after politics has properly defined its
objectives.
The primary objective of public administration is to
provide the state with an effective government. To
achieve this, there must not only be a competent
administrator but also an organizational structure
that is designed properly.
What does this mean? Simply, that the right types of
organization must be present in all levels of the
government bureaucracy. However, the
organization structure by itself cannot perform
miracles. It cannot overcome a lack of
administrative direction nor can it cover up
administrative failure. Its effect though can be
modified by the interaction of its people. Of course,
it can facilitate the economical and effective
attainment of the desired goals of the organization.
In short, it should be designed to change the
behavior of people in the organization.
As pointed out earlier, public administration is an
organization, by itself. However, it is composed
not only of policy-making departments or ministries
but also of several smaller organizations. Each
organization has its own particular structure and
functions. As such, public administration cannot
be considered neither simple nor static. It is a
dynamic, growing, complex and rapidly changing
institution. It continuously evolves changes in
structure in response to the demand of its
environment.
Like any other organization, public
administration can be improved if the people will
work to improve it. But it cannot made perfect
for it is by, for, and of people with human
failings.
The administrative machinery· of government
is not just a haphazard collection of people.
ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION LECTURE NOTES |
Instead, there are several organizations with
definite patterns, structures and objectives.
The kind of structure that an organization takes,
and the subdivisions into which it is divided,
depend primarily upon its objectives as
mandated by law.
Generally, government institutions may be
classified into any of the following categories:
1. Those that perform purely governmental
service functions, such as the Department
of Public Works and Highways, the
Postal Services Office, etc.:
2. Those that are organized for business, such
as the Development Bank of the
Philippines, the Philippine National
Railways, etc.
3. Those that are organized to dispense
justice: such as the Supreme Court, the
Department of Justice; etc.; and
4. Those that are organized on a quasi-
judicial basis which exercise administrative
as well as judicial functions, such as the
Securities and Exchange Commission,
the Land Transportation Franchising and
Regulatory Board, etc.
In each of these categories, the structural
relationship is generally expected to be well-defined.
Unfortunately, there have setbacks. Oftentimes,
there are variations within the classifications. Good
organization, after all, must be built slowly
and carefully.
Moreover, the totality of activities of these
organizations may be considered as the
performances of the government itself. That is,
effective government is the result of an effective
public administration. To put it briefly, public
administration should be based on the country’s
natural resources, on the level of ability of its
human resources , and its level of economic
potential growth. As such, it cannot be isolated
from the organizations of the other sectors of
society.
These organizations. if the nation is to attain
its perceived goals' of national greatness,
should work together not only in harmony but
also with a singleness of purpose: national
development.
These organizations may, of course, come in all
sizes and types. Each organization is unique to
some extent. However, all of them should possess
certain characteristics.
Accordingly, Ralph Currier Davis and Alan C.
Filley define organization as "a group of
individuals cooperating under the direction .of
executive leadership toward the accomplishment
of certain objectives." Or, putting it differently,
Harold Koontz and Cyril O'Donnell said that
"organization grows out of the human need for
cooperation."
Chester I. Barnard emphasized, however, that
people are forced to cooperate with each other for
personal reasons. They are forced to cooperate to
achieve personal goals because of physical,
biological; psychological, and social limitations.
Cooperation can be more productive and less
costly, in most instances, with some kind of
organization structure.
Each development of organization structure relates
in some way to the changing forms of
organization. With that, the historical approach
will be used in its study. The traditional structures
will be classified as line, staff, or a combination of
the two. Their modem developments will be
represented by the discussion on committee
organization. Specifically, the following subjects
will be discussed:
1. The Line Organization
2. The Staff Function
3. The Line and Staff Organization
4. The Concept of Functionalization
5. The Committee Organization
In the study of its organization, the changing
character of public administration should also be
given adequate consideration. For example, Dell
Gillette Hotchner and William Henry Harbold
suggest that:
The extent, organization, and procedures of public
administration itself are closely influenced by the
nature of the objectives being pursued and the
social conditions prevailing. Since these are not
constant, neither are the forms of administration.
