Module 2

Design for Social Service Organisations :

An appropriate organisational design for human service organisation should have following characteristics:

1. Division of work on functional basis;
2. Decentralisation of authority to functional unit heads. Authority in organisation should be delegated to the head of each functional unit, which will permit the person to attend to the tasks on the basis of usefulness. Like the department involved in spreading awareness about AIDS, the department providing intervention services should have their own head and the department running a Helpline service for the virus infected or general public should have their own head;
3. The leadership style in these organisation, due to their complex and inter- dependent nature, should have to be co-ordinative rather than directive;
4. Appropriate co-ordination and integration mechanisms should be developed;
5. Relaxed working environment and relationships among all its members;
6. A high degree of trust and confidence among the members;
7. A high degree of motivation among the members to abide by the major values and achieve the important goals of the group;
8. All the interaction, problem solving, and decision making activities of the group occur in a supportive atmosphere. Suggestions, comments, information, criticisms, offered with a helpful orientation. When there are real and important differences of opinion, the focus is on arriving at sound solutions and not on extending and aggravating conflict;
9. The leadership adhere to those principles of leadership which creates a supportive atmosphere in the group and a co-operative rather than a competitive relationship among the members;
10. Each member accept, willingly and without resentment, the goals and expectations that the group establishes for themselves;
11. There is a strong motivation on the part of each member to communicate fully and frankly to the group all the information which is relevant and of value to the group's activities.