Groups and Organization Flashcards
Aggregate:
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.
Authoritarian Leader:
A leader who issues orders and assigns tasks.
Bureaucracies:
Formal organizations characterized by a hierarchy of authority, a clear division of labor, explicit rules, and impersonality.
Category:
People who share similar characteristics but who are not connected in any way.
Clear Division Of Labor:
Each individual in a bureaucracy has a specialized task to perform.
Coercive Organizations:
Organizations that people do not voluntarily join, such as prison or a mental hospital.
Conformity:
The extent to which an individual complies with group or societal norms.
Democratic Leader:
A leader who encourages group participation and consensus-building before moving into action.
Dyad:
A two-member group.
Explicit Rule:
The types of rules in a bureaucracy; rules that are outlined, recorded, and standardized.
Expressive Function:
A group function that serves an emotional need.
Expressive Leader:
A leader who is concerned with process and with ensuring everyone’s emotional wellbeing.
Formal Organizations:
Large, impersonal organizations.
Group:
Any collection of at least two people who interact with some frequency and who share some sense of aligned identity.
Hierarchy Of Authority:
A clear chain of command found in a bureaucracy.
Impersonality:
The removal of personal feelings from a professional situation.
In-group:
A group a person belongs to, and feels is an integral part of his identity.
Instrumental Function:
Being oriented toward a task or goal.
Instrumental Leader:
A leader who is goal oriented with a primary focus on accomplishing tasks.
Iron Rule Of Oligarchy:
The theory that an organization is ruled by a few elites rather than through collaboration.
Laissez-faire Leader:
A hands-off leader who allows members of the group to make their own decisions.
Leadership Function:
The main focus or goal of a leader.
Leadership Style:
The style a leader uses to achieve goals or elicit action from group members.
McDonaldization Of Society:
The increasing presence of the fast-food business model in common social institutions.
Meritocracy:
A bureaucracy where membership and advancement are based on merit, proven and documented skills.
Normative/Voluntary Organizations:
Organizations that people join to pursue shared interests or because they provide some intangible rewards.
Out-group:
A group that an individual is not a member of, and may even compete with.
Primary Groups:
Small, informal groups of people who are closest to us.
Reference Groups:
Groups to which an individual compares themselves.
Secondary Groups:
Larger and more impersonal groups that are task-focused and time limited.
Total Institution:
An organization in which participants live a controlled lifestyle and in which total resocialization occurs.
Triad:
A three-member group.
Utilitarian Organizations:
Organizations that are joined to fill a specific material need.