The strength of the organization comes from its
people. Indeed, as pointed out by Edgar F. Huse
and James L. Bowditch, it is people who make an
organization succeed or fail. However, the way
people act is highly influenced by the design of the
organization and the nature and way in which the
ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION LECTURE NOTES |
organization receives its information and work flow
through it.
Line Organization
The line organization is the simplest and oldest
form of organization structure. In such structure,
authority is delegated directly from top to bottom. In
a chart, this shown by an unbroken line.
In a line organization, there is no staff executives.
Both staff and line functions are performed by line
executives. Each exercises line authority over his
own subordinates.
Figure 2 shows a line organization. It shows that
the line executives, usually called division chiefs in
government institutions, exercise authority on those
below them. However, all individuals on one level
are independent of others at the same level. Each
individual is responsible only to the person
immediately above him.
Advantages of line organization. The advantages of
line organization can be summarized as follows:
1. It is simple. It shows the direct lines of
responsibility, authority and accountability of
each individual in the organization.
2. It facilitates decision-making within the
organization due to the simplicity of its
organization structure.
3. It facilitates discipline and control of
individuals in the organization for its clarity
of chain of command.
4. It facilitates flexibility within the
organization as it responds to the
changing conditions and demands of its
organizational environment.
Disadvantages of Line Organization. Although a
line organization is good in most respects, it has
certain inherent disadvantages. Some of these
defects can be summarized as follows;
1. It encourages the development of
excessive load of administrative
responsibility. It becomes the breeding
place of "organizational dictators."
2. It encourages the development of
centralization of line control of activities.
3. It lengthens the chain of command of the
organization, which causes the delays in
administrative decisions.
4. It prevents the development of
specialization, other than its basic line
functions, which is needed to strengthen the
capacity of line executives.
5. It discourages the recruitment and
training .of qualified personnel for the
organization. It is difficult to recruit people
possessing several qualifications needed to
perform his tasks.
Despite these disadvantages, the line
organization is best used under certain
conditions.The line organization is ideal for a small
organization with stable management and
operations. Due to its small size, it could avoid the
inherent defects. Besides, it cannot financially
afford the cost of staff services.
Moreover, due to its stable structure, it permits
also standardization of its operations to an
extent that there is practically no need for staff
specialization to support it.
A purely line organization is, therefore, seldom
found in large, complex organizations.
Oftentimes, it is used by small organizations and
by divisions of a large and complex organization.
Since small organizations have a right to exist and
to govern themselves as have the big organizations,
the line organization will continue to be used.
Besides, it can be used by the divisions of large
organizations to have some of the advantages of
small organizations.
Staff Function
The authority to decide is, with the line
executive. The primary function of the staff
executive is to assist his superior officers make the
right decisions and implement them.
James D. Mooney and Alan C. Reiley explain this
relationship as follows:
The staff is purely an advisory service… This
difference from line 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 decide or initiate.
The objectives of the staff executives were
explained by Davis and Filley in this manner:
The objectives of staff units are to provide
secondary values to the line which will, in turn,
enable the line to achieve its primary service
ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION LECTURE NOTES |
objectives with greater economy or effectiveness.
Some staff units contribute, in addition, values that
represent some accomplishment of the company’s
collateral objectives. The staff makes an indirect
contribution to the accomplishment of primary
objectives.
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 his
superior officers. As staff executive, his
responsibility is limited to the authority given to him
to achieve his staff function.
As often stated, a staff position is created not to
separate the line executive from his own
organization but for him to link together.
It should be pointed out that the staff executive,
within his own organization, exercises line authority
over his immediate subordinates. In this particular
situation, he has the right to make decisions and to
command his subordinates to accomplish their
assigned task. The exercise of these rights is
considered final by his immediate subordinates. He
has the authority to hold them accountable for the
results of their assigned functions.
The situation, however, with respect to the other
units of the organization is different. There, the staff
executive has no authority, except staff authority, if
he was assigned to do so. By this, it means that he
was given the right to advise, inform, and
recommend action to the executives of these units.
