Different types of organizational structures in their daily activities can carry out collective management. For this, collegial governing bodies are created - these can be either various councils or commissions, or professional committees. These colleges are permanent or temporary, have a different level of authority, differ in status and perform various organization tasks. Often these bodies are endowed with the right to make certain decisions depending on the level of their competence, and they can also manage independently or appoint an executive director. Often such collegiums carry out deliberative functions, providing the head with reasonable judgments on various issues.
The concept of collegiality
The term "collegiality" is derived from the Latin word collegium, which in translation means "partnership." Collegiality is typical for a variety of commercial and non-profit organizations, various government agencies, including the judiciary, executive and legislative branches, political parties, and manifests itself as a joint discussion by a group of representatives with subsequent adoption of a decision made from the opinions and suggestions expressed.
A council from the circle of persons making such decisions is called a “collegium” or “collegial body”. The colleges make decisions on various issues (the implementation of specific tasks, coordinating work, eliminating problems) at a meeting by a group of authorized or official representatives.
All collegial governing bodies of the organization must be strictly structured: it is mandatory to have a document on its creation and regulations on the board, as well as the management apparatus, which consists of a secretary and chairman. Almost all meetings of the bodies are recorded in the minutes. To carry out the ongoing activities of the board, a specific plan is drawn up and approved. The administrative documents of the collegial body include all sorts of decisions and decisions.
Historical reference
The need for the emergence of collegial bodies has historically been due to the following factors:
- the need for control of representatives of the executive branch;
- taking into account the interests of all assembled members;
- need for judicial and legislative power;
- minimizing the risk of errors in decisions;
- introduction of modern experience and advanced knowledge.
Collegial governing bodies are the opposite of unity of command, which is also used to exclude the human factor.
It is officially confirmed that the very first college is the institute of magistrates, which arose in the 4th century BC in ancient Rome. Under these magistrates colleges of ten people were founded - decemvirs with legislative powers. The formation of this institute was a compromise decision taken to take into account the interests of all classes of society.
The policy of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was also focused on the creation of boards with sole responsibility. In the opinion of V.I. Ulyanov (Lenin), this combination guarantees the elimination of the subjective approach and the prevention of errors, the application of the existing knowledge and experience of all persons participating in the discussion and the full responsibility of representatives making a collective decision.
Types of collegial bodies
Groups of participants in the meeting can manage the organizational structure or perform any managerial tasks in it. Based on their mission, the collegial management bodies of the organization are divided into advisory, management and executive.
Advisory
In public administration, the most common are deliberative bodies, which include community boards, commissions, and councils. The range of tasks considered by these meetings includes a discussion of management strategies, raising questions and choosing the best solution, researching and analyzing problems, and then finding a way out.
In this case, collegiality plays an important role: it allows you to take into account the opinion of each member in the community, to combine collective experience and knowledge, to study all sorts of nuances of the problem based on the interests of each representative. But despite the fact that the composition of the collegial governing body is involved in the consideration of all issues and the development of recommendations, the final decision-making is vested in the head of the institution.
Governing bodies
All representatives of the governing body have equal duties and rights when analyzing issues falling within the purview of this meeting. The decisions of this board are binding on all members of the organization. But even with such an organization, the composition of the board includes a person who is the general director, who must report to the governing body and is completely subordinate to him.
Typically, such bodies manage the institution at the highest level (for example, a meeting of the founders of the construction complex). Such colleges can consider issues at the most global level, up to the liquidation and reorganization of the enterprise.
Executive
All executive management bodies (sole, collegial) carry out operational activities for the management of a business company.
The members of the collegial body, headed by the sole executive body, directly direct the organization. The CEO has no authority to make decisions, regardless of the executive board.
The sole executive body itself must act on behalf of the organization on the basis of its charter, it has the right to resolve all issues beyond the powers of other bodies of the institution.
An example of an executive body is the board of directors. This collegial management body of the company is used in commercial organizations, large industrial corporations, concerns and other business entities. It solves the issues of financial support, purchase and sale of shares, modernization and provides control of the current operation of the enterprise.
In general, depending on the type of collegial body, the final decision is made either by voting or individually by the head. The form of collegiality - deliberative or decisive - is determined by regulatory legal acts in state structures or the charter in organizations.
College of Public Administration
Government bodies are endowed with a public form of government; these are independent political institutions that have a certain area of ​​influence and are vested with state-power powers. They issue legal acts that are enforceable. The collegial body of general competence performing state administration should provide supervision over the implementation of the decisions taken and, in case of non-compliance, apply sanctions to violators. At the same time, the activity of the state apparatus is clearly limited by the limits of its competence, regulated by regulatory legal acts, for which it does not have the right to go.
The main features of public administration include:
- powers of state authority;
- joining the state apparatus;
- implementation of tasks and goals on behalf of the country;
- the education procedure strictly prescribed by state laws;
- specific demarcation of the structure and a certain level of competence;
- reporting to the state for their work;
- implementation of management;
- the implementation of the functions of the executive and administrative state apparatus.
Varieties of state colleges
State organizational structures are divided into several branches, which, in turn, also include certain colleges.
1. The executive branch is characterized by the following collegiums:
- municipal council - created for the implementation of local self-government;
- Council of Ministers - formed by analogy with the Soviet Cabinet of Ministers;
- council of the ministry;
- Cabinet of Ministers - the highest collegial executive body of state administration.
