Sociology: Groups, Leadership, and Organizations

Vocabulary flashcards covering leadership styles, primary vs. secondary groups, formal organizations, group conformity, and features of bureaucracy.

Instrumental leadership

A leadership style that focuses on completing tasks.

Expressive leadership

A leadership style that focuses on a group's well-being.

Authoritarian leadership

A "take-charge" leadership style that demands obedience.

Democratic leadership

A leadership style that includes everyone in decision making.

Laissez-faire leadership

A leadership style that lets the group function mostly on its own.

Primary group

A social group that is small, personal, and lasting, such as family and close friends.

Secondary group

A social group that is large, impersonal, goal-oriented, and often of shorter duration, such as a college class or a corporation.

Characteristics of formal organizations

The six key traits of formal organizations: specialization, hierarchy of positions, rules and regulations, technical competence, impersonality, and formal, written communication.

Purpose of organizing formally

To maximize efficiency.

Group conformity

"Fitting in" by matching the behavior of those around you.

Features of bureaucracy

The structural elements of a bureaucracy, consisting of division of labor, hierarchy of authority, rules and procedures, and norm of impersonality.