However, he cannot command them or their
subordinates to accept such action in the same
manner he can upon his own subordinates.
Theoretically, the function of the line or staff
executives is properly defines. Accordingly, a line
executive's function is to act and the staff
executive's function is to think. However, in actual
practice, these functions are not properly
delineated.
Moreover, there are certain exemptions to this
concept. As has been mentioned, a staff executive
normally exercises staff authority with respect 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
executives perform staff functions when dealing
with members of other units of the organization.
Of course, the staff executive, with respect to his
own subordinates, may exercise line authority.
However, he may choose not to exercise such right.
He may instead elect to advise, inform or
recommend rather than command them.
These exemptions normally create the conflict
between line and staff executives. On the other
hand, as pointed out by Mooney, the staff
service could be totally useless to a line
executive.
In pointing out one of the weaknesses of the staff
services, Mooney said:
The weakness of many forms of staff service is that
the counselor is dependent on the man whom he
counsels, and hence is subject to the danger of
sinking to the level of a "yes" man.
Hence, one of the problems of staff function is
how to integrate the individuals with the
organization without losing their individual freedom
and effectiveness.
Finally, it could perhaps be said that the
effectiveness of the staff executive is a matter of
personal relationships between the line executive
and himself.
Line and Staff Organization
The line and staff is the pattern of most large and
complex organizations. In it, all executives are
either on the staff or in the line depending on their
authority and functions. As such, its inherent
nature is one of authority relationships.
In this arrangement, the line authority carries
the right to require the execution of orders, while
the staff executive has the authority to suggest
on how such orders could be implemented. In
short, the staff executive serves the line executives.
This is supposed to a very simple arrangement.
Yet, it is very difficult to implement. People do not
just have organization; they make organization.
An example of a line and staff organization
is shown Figure 3.
The chief executive of the organization,
regardless of his title, is head of both line and
staff. As such, he has the responsibility and the
authority of coordinating these. Some of the titles of
chief executives are President, General Manager,
Administrator, Director-General, and Managing
Director.
ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION LECTURE NOTES |
Figure 3 shows the sharp lines of supervision Disadvantages of Line-Staff Organization. The
and control, as well as the lines of coordination, disadvantage of line and staff organization may be
of and among executives of the different units summarized as follows:
of the organization. It shows also that the line
executives are directly under the chief 1. It creates a source of conflicts between line
executive. These line executives are directly and staff executives. The existence of staff
responsible for the implementation of plans, executives, oftentimes is a source of
programs, and projects of the organization problems in the organization. Line
in their respective jurisdictions. executives may consider the staff as a
threat to their own positions.
Some of the titles of line executives are 2. It forces the staff executives to insist on
Vice-President, Department Manager, their advices to line executives to show
Division Director, and Regional their importance in the organization and to
Commander. On the other hand, the staff attain a certain degree of professional
executive may carry the title of Personnel achievement. In contrast, it may be under-
Officer, Budget Director, Assistant to the utilized if they wait to be called for staff
President, Director of Research, and Special support. The knowledge of some line
Assistant. executives might be limited with regards to
the special problems of the
The activity of the staff may be based on organization, such as budgeting
functional requirements of the organization, personnel administration, and related areas.
such as personnel, fiscal, planning, research, 3. It creates administrative problems if the staff
training, and public relations. A staff executive authority is not carefully defined.
may be assigned to be responsible for each
function. There is no easy way to avoid these
disadvantages, but for both line and staff
Moreover, the staff department by itself is executives to know, understand, and accept
structured internally, as shown in Figure 3, as their personal and official limitations.
line organization. Meaning, within the
organization, its people report in a straight line Conflicts between Line and Staff Executives. Why
to its head. is it that there has been a conflict between line and
staff executives for so long and in so many
Speaking of the line-staff relationships, Leonard organizations?
