How can one be the guest of one\\\'s own family?

In our society the head of an organisation is traditionally made chief guest at an event of that organisation. For example, the chairman of a bank, who is the head of the organisation, is made chief guest at an event of the bank. Similarly, the vice-chancellor of a university is the chief guest at any event of a department or faculty under the university. In all events we have a tradition of having a chief guest and sometimes special guests and guests of honour. Once, the principal and owner of a reputed private school invited her husband to attend the school's annual sports day as chief guest. And the vice-chancellor of a public university was chief guest at a condolence meeting.
The problem with this tradition, however, is: how can one be the guest of one's own family? The head, the CEO, and the VC are the guardians of their respective organisations. The meaning of 'guest' in the dictionary is: a person invited to visit another's house at the expense of the inviter; an outside performer invited to take part with a regular body of performers. If the head of an organisation becomes the (chief) guest in his own organisation, then the invitee and the inviter will be the same person which does not make any sense. Making an inter-organisational person a guest at a function helps make more interactions than an intra-organisational guest.
CONCENTRATION OF POWER AND MONOPOLY: However, the existing practice suggests that we have not yet decentralised our administration. Our governance both in private and public sectors lies in the hands of insiders of the organisations concerned. But in developed countries, governance lies in the hands of both insiders and outsiders - even outsiders often dominate a board. This is the sign of a patriarchal society where the father is the decision-maker and other members of the family just play the peripheral roles.
'US AND THEM' FEELING: One serious consequence of this special status of someone within an organisation is that the other equally important persons of that organisation do not always attend such events. The chief guest, special guests and the guests of honour have their special seats on a decorated dais. The other equally important personalities cannot just sit with the crowd (in our society). Thus the event or seminar is attended by the crowd only. The experts, who can take part in the discourse, remain absent from it. This is one reason why our seminars are so thinly-attended by teachers and faculties.
THE 'NO GUEST' CONCEPT: Academic seminars are brainstorming sessions, not any social gathering or function. Expertise rather than status quo or position is the main concern there. Here someone presents a new idea and knowledgeable people, having expertise in a particular area, take part in deliberations and discussions. Everyone is independent from each other and no hierarchical order is followed. So people can criticise each other without fear or favour and thus help develop an idea. If academic seminars have chief guests and other guests by virtue of their positions or power, then independent ideas and discourse may be affected. Even if an individual or an institution sponsors the seminar, he should attend it just like any other member of the audience.
The idea of guest is suitable for a social gathering or a party, where entertainment and rituals are usual. This concept does not fit a seminar, where thinking, idea generation and brainstorming are the practices. Guest is an ornamental term, rather than expertise and knowledge which are far more relevant for seminars and workshops. If one is a discussant instead of a guest, one will be extra-cautious about delivering his speech, because the audience will expect subject-specific information and insight from him.
There can be a provision for exchange of guests between organisations, i.e., one organisation will have guests from other organisations. That will help generate newer ideas and exchange of opinions, not only among the people within but also among the people of different organisations, with the people near and far, with strangers and with the rest of the mankind.
ROLE OF OUTSIDERS IN AN INSTITUTION: Worldwide nowadays outsiders like advisers, independent and celebrated people like university professors and lawyers actively participate in the governance of an institution. The role of independent and non-executive directors (outsiders) in corporate governance is well documented. Apart from this formal role of outsiders in governance, a good institution invites outsider experts and celebrated citizens to attend its various formal and informal events like seminars, annual sports and other extracurricular programmes. This provides a better scope of inter-organisational and inter-communal exchange of ideas and sharing of knowledge.
TRADITION, FREEDOM AND REASON: Having chief guest, guests of honour and special guests is the tradition of our society. But unreasoned tradition and fixed beliefs hamper freedom and create barriers to free thinking in a society. Traditional beliefs often need to be viewed from the newer perspectives in all societies. We often need to see if traditional beliefs are consistent with freedom.
The writer is Professor of Accounting             at the University of Dhaka. dhiman_chowdhury@yahoo.com