Page 29 - Effective group discussion theory and practice by Adams, Katherine H. Brilhart, John K. Galanes, Gloria J

12 Chapter 1

Committees can be classified as either ad hoc or standing. An ad hoc committee,
Ad Hoc Committee
established to perform a specific task, normally ceases to exist when that task has
A group that goes been completed. Ad hoc committees address all kinds of problems, such as evaluating
out of existence after credentials of job applicants, drafting bylaws, hearing grievances, planning social
its specific task has
been completed. events, conducting investigations, devising plans to solve work-related problems,
advising legislators on what to do about statewide problems, and evaluating programs
and institutions. A task force is a type of ad hoc committee with members appointed
from various departments of an organization or political body and usually charged
with investigating a broad issue. For example, the president of California State Univer-
sity, Fresno, appointed a task force of faculty, students, staff, and community mem-
bers to study how the university manages its athletic finances and to make
recommendations for improving the management of those finances. Once the task
force reported its action or recommendations, it disbanded.
Standing Committee Standing committees are ongoing committees established through the constitu-
A group given an tion or bylaws of an organization to deal with recurring types of problems or to per-
area of responsibility form specific organizational functions. The most important standing committee of
that includes many most organizations is called the executive committee, board, or steering committee.
tasks and continues Usually, this group is charged with overall management of the organization and can
indefinitely. function for the entire organization when general membership meetings are not
feasible. Other common standing committees have names such as membership com-
mittee, personnel committee, parking and traffic committee, program committee,
bylaws committee, and so forth. These groups continue indefinitely, even though the
membership changes.

Quality Control Circle Quality Control Circles
A group of
employees who meet A quality control circle consists of workers (usually five to seven) in a company who
on company time to either volunteer or are selected to meet regularly on company time to discuss work-
investigate work- related problems. Sometimes called continuous improvement teams, cycle time reduction
related problems groups, or just plain quality circles, their purpose is to improve some aspect of work
and to make life—efficiency, quality of finished products, worker safety, and so forth.
recommendations
for solving these
problems (also called Self-Managed Work Groups
a quality circle). Self-managed work groups, also called autonomous work groups or peer-led work
teams, are groups of workers given a defined area of freedom to manage their pro-
ductive work within certain preset limits established by the organization. For exam-
Self-Managed Work ple, an automobile assembly team may be responsible for assembling a car from
Group
start to finish. Members may be given a deadline by which the car must be fully
A small group of assembled, but within that limit the team members are free to elect their own lead-
peers who determine ers, plan their work procedures, and schedule individual assignments for the
within prescribed members. Members of self-managed work groups are often cross-trained, so each
limits their own work
schedules and member can perform several jobs competently. This permits human and other
procedures. resources to be allocated efficiently and effectively, gives workers the chance
to develop a variety of skills, and reduces boredom. It has been estimated that

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