D. White has said that:
To Irving Smith Kogan, the cause of such conflicts
Line authorities ... are the central elements of could be explained in this manner:
any administrative system; staff and auxiliary
agencies are necessary in a large and complex It is not always clear which functions are line and
organization, but they are secondary. They serve which are staff. Indeed, an individual may be staff
the line; the line serves the people. in relation to another. In general, however, the
specialized departments or units which carry
Advantages of Line-Staff Organization. The out the main activity of the corporation are
advantages of line and staff organization may be line; those which act in an advisory or service
summarized as follows: capacity to the line units are staff.

1. It maintains a single line of responsibility, Moreover, organization structure, says Kogan, is

authority, and accountability. "only a means to an end." It is also "not
2. It provides the line executives with staff permanently fixed." Besides most staff positions
support of specialized knowledge or were created when the organization increased its
capability. size and the complexity of its administration is at its
3. It frees the line executive from performing highest point.
functions not directly related to his work.
4. It facilitates the recruitment and training Can the conflict between line and staff
of people needed by the organization. executives be removed?

ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION LECTURE NOTES |

Certainly; however, it will require the organization to
first meet certain conditions before it can be fully
resolved.
Some of the conditions are the following:
1. Every executive should understand the
"purpose of the task. He should know
whether he operates in a line or a staff
capacity. This understanding of
responsibility should be accompanied by
accepting the reality that the line
executives have the authority to make
decisions and to act on them.
2. The staff executives should be contented to
exercise staff authority. That is, the right to
advise and counsel the line executives.
3. The staff executives should know that
the effectiveness of their services depends
primarily on their ability to make their
recommendations complete enough to
be accepted or rejected by their superiors.
In short, they endeavor to submit a
"completed staff work."
The "completed staff work" requires the staff
executive to present his recommendation in a clear
manner. It should be based upon the full
consideration of a problem. It requires also
clearance with the: persons significantly affected
by it, as well as the suggestions about avoiding
difficulties involved.
Oftentimes, it demands the preparation of paper
work, such as letters, directives, job descriptions
and specifications so that the proposal should be
accepted or rejected by the .line executive
without him conducting further studies, long
conferences, or unnecessary administrative
works. In other words, should he accepts the
recommendation, the "completed staff work"
provides him all the necessary administrative
machineries to put it into effect immediately.
The line-staff problems certainly would be
reduced if the staff executive would limit his
activities within his functions of assisting the line
executives.
On the "subtle and complex process" of
providing professional support, Douglas
McGregor primarily stresses that “help is always
defined by the recipient," believes that an action
taken by the staff for the "good of the
organization" is the root of many line-staff
problems. He explains that many headquarters staff
units offer or impose their services in a paternalistic
manner and rely on inappropriate methods of
control. When such offers or impositions are
rejected. McGregor says, the recipients of the help
are seen as "resistant, stupid, indifferent to
organizational needs, etc.”
It is clear then that staff executives should
allow the line executives to define the kind of
assistance they need. Also, the line executives
should be left on their own to decide on how the
plans should be implemented. After all, it is the line
executives who will be accountable for such action.
Of course, this kind of relationship expects that the
line executive should know when and how to
effectively use the staff specialists within their
organizations.
It should be made clear that in a large and complex
organization, the line and staff executives should
reinforce each other. One cannot be dissociated
from the other. However, as Koontz and O'Donnell
point out: the "staff-line conflicts may develop to
such extent that they can be resolved only by
reorganization.”
Concept of Functionalization
The concept of functionalization is advocated by
Frederick W. Taylor. He was the first man recorded
in history to advocate the concept of a completely
functional management. This he did when he
devised an organization plan which fully applied the
principles of division of labor and specialization.
For a functional organization to be effective, well-
qualified individuals should be appointed to all
positions. Each individual should know exactly what
is expected of him and what he expects others to
do. Each position, including its requirements, should
be well-defined so that it could be evaluated
periodically.
It is for these reasons that organizations are
functionalized. This is done by subdividing them into
departments or divisions, such as personnel,
budget, physical plant, administrative, etc. One
purpose is to allow the people to work effectively in
groups as they work alone.
