...| Evolution of Formal Organizations | Alfredo A. Garcia Jr. | | Nicole Taylor | 1/15/2012 | In this article the evolution of formal organizations will be explained as well as other areas such as the differences in today’s organizations compared to a century ago. Also explained in this article are the current trends in formal organizations and some of the characteristics needed to change in to a formal organization. Concluding this article will determine if an organization is likely to evolve in the future. | In today’s society there are three major types of formal organizations. Amitai Etzioni (1975) recognized the three types’ of organizations by the motives societies took part in them: normative organizations, utilitarian organizations, and coercive organizations. The normative organization is a type of formal organization that a person works for to accomplish a goal. The utilitarian organization is the most common of the three formal organizations because of the fact that the utilitarian organization is the type of formal organization someone works for in order to make living. The third type of formal organization is the coercive organization, which is the type of organization that has involuntary membership. Various organizations are discovering that it is easier to become a flexible organization. Within the past century formal organizations have been evolving...
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...This research paper will help me explain what evolved trends formal organizations will likely have in the future. Since, the structure of formal organizations have a more conventional bureaucratic organizational they may profit in implementing a more flexible organizational structure. Some of the areas that I will investigate are: how formal organizations have evolved over the past century, the differences between formal and informal organizations, what are the current trends in formal organizations, and what are the characteristics needed for formal organizations to evolve. Formal Organizations Over The Past Century: Max Weber developed a typology of organizations from ancient China to modern industrial society, providing the foundation for the sociology of organizations. In particular, Weber was concerned with what he considered to be the most rational form of organization, the bureaucracy, and the authority embedded in it. Weber noted that bureaucracies, prior to industrialization, were large and efficient but were guided by the patrimonial culture and the ruling aristocracy. (In World of Sociology, 2001.) In past centuries formal organizations functioned under what is called conventional bureaucracy. The ideal typical model of Bureaucracy given by Max Weber is the milestone in understanding the functioning of modern government. The Weberian model categorically focuses on two dimensions (i)The Structural, relating to the hierarchical arrangement of positions...
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...Evolution of Formal Organizations UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX Introduction to Sociology SOC 120 Pamella Robinson November 12, 2011 Evolution of Formal Organizations Most people require socialization to obtain the sense of fitting in with other people. For this reason social groups are sometimes constructed. This is not always the case however, because some social groups, such as families are established without effort. These social groups consist of at least two or more people who relate to each other and interact together on a personal level, which may last for years and are more intimate than formal groups. People within the social group “share experiences, loyalties, and interests” (Macionis, 2006, p. 110) in an informal or casual way. The group is connected by common beliefs, experiences, and emotions. These types of groups can be distinguished from each other by the level of interpersonal interactions of its members. Some informal groups may develop into formal groups through reorganization or a separation of some members who want to establish a separate organization. This spin off group may see inconsistencies in the goals of the home group. For instance, the original group may not have a leader and when leadership questions arise it may cause a rift among members. This type of inconsistency may cause problems that affect future decisions of the group (Gulati & Puranam, 2009). Formal organizations are large and work together for a common goal. These...
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...Evolution of Formal Organizations Leah Talley-Ficklin SOC/120 October 16, 2011 Charles Baker When contrasting formal organizations, one must first understand that a formal organization typically began as a social group. According to Macionis, J. J. (2006), “A social group is two or more people who identify and interact with one another”. Within the social group category exists other groups; however; this paper focuses on primary groups and secondary groups. These groups are determined by the type of people, communication, focus, hierarchy, norms, membership criteria, and activities within it. A “primary group” is a relatively small group. The members of this group form a personal bond. Formed much like a family, the individuals identified within this group form long lasting relationships and spend an enormous amount of time together. The members display genuine care for one another. On the other hand, a “secondary group” is the opposite. Within this group, the members are impersonal. The group is ultimately formed to focus on obtaining a specific goal. Additionally, the members of this group refrain from sharing personal information amongst one another, and their emotional ties are relatively weaker than “primary groups”. Formal originations are a large branch of a “secondary group”. A century ago, most business organizations operated under the “primary group” era. People opted to form small businesses with family, friends, and neighbors. Today, businesses have evolved...
