Theme : organization structures. Ecologies. Matrix organization

Informal organizations
In contrast to the appointed head or chief of an administrative unit , a leader emerges within the context of the informal organization that underlies the formal structure . the informal organization exprisses the personal objectives and goals of the individual membership . their objectives and goals my not coincide with those of the formal organization . the informal organization represents and extension of the social structures that generally charactirezi human nife - the spontaneous emergence of groups and organizatsions as ends in themselves . In prexistoric times , man was preoccupied with his personal security , maintenance , protection , and survival .

Now man spends a mojor portion of his waking hours working for organizations . His need to identify with a community that provides security , protection , maintenance , and a feeling of belonging continues unchanged from prefistoric times . This ned is med by the informal organization and its emergend , or unofficial , leaders . Leaders emerge from withen the structure of the informal organization . Their personal qualities , the demands of the situation , or a combinations of these and other factors attract followers who accept their leadership within one or several overlay structures . Instead of the authority of position held by and appointed head or chief , the emergend leader wields influence or power . Influence is the ability of a person to gain cooperation from others by means of persuasion or control over rewards . Pover is a stronger form of influence because it reflects a person`s ability to enforce action through the control of a means of punishment .

The interplay between formal and informal
Organizations
As most organizations operate through a mix of formal and informal mechanisms , organization science scholars have paid attention to type of interplay between formal and informal organizarions . On the one hand , some have argued that formal and informal organizations operate as substitutes as one type of organization would decrease the advantages of using the other one . for instance , if parties trust each other the use of a formal contract is unicessary or even detrimental to the relationship . On the other hand , other scholars have suggested that formal and informal organizations can complement each otper . For instance , formal mechanisms of control can pave the way for the development of relational norms .


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