·
The organization structure of the government,
as can be observed, is organized on a functional
basis. That is, the various departments and the
bureaus under them are patently assigned
accomplish certain goals of interested sectors of
ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION LECTURE NOTES |
society. Figure 4 shows an example of a functional
organization.
· upon its authority. If its authority involves decision
Advantages of Functional Organization. The
following are the advantages of functional
organization:
1. It permits a high degree of specialization.
2. It is easier to fill positions in such an
organization since functional specialists are
required to have only a limited number of
talents.
3. It permits each specialist to become an
expert in his own field. He can concentrate
his efforts on his specialization.
4. It provides better technical supervision for
subordinates than would be possible where
supervisors must perform less similar
functions.
Disadvantages of Functional Organizations. The
inherent disadvantages of functional organizations
may be summarized follows:
1. It suffers from dual authority and violates
the principle of single accountability. No
organization can run smoothly when a
single individual has more than one boss.
2. Authority and responsibility often overlap. It
is hard to draw sharp line between
functions, so that passing-the-buck is a
problem.
3. It is often difficult to get technical experts to
work together smoothly. Each is likely to
feel that his area of specialization is the
most important.
Committee Organization
The committee is one of the most controversial
devices organization. This refers to "a group
of persons to whom as a group, some 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.
According to Davis and Fifley:
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 for
some problems.
However, Koontz and O'Donnell take a different
view. For them:
A committee may be either line or staff, depending
making affecting subordinates responsible to
it, it is a plural executive and a line
committee; if its authority relationship to a
superior is advisory, then it is a staff committee.
The committee is widely use in all types of
organizations. In the national government of the
Philippines, a large number of agencies are being
administered by committees. The Government
Service Insurance System is being administered
by the Board of Trustees, the Philippine Council for
Agriculture and Resources Research and
Development by its Governing Board, the
Development Bank of the Philippines by its Board
of Governors, the state universities by their Board of
Regents. These are only a few of the many
examples that may be cited.
At this point, it is important to bear in mind the
counsel of Davis and Filley.
A committee is no substitute for individual action.
But it does perform some functions more
effectively than an individual could perform them.
On this situation, Koontz and O'Donnell added the
following information:
Committees may also be formal or informal. If
established as part of the organization structure,
with specifically delegated duties and authority,
they are formal. Or they may be informal, that
is, organized without specific delegation of
authority and usually by some persons desiring
group thinking or group decision on a particular
problem. Thus, a manager may have a problem
on which he needs advice from other managers
or specialists outside his departments and may
call a special meeting for the purpose. Indeed,
this kind of motivation, plus the occasional
need for gathering together in one room all
the authority available to deal with an
unusual problem, gives rise to many of the
numerous conferences in organizational life.
·
Regardless of how the committee was formed and
the nature of authority vested upon it, it is
essential to know, understand, and accept that it
is a group of persons charged with solving
specific problems. As such, it may be disbanded
and regrouped to deal with new problems.
ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION LECTURE NOTES |
Committee Authority. There are several types of
authority commonly vested in a committee. They
are as follows:
1. A committee may have a broad decision-
making authority. The chief executive may
be included in the membership of top
committees. Under such circumstances
the committee makes decision with the
approval of the top executive of the
organization, and this executive is held
accountable for its success.
2. A committee may have limited functional
authority making decisions within its
specialized functional area subject to
approval by the chief executive.
3. A committee may have advisory,
investigative, and recommendatory
authority. The nature and scope of such
authority should be specified clearly.
4. A committee may have no authority,
functioning merely as an educational or
communicative tool of management.
The granting of different types of authority to
committee has resulted in much confusion as
to their real nature and functions.
The functions of a committee are like that of an
individual executive. It may function as a line
executive supervising an operative and specialized
unit of the organization. Or, it may function like a
staff executive supporting the activities of the line
executives of the organization.
Advantages of the Committee Organization. The
benefits re be gained by the use of committees
may be summarized as follows:
1. Harmony may be developed among
executives who were formerly suspicious of
each other. Through group action, they
become better informed about the attitudes
and reasoning of the others.
