The influence of formal and informal organizations on company performance. Signs of an organization

The activities of managers are carried out in the organization. From the variety of definitions of the concept “organization,” the following can be distinguished:

– organization as a process through which the structure of a managed or control system is created and maintained;

– organization as a set of relationships, rights, responsibilities, goals, roles, activities that take place in the process of joint work;

– an organization as a group of people with common goals.

A group must meet several mandatory requirements to be considered an organization: the presence of at least two people who consider themselves part of this group; the presence of at least one goal that is accepted as common by all members of a given group; having group members who intentionally work together to achieve a goal that is meaningful to everyone.

There are formal and informal organizations. A formal organization is a group of people whose activities are consciously coordinated to achieve common goal or goals. An informal organization is a spontaneously emerging group of people who interact with each other quite regularly. Informal organizations exist in all formal organizations, with very minor exceptions. To ensure that informal organizations do not oppose the main activities of the organization, it is necessary:

1) the manager must agree and accept the fact that the informal organization exists;

2) informal organization can be valuable in helping a manager achieve his goals;

3) identify informal leaders and manage them;

4) try to combine the goals of the informal and formal organization;

5) the manager must agree that no matter what he does, informal organizations continue to exist.

The reasons that encourage people to enter into informal relationships can be grouped as follows:

1) a sense of belonging. Satisfying the need for a sense of belonging is one of our most powerful emotional needs. Since most formal organizations deprive people of opportunities for social contacts, employees turn to informal organizations to gain these contacts;

2) mutual assistance. You can ask your formal boss for help, but many employees prefer to resort to the help of their colleagues;

3) protection. An important reason for joining an informal organization is the perceived need for protection;

4) communication. In many formal organizations, the system of internal contacts is rather weak, sometimes management deliberately hides certain information from their subordinates, access to informal information (rumors) is possible only in an informal organization;

5) sympathy. People often join formal groups in order to be closer to the one they like.

Informal organizations may be similar and dissimilar to formal organizations at the same time. It is possible to identify features that characterize informal organizations:

1) social control. Informal organizations exercise social control over their members. It is about establishing and reinforcing norms—group standards for acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Those who violate these norms will face alienation. The manager in this regard should be aware that the social control exercised by the informal organization can have a positive impact on the achievement of the goals of the formal organization;

2) resistance to change. In informal organizations there is always a tendency to resist change. This is partly due to the fact that change may pose a threat to the continued existence of the informal organization;

3) informal leaders. Informal organizations also have their leaders. Their difference from formal ones is that the leader of a formal organization has support in the form of official powers delegated to him and acts in the specific functional area assigned to him. An informal leader performs two primary functions: helps the group achieve its goals, supports and strengthens its existence.

The existence of informal groups in an organization is normal. Such groups most often strengthen the workforce, and the formal head of the organization should support them.

All organizations have a number of common characteristics, presented in Fig. 3.1.1. One of the most significant characteristics organization is its relationship with the external environment, dependence on the external environment. No organization can function in isolation, regardless of external reference points. Organizations are completely dependent on the world around them - on the external environment - both in relation to their resources and in relation to consumers, users of their results, which they strive to achieve.

The purpose of any organization involves transforming resources to achieve results. Main resources used

organization is people ( human resources), capital, materials, technology and information.

Rice. 3.1.1. General characteristics organizations

The division of labor, of all work, into its component components is called horizontal division of labor. Horizontally, labor is divided, as a rule, according to functional, product-industry and qualification characteristics. The functional division of labor is reflected primarily in the specialization of workers by type of activity. In this case, individual functions are isolated and appropriate employees are allocated to perform them. The division of labor by product and industry is associated with specialization and restrictions in the performance of specific labor operations and procedures. The qualification division of labor is based on the fact that when determining types labor activity based on the complexity of the work and the qualifications required to perform it. In such a case, the principle that no highly qualified worker should do work that can be done by a lesser qualified worker should not be violated. Violation of this principle increases the cost of work and leads to waste of human resources.

Vertical division of labor. Because work in an organization is divided into component parts, someone must coordinate the group's work in order for it to be successful. In a larger plan, the vertical division of labor is carried out in the following areas: general management – development and implementation of the main, promising directions of the organization’s activities; technological management – development and implementation of advanced technologies; economic management – strategic and tactical planning, analysis economic activity organization, introduction of cost accounting and ensuring profitable work; operational management - drawing up and communicating operational plans to micro-teams and individual performers, assigning performers to work places, instructing them, organizing systematic monitoring of progress and quantity production process; personnel management – selection, placement and development of the organization’s labor resources.

Complex organizations achieve clear horizontal divisions by creating units that perform specific tasks and achieve specific specific goals. Such units are often called departments or services. Like the entire organization of which they are a part, units are groups of people whose activities are consciously directed and coordinated to achieve a common goal.

In order for an organization to achieve its goals, tasks must be coordinated through a vertical division of labor. Therefore, management is an essential activity for an organization.

According to the concept life cycle An organization's activities go through five main stages.

Birth of the organization: the main objective is about survival; management is carried out by one person; The main goal is to enter the market.

Childhood and youth: the main goal is to make a profit in the short term and accelerate growth; leadership style is tough; the main task is to strengthen positions and capture the market; the task in the field of labor organization is profit planning, increasing wages, providing various benefits to staff.

Maturity: the main goal is systematic balanced growth, the formation of an individual image; the effect of leadership is achieved through delegation of authority; main goal is growth different directions activity, market conquest; the task in the field of labor organization is the division and cooperation of labor, bonuses for individual results.

