Sociology Ch.6
Terms
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- Alienation
- A condition of estrangement or dissociation from the surrounding society
- Bureaucracy
- A component of formal organization that uses rules and hierarchical ranking to achieve efficiency
- Bureaucratization
- The process by which a group, organization, or social movement becomes increasingly bureaucratic
- Classical theory
- An approach to the study of formal organizations that views workers as being motivated almost entirely by economic rewards.
- Coalition
- A tmoprary or permanent alliance geared toward a common goal.
- Dyad
- A two-member group
- Focus group
- A group of 10 to 15 people assembled by a researher to discuss a predetermined topic, guided by a moderator.
- Formal organization
- A group designed for a special purpose and structured for maximum efficiency
- Goal displacement
- Overzealous conformity to official regulations of a bureaucracy
- Goal multiplication
- The process through which an organization expands its purpose
- Goal succession
- The process through whcih an organization identifies an entirely new objective because its traditional goals have been realized or denied
- Group
- Any number of people with similar norms, values, adn epectations who interact with one another on a regular basis.
- Human relations approach
- An approach to the study of formal oranizations that empasizes the role people, communiciation, and participation within a bureauracy and tends to focus on the informal structure of the organization.
- Ideal type
- A construct or model that serves as a standard for evaluating specific cases.
- In-group
- Any group or category to which people feel they belong.
- Iron law of loigarhy
- A principle of organizational life under which even democratic organizations will develop into bureauracies ruled by a few individuals.
- Labor union
- Organized workers who share either the same skill or the same employer
- McDonaldiation
- The proess by which the principles of the fast-food restaurant industry have come to dominate certain sectors of society, both in the United States and throughout the world.
- Out-group
- A group or category to which people fel they do not belong
- Peter principle
- A principle of organizational life according to which each individual within a hierrchy tends to rise to his or her level of icompetence.
- Primary group
- A small group characterized by intimate face-to-face association and cooperation
- Reference group
- Any group that individuals use as a standard for evaluating themselves adn their own behavior.
- Scientific management approach
- Another name for the classical theory of formal organiations.
- Secondary group
- A formal, impersonal group in which there is little social intimacy or mutual understanding
- Small group
- A group small enough for all members to interact simultaneously-that is, to talk ith one another or at least be well acquainted.
- Telecommuter
- An employee who works full-time or part-time at home rather than in an outside office and who is lined to supervisor and coleagues through computer terminals, phone lines, and fax machines.
- Trained incapacity
- The tendency of workers in a bureaucracy to become so specialized that they develop blind spots and fail to notice obvious problems.
- Triad
- A three-memeber group
- Voluntary association
- An organization established on the basis of common interest, whose memebers volunteer or even pay to participate.