2. The viewpoint of young executives is
broadened the participation in large-scale
problems. Capable talent may be spotted
early.
3. Continuity of committee functions may be
provided replacing only a few committee
members at a time.
Disadvantages of the Committee Organization. The
disadvantages of committees may be summarized
as follows:
1. Certain dangers of committees have been
so widely reviewed that many managers
make little use of them. Disparaging
attitudes are reflected in such definitions as
“a committee is made up of the unfit
selected by the unwilling to do the
unnecessary.”
2. The cost of committee action in time is likely
to be considerable. A committee may
require members to travel some distance to
reach a meeting. During the meeting, each
member has the right to be heard, to have
his point of view discussed, to challenge
and cross-examine the points of view of
others, and to go over grounds for a
considered group conclusion. If the
committee must reached a unanimous or
nearly unanimous decision, the discussion
is likely to be lengthy. And if a decision can
be reached quickly, the meeting may have
been unnecessary in the first place.
3. Where the committees are required to come
to some conclusion or reach some decision,
there is danger that their action will be
watered down or even meaningless. If the
matter under consideration is so simple that
differences of opinion do not exist, the use
of committee time is wasteful. The danger
of compromise at the level of the least
common denominator of agreement grows
as the percentage of agreement felt
necessary for committee action increases.
4. The time required for thorough deliberation,
the discussion of peripheral or tangential
subjects, and the difficulty of reaching
agreements often result in indecision.
5. The indecisiveness of committees gives the
chairman or a strong member opportunity to
force the committee into a decision, for it 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 a superior authority.
6. When the authority to study or make
recommendations is delegated to a group,
the fact is that authority is dispersed
throughout the group. This splitting of
responsibility is one of the chief
disadvantages of a committee. Since no
one can practically or logically feel
accountable for the actions of the group,
ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION LECTURE NOTES |
 no one feels honestly, responsible for his
action within it.
7. Committees seek unanimous or
near-unanimous conclusions or decisions.
Best Use of Committees. When is a committee best
used? The following are some of the conditions
under which the use of a committee is most
suitable:
(a) Where group deliberations and Judgment are
important. When the problem facing an executive
may mean great expense or even failure for the
business, it is wise to obtain the studied opinion of a
group of intelligent and informed persons.
(b) Fear of improper use of authority. Important
decisions may be made at divisional of plant levels
when both administrative and operative
management functions have been highly
decentralized. We cannot hold subordinates
completely accountable for results unless we
delegate the rights of decisions and command that
are necessary for the accomplishment of these
results. On the other hand, actions taken on the
basis of these decisions may affect the reputation,
growth and profitability the entire company.
(c) Represent interested groups. Often there are
groups within the organization which have a
functional interest in committee matters. While no
committee can be fully representative and still retain
the efficiency 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 part in arriving at a
recommended course of action does much to insure
his support. It is axiomatic that we usually support
our own ideas. An executive can do much to assure
acceptance of a plan if interested parties are
invited to participate in its development.
(e) Coordination of planning. The committee
is useful to coordinate the thinking of various
technical staffs and line functions. The committee
provides for an immediate exchange of ideas that
would be impossible in formal channels of
communication.
(f) Policy, development and interpretation. Because
it is a representative group of various facets of the
organization, the committee is useful in
recommending policy or in deciding questions about
policy interpretation.
(g) Administrative communication. The
committee provides a means of communicating
information .quickly and efficiently to members of an
organization. It permits immediate communications
to many functions of the organization and provides
an opportunity to clear up points that are not
understood.
(h) Training. The conference, which is a special
type of committee, is an excellent means of training
a limited number of executives. While slower than
the pure lecture or textbook as a training device, the
method is superior in that it enables the conferee to
participate in arriving at conclusions. Even though
the points brought out in conference discussions
have predetermined by the conference leader, the
participant tends to accept and remember them
better because of this involvement.
