GROUPS & ORGANIZATIONS Sociology, Eleventh Edition

Sociology, Eleventh Edition SOCIAL GROUP A social group is defined as: Two or more people who identify and interact with one another Sociology, Eleventh Edition

NOT QUITE A SOCIAL GROUP Category People with common status Crowd Temporary cluster of people A group can have temporal status There are times when a crowd can become a group and then a crowd once more A large gathering of people at a football game A crowd that begins to riot may be considered a group Sociology, Eleventh Edition

Sociology, Eleventh Edition PRIMARY GROUPS Traits Small Personal orientation Enduring Primary relationships First group experienced in life Irreplaceable Security Assistance of all kinds Emotional to financial Sociology, Eleventh Edition

Sociology, Eleventh Edition SECONDARY GROUPS Traits Large membership Goal or activity orientation Formal and polite Secondary relationships Weak emotional ties between persons Short term Examples Co-workers Political organizations Sociology, Eleventh Edition

Sociology, Eleventh Edition GROUP LEADERSHIP Two roles: Instrumental Task oriented Expressive People oriented Three decision making styles: Authoritarian Leader makes decisions; Compliance from members Democratic Member involvement Laissez-faire Mainly let group function on its own Sociology, Eleventh Edition

GROUP CONFORMITY STUDIES Asch’s research Willingness to COMPROMISE our own judgments Line experiment Milgram’s research Role authority plays Following orders Janis’ research Negative side of groupthink Lack of objectivity Sociology, Eleventh Edition

Sociology, Eleventh Edition REFERENCE GROUPS Groups act as point of reference points in making evaluative and decisions Stouffer’s research We compare ourselves in relation to specific reference groups INGROUPS and OUTGROUPS Loyalty to INGROUP Opposition to OUTGROUPS Sociology, Eleventh Edition

Sociology, Eleventh Edition GROUP SIZE The dyad A two member group Very intimate, but unstable given its size The triad A three member group More stable than a dyad and more types of interaction is possible Sociology, Eleventh Edition

SOCIAL DIVERSITY: RACE, CLASS AND GENDER Large groups turn inward Members have relationships between themselves Heterogeneous groups turn outward Diverse membership promotes interaction with outsiders Social equality promotes contact If groups are equal in standing, then members of all backgrounds are more likely to associate with each other Physical boundaries create social boundaries If segregation of groups takes place, the chances for contact are limited Networks Web of weak social ties, people we know of or who know of us Sociology, Eleventh Edition

Sociology, Eleventh Edition FORMAL ORGANIZATIONS Large secondary groups, organized to achieve goals efficiently Utilitarian Material rewards for members Normative Voluntary organizations Ties to personal morality Coercive Punishment or treatment Total institutions Sociology, Eleventh Edition

Sociology, Eleventh Edition BUREAUCRACY Rational model designed to perform complex tasks efficiently Max Weber’s six elements to promote organizational efficiency Specialization of duties Hierarchy of offices Rules and regulations Technical competence Impersonality Formal, written communications Sociology, Eleventh Edition

Organizational Environment Factors outside an organization that affects its operation: Economic and political trends Current events Populations patterns Other organizations Sociology, Eleventh Edition

PROBLEMS OF BUREAUCRACIES Bureaucratic alienation Potential to dehumanize individuals Bureaucratic inefficiency and ritualism Preoccupation with rules, interferes with meeting goals Bureaucratic inertia Perpetuation of the organization Oligarchy Rule of the many by the few Sociology, Eleventh Edition

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT Application of scientific principles to the operation of a business or large organization Identify tasks and time needed for tasks Analyze to perform tasks more efficiently Provide incentives for workers efficiency Sociology, Eleventh Edition

NEW CHALLENGES TO FORMAL ORGANIZATIONS Race and gender Pattern of exclusion “Female advantage” Japanese organizations Value cooperation Organizational loyalty Changing nature of work Information based organizations Creative autonomy, competitive work teams, flatter organization, and greater flexibility Sociology, Eleventh Edition

McDONALDIZATION OF SOCIETY Efficiency -Do it quickly Uniformity -Leave nothing to chance Control -Humans are most unreliable factor Sociology, Eleventh Edition

Future of Organizations: Opposing Trends Movement toward more creative freedom for highly skilled information workers. Movement toward increased supervision and discipline for less skilled service workers. Sociology, Eleventh Edition