Collective Who?
I have come to think of Collective responsibility
as an Oxymoron. Look at the various instances that we come across. Whenever an accident
occurs and if a mob gathers around, chances are that no one will help the
person who met with the accident. Here everyone shifts the responsibility to
the other person in the crowd.
Consider another situation. A group of people is assigned a task without
specifically telling them who is responsible for what task. They are told it is
the collective responsibility of the group to get the job done. Add to this;
let it be a group of members who are equal in all respects; where there is no
hierarchy. Don’t be surprised if the task doesn’t get started at all. A very
recent example being the EGoMs (Empowered Group of Ministers) that we used to
have in the earlier government and which were dissolved last month.
I think the reason why the
concept doesn’t work out mostly is due to our inherent need for ownership. The moment
you state collective responsibility, there is a loss of individual accountability
at some levels. The thinking goes on the lines of even if one doesn’t pull
his/her weight; the other members will do it for this person. Eventually the
social loafer in each one of us begin to come out more often than it would if the task were completely owned by a single person.
In a corporate environment, one
hears about collective responsibility quite often. This happens especially in
two situations; one in times of success and the other in times of failure. In
times of success, as in other positive situations, people tend to be graceful.
The credit is shared with the team and collective responsibility finds some definite
meaning. It’s quite interesting though in situations of failure. The team which
started off the project on the contract of collective responsibility now
becomes a collective slugfest! People start attributing the wrongdoings to
other members of the team. Then starts the allegations of who was supposed to
take care of what task!
I think collective responsibility works
in only two instances. First, when the ownership of smaller tasks is assigned to
individuals and the larger job’s responsibility is that of the team. Second,
when the task is intrinsically motivating which means people are doing the job
for reasons other than those which can be measured. People have undertaken the
said job for reasons that appeals to their noble emotions rather than a
reward in cash or kind. For instance, a noble activity like the cause of
charity. Here, people tend to look at the larger purpose and try to go above
and beyond whatever is expected of them. Else, it gets reduced to just another
set of words which sounds good.
Arun Babu
The wise counsellor told the King that nobody in the durbar are reliable and trustworthy. King wanted him to prove his statement. Next day King announced in the durbar that there will be a abhishek of Shivlinga on the day after and each member in the durbar has to bring a pot of milk and pour in the big urn kept near the shivlinga in the early hours. He stressed that the Puja is for the benefit of the entire country and each one of the durbar( the team) is collectively responsible for the welfare of the kingdom.
ReplyDeleteWhen the king came in the morning at the announced Puja time, the Wise counsellor laughingly showed him the Urn filled with water.
This is the case of collective responsibility!!!!
You can read The wise counsellor = tenali Raman or Birbal. The King = Krishnadevaraya or Akbar.
Well written Arun....
NANDAKUMAR
I remember reading that story. But only when you mentioned it, I could connect it to collective responsibility.,. Thank you for reading uncle :)
DeleteWhat a "blooming" post! Wish integrity/ ownership "blooms" in each one of us!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the "blooming" comment :)
Delete