Depending on the nature of the vested powers, executive bodies are of the following types:
- inter-branch competence bodies performing functions common to all spheres of management (Ministry of Economy of the Russian Federation);
- bodies of general competence, which include the administrations of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and the government, administering the territory under their jurisdiction and ensuring socio-economic and cultural development;
- bodies of industry competence that control one of the subject sectors (Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation).
2. The legislative branch, taking into account their nationality, also includes collegial governing bodies. It:
- national assembly found in some countries;
- Senate
- parliament.
3. The structure of the judicial apparatus of power includes:
- The Higher Qualification Collegium of Judges, given their affiliation with a particular country.
- Supreme Judicial Council.
4. Collegial governing bodies also include colleges created for the interaction of several states in the field of political relations between countries, for example, the North Atlantic Council - the NATO collegium.
Board of LLC
The charter of companies may provide for the formation of a collegium of limited liability companies (this may be a board of directors or a supervisory board) with the subsequent assignment of control over the activities of executive bodies and other duties to it. However, the creation of a collegial body is not a prerequisite for the existence of the organization.
The number 312- dated 12/30/2008 establishes the competence of the collegial management body of LLC, which covers:
- regulation of activities of the organization;
- the formation of the executive bodies of the institution, the termination of their powers and the transfer of the rights of individual entrepreneurs or organizations;
- determination of the amount of remuneration to the subjects of the executive structure of the company;
- approval of the audit, calculation of the amount of payment for the services of the auditor;
- consideration and adoption of internal documents;
- the establishment of branches and representative offices;
- analysis of issues regarding the approval of trade transactions, including large ones;
- solving the problems of preparing and holding a joint meeting of all members of the institution;
- other issues that are not within the scope of legal capacity of the executive bodies and the general meeting of all members of the institution.
According to Law No. 99-, some tasks solved at the general meeting level can be referred for discussion by the board. Exceptions to the law are: amendments to the charter, approval of documents that are not constituent, increase in the size of the authorized capital by raising funds from outside, the formation of other governing bodies, liquidation of the enterprise.
The collegial body of general competence managing the company shall grant the following rights to the participants of this collegium:
- obtaining information on the activities of the institution, unlimited access to accounting and other documentation;
- contesting transactions made by the company on the basis of the Federal Law on LLC or article 174 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation;
- Claim for compensation for losses incurred by the organization in accordance with Article 53.1 of the Civil Code
The number of participants in executive bodies should not exceed a quarter of the members of the collegial meeting. The collegial executive governing bodies may appoint their leader, who, however, does not have the right to chair the general collegiate meeting.
Armed Forces Boards
Given the affiliation to a particular state, the following advisory bodies are distinguished:
- a court of officer honor, the purpose of which can be understood from the name - it was created to protect the dignity of officers;
- military council - the name is of historical origin.
The armed forces also have collegial executive governing bodies. An example is the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
The principle of command and control of the armed forces in all countries is based on one-man management - meetings are held in the form of a meeting and are advisory in nature. To discuss the situation and current combat orders, taking into account the views of all unit commanders, headquarters meetings are organized at different levels of formations and military units.
There are times when the position of the college limits the unity of command of the leader. For example, at an officer’s court of honor, the commander’s views do not affect the general decision of the assembly members, the chief can only appeal.
Management in Education
According to Article 26 of the Federal Law No. 273, an educational organization must be managed by a sole leader - a director, director or rector. At the end of this law, collegial education management bodies are described, which are divided into optional and mandatory.
Among the optional governing bodies are observed:
- board of trustees supervising the expenditure of financial assistance;
- supervisory board - a board that exercises control and oversight functions;
- governing council, consisting of parents of students and adopting decisions binding on the administration of the institution.
An obligatory collegial governing body is the pedagogical council, assembled from teachers who decide on the current issues of the institution as a whole and the organization of the educational process, in particular regarding the quality of students' knowledge and teacher training. It also includes a meeting of employees of the organization, discussing professional, labor and economic issues that relate to employee-boss relations.
Colleges in other fields of activity
Some colleges do not exist permanently as a governing body. All workshops take place as needed to solve specific problems.
In the healthcare system, collegial governing bodies are consilia, which is a meeting of doctors to diagnose and treat each individual patient in controversial cases.
There are also religious authorities - these are:
- Ulema Council - a meeting of members of Islamic states, which has the authority not only to solve clergy issues, but also to function as a legislative power structure;
- a conclave assembled in the Catholic Church from cardinals in the election of the Pope.
In different types of sports, the performance evaluation of athletes is carried out by the panel of judges (or the judging team).
Summing up, we can say that the collegial governing body is a group of people endowed with a number of powers to consider issues within its competence. Depending on the type of collegium established in the charter, its recommendations may be advisory or binding. A deliberative form of collegiality is used to provide specific proposals to senior management. The decisive form of collegiality implements the adopted decisions, regardless of the chairman of the meeting.
Colleges are found in almost all areas of human society. This is due to the fact that the joint resolution of issues has many advantages, allowing you to take into account the interests of all representatives and minimizing the risk of making serious mistakes, which in general leads to the efficiency and effectiveness of problem solving.