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...The Evolution of Formal Organizations Sociology SOC/210 The Evolutions of Formal Organizations The interesting thing about formal organizations is that there is not just one kind of formal organization. Formal organizations arise out of and are necessary to informal organization; but when formal organizations come into operation, they create and require informal organizations (Barnard, C. I. 1962). There are actually three forms of formal organizations. The first type of organization is a normative organization. This organization can be joined voluntarily out of a common interest and to perhaps gain some form of prestige. Next we have the coercive formal organization. These types of organizations people are actually forced to join into the organization. We then have utilitarian organizations; these organizations are joined voluntarily and will provide the member with material rewards. Most formal organizations will have their own forms of rules and regulations that members will have to follow to continue within an organization. Formal organizations are known to be systems with activities that are very carefully controlled. The modern day formal organizations are still very much structures much in a manner that incorporates more members of that organization. Organizations remain driven by repetitive practices that have worked for the organizations for years and therefore are rarely changed. Organizations are very driven to be proven as legitimate and want to have longevity...
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...Mainiero, L. and Tromley, C. Developing Managerial Skills in Organizational Behavior: Exercises, Cases, and Readings (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall) (2d ed. 1994), pp. 322-329. Evolution and Revolution as Organizations Grow Larry E. Greiner A small research company chooses too complicated and formalized an organization structure for its young age and limited size. It flounders in rigidity and bureaucracy for several years and is finally acquired by a larger company. Key executives of a retail store chain hold on to an organization structure long after it has served its purpose, because their power is derived from this structure. The company eventually goes into bankruptcy. A large bank disciplines a "rebellious" manager who is blamed for current control problems, when the underlying cause is centralized procedures that are holding back expansion into new markets. Many younger managers subsequently leave the bank, competition moves in, and profits are still declining. The problems of these companies, like those of many others, are rooted more in past decisions than in present events or outside market dynamics. Historical forces do indeed shape the future growth of organizations. Yet management, in its haste to grow, often overlooks such critical developmental questions as: Where has our organization been? Where is it now? And what do the answers to these questions mean for where we are going? Instead, its gaze is fixed outward toward the environment and the future--as if more...
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...STRATEGIC ORGANIZATION Vol 4(2): 201–211 DOI: 10.1177/1476127006064069 Copyright ©2006 Sage Publications (London,Thousand Oaks, CA and New Delhi) http://so.sagepub.com S O ! A P B OX E D I TO R I A L E S S AY S Why managers need an evolutionary theory of organizations Peter J. Richerson University of California–Davis, USA Dwight Collins Presidio School of Management, USA Russell M. Genet Orion Institute, USA Introduction Most observers have agreed that the theory of human behavior derived from the assumption of selfish rationality is inadequate to describe human behavior and human organizations (Rousseau et al., 1998). The issue is what other approach to theory building will provide an adequate theoretical toolkit for human behavior. We argue in this essay that evolutionary theory is the proper foundation for the human sciences, particularly a theory that includes an account of cultural evolution. This theory shows how the limited but real altruistic tendencies of humans arose by tribal-scale group selection on cultural norms followed by coevolutionary responses on the part of our genes. Our tribal social instincts in turn act as a moral hidden hand that makes human organizations possible. We introduce this theory and describe some implications of it for strategy and organization. In effect, managers want to control the cultural evolution of organizations so as to make them perform better. Understanding the tribal roots of our social instincts and the dynamic properties...
