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Groups, Networks and Organization (Bureaucracy is a major principle of…
Groups, Networks and Organization
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In order to call something a group in sociological terms, it has to fit the following:
1- the group must have a common goal
2- the members of the group usually know each other by name
3- the group members should have long term interactions
Primary Group
Are usually small in size, they are informal and personal
Secondary Group
Are mostly larger in size
-they tend to be formal, interpersonal and utilitarian
-we belong to these groups because of some kind of task or function we must perform
-when the task is over the groups begin to dissolve
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Group Conformity refers to behavior that yields to other groups members when they are the majority, or have more power, money and prestige
Group Think refers to the phenomenon in which group members try to minimize conflicts and reach a consensus without critical evaluation
In Groups and Out Groups
-The phrase in groups refers to the "people like us" PLUS or the "us" feeling we have
-Out-groups may be referred to as "them"
Importance of Social Groups
-groups are very powerful
-groups determine our social identity
-groups influence our feelings
-our beliefs and perceptions also are influenced by the groups with which we affiliate
-out behavior also is defined by our group identity
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Social Capital means the power, knowledge, information or popularity of an individual
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Networking
Means to widen your social network, cultivate more relationships and know more people
Formal Organization
is a large secondary group
-it is created to achieve specific goal
-division of labor and a chain of command had to be implemented
Bureaucracy is a major principle of managing formal organizations efficiently and rationally
5 characteristics of Bureaucracy
1-division of labor
2-Hierarchical structure
3-written rules and regulations
4- Impersonality
5-employment based on technical competence
1- Division of Labor
A strict and rigid division of labor can cause low morale and alienation
-Alienation
means a loss of creativity
Micromanaging
the result of a rigid division of labor
-workers don't get to say why they do something..they just do it
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3- Written rules and Regulations
Too many written rules and regulations can create "ritualism" or "red tape"
Rationalization is another problem in bureaucracy. It means that certain tasks are routinized, no one question the reason behind them
4- Impersonality
power abuse happens because it is impossible to be entirely impersonal in any formal organization
-thus in spite of rules and regulations, there also is an embedded informal organizational structure
-Employees find a way to exert person influence in what they do
5-Employment based on Technical Competence
-Too much specialized training technical can lead to "Trained incapacity"
-This means that some technical training is too narrow or specialized and that we see fewer "Jack of all trades" in the workplace
"Deskilling" is another problem of job training. Because of computers, many employees are trained to push buttons or click or icons but know nothing about the real skills underlying the task
Problem of Bureaucracy-Bureaucracy Inertia and Superoridinate Goal
-Once a Bureaucracy is created, it takes on a life of its own
-Bureautic Inertia can become persive that it prevents the organization from making even benefical changes
-All organizations have their superordinate goals, or mission statement, in the beginning. But as time goes by, these goals can evolve into something rather different from their original ones
McDonaldization
1- Efficiency -Many jobs are designed to achieve the most efficient job
2- Calcuability- Thanks to technology, all aspects of businesses can be quantified and multiplied in great numbers
3- Predictability- You can predict how the food will taste, and you know what you are getting
4- Control- A person's every move and productivity at work can be monitored by electronic surveillance methods
Structural Functional Theory emphasizes that society is made up of many functional parts
-concludes that society needs social organizations and groups because they mostly provide positive functions for our daily lives and social activities
Conflict Theory focuses on the power relations in social groups and organizations
-Unequal treatment among social classes, race and gender, which results in social conflict, is what conflict theorist pays close attention to
Symbolic International Theory a micro leveled theory, unlike functional and conflict theory, which are macro level theories -emphasize how individuals feel about their groups and organizations by how they interpret their working environment and their working experience