Chapter 06: Groups and Organization

Question 1

aggregate

Answer 1

a collection of people who exist in the same place at the same time, but who don’t
interact or share a sense of identity

Question 2

authoritarian leader

Answer 2

a leader who issues orders and assigns tasks

Question 3

bureaucracies

Answer 3

are formal organizations characterized by a hierarchy of authority, a clear division
of labor, explicit rules, and impersonality

Question 4

category

Answer 4

people who share similar characteristics but who are not connected in any way

Question 5

clear division of labor

Answer 5

refers to the fact that each individual in a bureaucracy has a specialized task to perform

Question 6

coercive organizations

Answer 6

are organizations that people do not voluntarily join, such as prison or a mental hospital

Question 7

conformity

Answer 7

the extent to which an individual complies with group or societal norms

Question 8

democratic leader

Answer 8

a leader who encourages group participation and consensus-building before
moving into action

Question 9

dyad

Answer 9

a two-member group

Question 10

explicit rules

Answer 10

the types of rules in a bureaucracy; rules that are outlined, recorded, and
standardized

Question 11

expressive function

Answer 11

a group function that serves an emotional need

Question 12

expressive leader

Answer 12

a leader who is concerned with process and with ensuring everyone’s emotional wellbeing

Question 13

formal organizations

Answer 13

large, impersonal organizations

Question 14

generalizability

Answer 14

the amount that information from a specific example can be generalized to apply to the overall population

Question 15

group

Answer 15

any collection of at least two people who interact with some frequency and who share some
sense of aligned identity

Question 16

hierarchy of authority

Answer 16

a clear chain of command found in a bureaucracy

Question 17

Iron Rule of Oligarchy

Answer 17

the theory that an organization is ruled by a few elites rather than through collaboration

Question 18

impersonality

Answer 18

the removal of personal feelings from a professional situation

Question 19

in-group

Answer 19

a group a person belongs to and feels is an integral part of his identity

Question 20

instrumental function

Answer 20

being oriented toward a task or goal

Question 21

instrumental leader

Answer 21

a leader who is goal oriented with a primary focus on accomplishing tasks

Question 22

laissez-faire leader

Answer 22

a hands-off leader who allows members of the group to make their own decisions

Question 23

leadership function

Answer 23

the main focus or goal of a leader

Question 24

leadership style

Answer 24

the style a leader uses to achieve goals or elicit action from group members

Question 25

McDonaldization

Answer 25

the increasing presence of the fast food business model in common social institutions

Question 26

meritocracy

Answer 26

a bureaucracy where membership and advancement is based on merit—proven and
documented skills

Question 27

normative or voluntary organizations

Answer 27

organizations that people join to pursue shared interests

or because they provide some intangible rewards

Question 28

out-group

Answer 28

a group that an individual is not a member of, and may even compete with

Question 29

primary groups

Answer 29

small, informal groups of people who are closest to us

Question 30

reference groups

Answer 30

groups to which an individual compares herself

Question 31

secondary groups

Answer 31

larger and more impersonal groups that are task-focused and time limited

Question 32

total institution

Answer 32

an organization in which participants live a controlled lifestyle and in which total
resocialization occurs

Question 33

triad

Answer 33

a three-member group

Question 34

utilitarian organizations

Answer 34

organizations that are joined to fill a specific material need