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...Evolution of Formal Organizations This research paper will help me explain what evolved trends formal organizations will likely have in the future. Since, the structure of formal organizations have a more conventional bureaucratic organizational they may profit in implementing a more flexible organizational structure. Some of the areas that I will investigate are: how formal organizations have evolved over the past century, the differences between formal and informal organizations, what are the current trends in formal organizations, and what are the characteristics needed for formal organizations to evolve. Formal Organizations Over The Past Century: Max Weber developed a typology of organizations from ancient China to modern industrial society, providing the foundation for the sociology of organizations. In particular, Weber was concerned with what he considered to be the most rational form of organization, the bureaucracy, and the authority embedded in it. Weber noted that bureaucracies, prior to industrialization, were large and efficient but were guided by the patrimonial culture and the ruling aristocracy. (In World of Sociology, 2001.) In past centuries formal organizations functioned under what is called conventional bureaucracy. The ideal typical model of Bureaucracy given by Max Weber is the milestone in understanding the functioning of modern government. The Weberian model categorically focuses on two dimensions (i)The Structural, relating to the hierarchical...
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... 1 The Evolution of Management Learning Objectives * Describe how the need to increase organizational efficiency and effectiveness has guided the evolution of management theory * Explain the principle of job specialization and division of labor, and tell why the study of person-task relationships is central to the pursuit of increased efficiency * Identify the principles of administration and organization that underlie effective organizations * Trace the change in theories about how managers should behave to motivate and control employees * Explain the contributions of management science to the efficient use of organizational resources * Explain why the study of the external environment and its impact on an organization has become a central issue in management thought. What is an Organization? * An organization is a collection of people who work together to achieve individual and organizational goals * Individual goals * Organizational goals What is Organizational Behavior? 2 * Organizational behavior (OB): the study of factors that have an impact on how people and groups act, think, feel, and respond to work and organizations, and how organizations respond to their environments. What is Management...
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...Project Management 1. Introduction As a discipline and professional subject, project management has gained unprecedented prevalence throughout the world as a consequence of its role in assisting the organization to efficiently utilize limited resources, resolving sophisticated technology and enhancing its survive in the increasingly competitive market. Specifically, implementing project management techniques assists the organization in curtailing the overheads costs, satisfying project deadlines and customizing the project workplace and so forth. Some 4500 years ago, projects had been undertaken with the pyramids construction by the ancient Egyptians, but it is universally accepted that the period of 1950s is an indication of the arrival of modern management era and the commencement of utilizing formal project management tools and techniques (Awan, 2010). Economic pressures of the industrialized world, competition between rival companies and greater regard for the value, well-being and hence the employment costs of working people have all contributed to the development of new project management ideas and techniques. The purpose of this essay is to identify the major developments in the domain of project management over the past five decades and to explain how these historical developments influence the understanding of modern project management. 2. Crucial Developments in the Field of PM and Repercussions on Understanding Modern Project Management Prior to 1950s...
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...develop each worker. 3) Cooperate with workers and provide an incentive to insure that the work is done according to the one best way. 4) Divide the work and the responsibility equally between management and labor (Evolution Management). Classical management theories are broadly grounded in the assumption that work is a rational undertaking that is done in order to make money and given that, the behavior of people at work will be fairly predictable and easy to understand. The trouble is that isn’t always true. Work often isn’t a rational, logical or reasonable process and to many people, work is more than just a means of making money (Evolution Management). The behavioral approach in the early 1900’s is a view of management that stresses understanding the importance of people’s needs and attitudes within formal organizations. The experiment by Professor Elton Mayo at the Electric’s Hawthorns Plants by changes in lighting, numbers of hours the employee worked, rest periods and incentive pay and hot lunches, workers were feeling more adequate and valued by their coworkers and supervisors. The experiment showed good social relationships in the work place which produce positive output and result. System approach which began in the 1930’s to 1940’s views organizations as sets of interrelated parts to be managed as a whole with the purpose of achieving a common goal. It consists of inputs, transformation process, outputs and feedback. W. Edwards...
