Organizational Structures and Deviance

These flashcards cover key concepts related to organizational structures, deviance, and their implications in various settings.

Organization

Social structures created by individuals to support the collaborative pursuit of specified goals.

Power Bureaucracy

Power concentrated in the hands of unelected individuals where rules supersede rights.

Exploitation

The act of exploiting resources, such as natural resources belonging to a country, for personal profit.

Alienation

A condition where over-conformity stunts human development, leading to a commercialization of human feelings.

Rational System

Organizations that pursue relatively specific goals and have highly formalized social structures, such as bureaucracies.

Natural System

Collectives or groups pursuing multiple interests, valued for their importance as resources, often more informal with complex goals.

Open System

A less-organized collection of people embedded in a wider environment with weak connections and autonomous behavior.

Normalization of Deviance

The process by which behavior that deviates from the norm becomes normalized within an organization, leading to disastrous decisions.

Structural Secrecy

Patterns of information flow that undermine the ability to interpret situations within organizations, leading to miscommunication.

Agency Relationships

A relationship where an individual or organization is authorized to act on behalf of another, often creating inherent conflicts.

Organization

Social structures created by individuals to support the collaborative pursuit of specified goals.

Power Bureaucracy

Power concentrated in the hands of unelected individuals where rules supersede rights.

Exploitation

The act of exploiting resources, such as natural resources belonging to a country, for personal profit.

Alienation

A condition where over-conformity stunts human development, leading to a commercialization of human feelings.

Rational System

Organizations that pursue relatively specific goals and have highly formalized social structures, such as bureaucracies.

Natural System

Collectives or groups pursuing multiple interests, valued for their importance as resources, often more informal with complex goals.

Open System

A less-organized collection of people embedded in a wider environment with weak connections and autonomous behavior.

Normalization of Deviance

The process by which behavior that deviates from the norm becomes normalized within an organization, leading to disastrous decisions.

Structural Secrecy

Patterns of information flow that undermine the ability to interpret situations within organizations, leading to miscommunication.

Agency Relationships

A relationship where an individual or organization is authorized to act on behalf of another, often creating inherent conflicts.

What does Scott mean by the ubiquity of organizations?

Organizations are everywhere in modern society and carry out most major social functions.

Why are organizations central to modern life?

They allow large-scale coordination of people and resources to accomplish complex tasks.

What is a formal organization?

A deliberately designed social structure created to achieve specific goals.

Name two features of a formal organization.

Defined roles, hierarchy, rules, division of labor, explicit goals (any two).

What does division of labor mean in organizations?

Tasks are split into specialized roles to increase efficiency and coordination.

What does Scott mean by organizations having durability?

They are designed to persist over time, even as members come and go.

What is reliability in organizations?

The ability to perform tasks consistently using routines and procedures.

What does accountability mean in organizations?

Actions are recorded, justified, and governed by rules and legal standards.

Which three words summarize the key capacities of organizations?

Durability, Reliability, Accountability.

What are common interests in organizations?

Shared goals that help keep the organization functioning.

What are divergent interests in organizations?

Conflicting goals or priorities among members or groups.

True or False: Organizations are always unified and conflict-free.

False.

Why does Scott say organizations are not just technical systems?

Because they are also social and political systems involving power and negotiation.

What does it mean that organizations have boundaries?

There are clear distinctions between members and nonmembers.

What is the individual level of analysis?

Studying behavior, motivation, and roles of individuals in organizations.

What is the group level of analysis?

Studying teams, departments, or subunits within organizations.

What is the organizational level of analysis?

Studying the organization as a whole — structure, hierarchy, culture.

What is the environmental/field level of analysis?

Studying relationships between organizations and their external environment.

True or False: One level of analysis is enough to fully understand organizations.

False.

According to Scott, why do organizations rely on rules and procedures?

To increase coordination, reliability, and accountability.

What distinguishes a formal organization from a friend group?

Formal organizations are intentionally structured with goals, rules, and roles.

Why can organizational reliability sometimes be a weakness?

It can make organizations rigid and slow to adapt to change.

What kind of system does Scott say organizations are — closed or open?

Open systems influenced by their environments.

What is one example of divergent interests inside an organization?

Managers vs workers, or departments competing for resources.

Why do organizations need accountability?

To justify actions, maintain legitimacy, and operate within legal systems.