Group Discussion
Group is an aggregate of people, from two to an unspecified number, who associate together in face to face relationship over a period of time.
Discussion is an activity in which a subject or theme is inquired or examined in order to reach a satisfactory conclusion.
Group Discussion is an activity in which a group of individuals with similar interests communicate with each other for effective problem solving and decision making.
Committees are small Managerial groups formed inside an organization for decision making purpose. All organizational decisions are group decisions.
Group dynamics is the continuous change and adjusting relationships among members of a group.
Ingredients of a Group Discussion –
◊ Purpose (agenda)
◊ Planning (date, time, venue)
◊ Participation (cooperative pooling of all available information)
◊ Informality (comfortable, easy to speak)
◊ Leadership (A leader steers the discussions)
Solving a problem in a Group Discussion –
Step 1 – Name or define the problem
Step 2 – Find different solutions
Step 3 – Evaluating/Testing solutions
Step 4 – Choosing a solution
Step 5 – Planning the action
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Complete information | Time consuming |
| Diversity of views | Difficult to fix responsibility and accountability |
| Innovative thinking | Creation of group within a group |
| Democratic in nature – legitimacy increases | Expensive in terms of time, money, man-hours lost |
| Heterogeneity of members | |
| Strengths the organization |
Committee
A Committee – A group appointed by the parent organization which meets to investigate a problem and later to formulate a report or recommendation.
The four different type of committees in an organization :
→ Standing committees – Committees which meet regularly for making day to day management decisions
→ Executive committees – Committees which take important management decisions
→ Advisory committees – Committee of experts formed for crucial decision making
→ Ad-hoc committees – Committees formed for a particular purpose
Working of a Committee –
→ Get a clear perspective or collect data
→ Explore attitudes and sentiments of the members
→ Combine the logical and psychological elements
→ Arrive at a decision
→ Have a faithful record of decisions
Command Meeting – A meeting between a Manager and his subordinates. Manager is the leader. Such a meeting lacks industrial democracy. The main purpose of such a meeting is to share information and state policies and instructions
Brain-storming sessions – It is a device to overcome the compulsive nature of conformity that obstructs the development of new ideas. It is an idea generating process that encourages alternative approaches and uninterrupted expression of ideas. In such an approach:
(a) No ideas are criticized
(b) Freewheeling is encouraged
(c) Emphasis is on the quality of ideas