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... The historical evolution of the four Advance Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) roles date back as early as the 1860s when nurses were administering chloroform anesthesia during the Civil War (Cockerham & Keeling). During the nineteenth century lay midwives were delivering babies without any nursing education, and the first program for psychiatric nursing in America had opened its’ doors (Cockerham & Keeling, 2014). This specialty paved the way for Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs). Around the same time the Henry Street Settlement opened its’ doors, and public health nurses started providing primary care to the poor (Cockerham & Keeling, 2014). These nurses and lay midwives were practicing based on skills taught in the fields, because there were no formal education programs at that time for the APRN specialties. During the twentieth century, schools started opening and offering specialty nursing programs for the four Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) roles: Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesists (CRNAs), Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs), Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs), and Nurse Practitioners (NP). This was also the time when nursing organizations were being formed including: the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA), the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF), the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM), and the Council of Clinical Nurse Specialists (CCNS). These organizations united each specialty...
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...cultural values) of an organization. It has been defined as "the specific collection of values and norms that are shared by people and groups in an organization and that control the way they interact with each other." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organizational%5Fculture) Organizational behavior is an academic discipline concerned with describing, understanding, predicting, and controlling human behavior in an organizational environment. Organizational behavior has evolved from early classical management theories into a complex school of thought—and it continues to change in response to the dynamic environment and proliferating corporate cultures in which today's businesses operate. (http://www.answers.com/topic/organizational-behavior). Diversity - The fact or quality of being diverse; difference. A point or respect in which things differ. Variety or multiformity: "Charles Darwin saw in the diversity of species the principles of evolution that operated to generate the species: variation, competition and selection" (http://www.answers.com/topic/diversity). Informal and Formal Communication are used in an organization. Informal communication: Informal communication, generally associated with interpersonal, horizontal communication, was primarily seen as a potential hindrance to effective organizational performance. This is no longer the case. Informal communication has become more important to ensuring the effective conduct of work in modern organizations. (http://en.wikipedia...
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...chapter two The Evolution of Management Thought McGraw-Hill/Irwin Contemporary Management, 5/e Copyright © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserv The Evolution of Management Theory 2-2 Scientific Management Theory Evolution of modern management began towards end 19th century due to the outcome of the industrial revolution 2-3 Steam Engine by Watt (1763) 2-4 Spinning Jenny by Hargreaves (1764) 2-5 Job Specialization and the Division of Labor Adam Smith (18th century economist) – Observed that firms manufactured pins in one of two different ways: - Craft-style—each worker did all 18 steps/ tasks. - Production—each worker specialized in one step/ task. 2-6 Job Specialization and the Division of Labor • Job Specialization – process by which a division of labor occurs as different workers specialize in specific tasks over time 2-7 Job Specialization and the Division of Labor • Workers who specialized became much more skilled at their specific tasks • Increasing job specialization increases efficiency and leads to higher organizational performance 2-8 F.W. Taylor and Scientific Management Scientific Management The systematic study of the relationships between people and tasks for the purpose of redesigning the work process to increase efficiency. 2-9 F.W. Taylor (1865-1915) US Mechanical Engineer & Consultant 2-10 Four Principles of Scientific Management 1) Study the way workers perform...
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... there are numerous groups and organizations. There are many social groups that people belong to as well as formal organizations. Formal organizations are groups that are combined to achieve their goals. These groups are usually secondary and can be identified in three different types. Compared to formal organizations a century ago, there has been much evolvement. There are many trends in the formal organizations today and many different characteristics. There are three types of formal organizations that need to be considered. The first type is the Utilitarian organization. This is the most common type. The majority of people in the world will choose to join one of these organizations in their lifetime. This is the organization one will join if an income in being made. Being a member of this type of organization has the purpose of making a living. The second type is the normative organization. This is an organization that someone joins to serve a purpose. According to Macionis (2005), “People join normative organizations not for income but to pursue some goal they think is morally worthwhile.” (p. 119). This type can also be known as a volunteer group. The final type of formal organization is the coercive organization. These are the groups that others are forced to join such as a prison or hospital. It is very important to realize that any formal organization can meet the characteristics of one or all of these types. Formal organizations have been around for many years...
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