(i) Innovation. In recent years, there has been a
great deal of controversy about whether a group can
produce more or better ideas than individuals acting
separately. While it is unlikely that mediocre
participants can 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 endeavors. The interaction brings out
points of view that would otherwise remain latent
and permits a cross fertilization that would be
impossible if 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 immediate
action. The manager who is faced with an
emotional demand of some importance may appoint
a committee. By the time a decision is reached, the
emotion of the moment usually will have given
way to reason and intelligence.
Avoidance of Use of Committees. Under the
following conditions the use of a committee is
definitely not suitable:
a) When one manager is better. The
committee cannot be used effectively where
direction, supervision, and corrective action
must be performed. Leading is an
individual, not a group function;
b) Fact-gathering and research. Gathering and
tabulating data is the job of an individual.
Where committee work necessitates such
activity, it should be made the responsibility
of a single individual. .He, in turn, may
assign phases of the investigation to the
members of his task force.
c) Fast decision making. Authorities generally
agree that the committee is not suitable
when decisiveness is at a premium.
d) Substitute for other weaknesses. The
committee cannot cure existing weakness in
the organization structure, in the planning
ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION LECTURE NOTES |
 ability of management, or in the general
quality personnel.
e) Rubber-stamp predetermined solutions. The
benefits of participation are not present
when a committee has only the right to
rubber-stamp predetermined solutions.
Indeed, the opposite effect may occur, with
motivation reduced rather than increased.
f) Present technical reports or printed material
which could be circulated. Lengthy technical
reports which are outside the knowledge of
executives should be reduces to a pertinent
summary and presented in that fashion.
Furthermore, committee time should not be
used to read printed material which could
be circulated among the participants to be
read at their leisure.
g) Perform work. The committee is not a work
group. As in fact-gathering, detailed work
activities should be done by members
individually and should be merely
coordinated in committee meetings.
While the strength of the committee is on its
membership, it is also its limitation. As such,
additional limitations could be added in the use of
committee.
a) If a committee has to decide an issue which
has been argued by members, the decision
may be a mediocre compromise by its
members. This problem, of course, can be
reduced by not requiring a unanimous
agreement, by competent chairmanship,
and by the willingness of members to
cooperate.
b) Group thinking is often influenced by
emotionalism.
c) The committee tends to diffuse
responsibility, making it difficult to fix
accountability for committee decisions upon
any one of the members.
d) Group action is inherently slow and
indecisive. If the decisions must be made
quickly, it is better to use a single executive.
e) There is an opportunity, particularly where
an unanimous opinion is required, to one
person to dominate group. He may do
this by refusing to agree otherwise
unanimous agreement, forcing
compromise with his point of view.
As has been pointed out, in the working of the
committee, one individual could become so
powerful that he could dominate the rest. That
individual could practically give orders, without
assuming any responsibility, and all others have to
obey, no standing the objectives of the group.
But no organization, large or small, wants to be
ruled by a force. An organization ruled by a single
individual might continue to exist, but it would be
ineffective.
In fact, even dictators must seek the support of a
majority of his people. In doing so, sometimes, he
must keep them formed to hide the weaknesses of
his administration.
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.
The line and staff is the pattern of most large and
co-organizations. In it, all executives are either on
the staff or line depending on their authority and
functions.
The authority to decide is with the line
executive. The primary function of a staff executive
is to assist his superiors make the right decisions
and in implementing them.
The existence of staff executives is often a source
of conflicts in the organization. The conflicts,
however, can be removed certain conditions.
Frederick W. Taylor was the first man to
advocate concept of a completely functional
management. For a functional organization to be
effective, well-qualified individuals should be
appointed. ·
ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION LECTURE NOTES |
The committee is one of the most controversial
devices of organization. It is no substitute for
individual action. However, it does perform some
functions more effectively than an individual could
perform. Due to the variations of authority vested
in committees, much confusion has resulted as
to their nature and functions. The committee
should be used under certain conditions. In
certain cases, its uses should be definitely avoided.
Despite the disadvantages, it is observed that
the use of committees in all types of
organizations continue to increase.

ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION LECTURE NOTES |