Aging organization: the main goal is to maintain the achieved results; the effect of leadership is achieved through coordination of actions; The main task is to ensure stability, free labor organization, and participation in profits.

Revival or disappearance: the main goal is to ensure vitality in all functions; the growth of the organization is achieved through staff cohesion and collectivism; The main task is rejuvenation, the introduction of an innovative mechanism, scientific organization of labor and collective bonuses.

Depending on the legal form, the following types of organizations are distinguished: commercial organizations, non-profit organizations, business partnerships and societies, production cooperatives, unitary enterprises, state enterprises.

Legal entities are differentiated by purpose of activity into commercial and non-profit organizations.

Commercial organization is an entrepreneurial education that pursues profit as the main goal of its activities. Non-profit organization is an entity that does not have profit as the goal of its activities and does not distribute the profits among its participants. It can be represented by public and religious organizations, institutions, consumer cooperatives and charitable foundations, various unions and associations of legal entities.

Business partnerships and societies– commercial organizations with authorized capital divided into shares of founders. Business partnerships can be created in the form of a general partnership and limited partnership. Business companies can be created in the form of a joint stock company, a limited or additional liability company. In partnerships and societies, the funds and efforts of their participants are combined to achieve a common economic goal.

Partnerships are characterized by closer personal relationships between the participants; these are most often associations of persons in which the personal qualities of the participants are of decisive importance. In societies, the combination of capital is in the foreground, and the personal qualities of the participants are not of decisive importance.

A partnership is recognized as a full partnership, the participants of which (general partners), in accordance with the agreement concluded between them, are engaged in entrepreneurial activities on behalf of the partnership and are liable for its obligations with the property belonging to them.

Partnership of Faith(limited partnership) - a partnership in which, together with the participants carrying out entrepreneurial activities on behalf of the partnership and being liable for the obligations of the partnership with their property, there are one or more participant-investors (command partners) who bear the risk of losses associated with the activities of the partnership, within the amounts contributions made by them and do not take part in the partnership’s business activities.

Limited Liability Company established by one or more persons. The authorized capital is divided into shares, which are determined in the constituent agreement.

Participants in a limited liability company are not liable for its obligations and bear the risk of losses associated with the activities of the company, within the limits of the value of their contributions.

Additional liability company– established by one or more persons, the authorized capital is divided into shares determined by the constituent documents. The participants of such a company jointly and severally bear subsidiary liability for its obligations with their property in the same multiple of the value of their contributions, determined by the constituent documents of the company.

Joint-Stock Company– a company whose authorized capital is divided into a certain number of shares. Participants in a joint stock company are not liable for its obligations and bear the risk of losses associated with the company's activities, within the limits of the value of the shares they own.

Joint stock companies can be open and closed type. A joint stock company, the participants of which can alienate the shares they own without the consent of other shareholders, are open joint stock companies. A joint stock company, the shares of which are distributed only among its founders or other predetermined circle of persons, is recognized as a closed joint stock company.

Subsidiaries and dependent companies. A business company is a subsidiary if the main business company with a predominant participation in the authorized capital has the opportunity to determine the decisions made by such company. The main company can influence the affairs of its subsidiary in two ways: a) give general directions of activity without interfering in specific transactions, b) give mandatory instructions on specific transactions. A dependent business company is such if another (dominant) company has more than twenty percent of the voting shares of a joint stock company or twenty percent of the authorized capital of a limited liability company.

Production cooperative– a voluntary association of citizens on the basis of membership for joint production activities.

Unitary enterprise- a commercial organization that is not vested with the right of ownership to the property assigned to it by the owner. The property of a unitary enterprise is indivisible. Only state or municipal enterprises can be unitary. A unitary enterprise can be based on the right of economic management or on the right of economic management.

Public entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship as a special form of economic activity can be carried out both in the private and public sectors. Private business structures and entrepreneurs either arise during the privatization or denationalization of former state and municipal enterprises, or are created by private legal entities and individuals. Organizations may have representative offices and branches. The representative office is separate division legal entity located outside its location, which represents the interests of the legal entity and protects them. A branch is a separate division of a legal entity located outside its location and performing all or part of its functions, including the functions of a representative office. Representative offices and branches are not legal entities. They are endowed with the property of the legal entity that created them and act on the basis of the provisions approved by it. Commercial organizations, in order to coordinate their business activities, as well as to represent and protect common property interests, may, by agreement among themselves, create associations in the form of associations or unions that are non-profit organizations.

Output of the tutorial:

Repina E.A., Anopchenko T.Yu., Volodin R.S., Management. Tutorial[Text, tables] / Southern Federal University. – Rostov n/d.: Publishing house AkademLit, 2015, –316 p.

Any organization can be described using a number of parameters: purpose, legal and regulatory framework, resources, processes and structure, division of labor and distribution of roles, external environment etc. In accordance with this, the entire variety of organizations is divided into classes and types.

Based on the formalization criterion, the following are distinguished:

Formal organizations that have clearly defined goals, formalized rules, structure and relationships;

Informal organizations operating without clearly defined goals, rules and structures.

To the group formal organizations includes all business organizations, state and international institutions and bodies. They register V state bodies in the manner prescribed by law and may have the status of a legal or non-legal entity. Their main function is to perform specific tasks and achieve the goals of the organization. Relationships between people are regulated various kinds regulatory documents: laws, regulations, orders, instructions, etc.

To informal organizations include all institutions of family, friendship, informal relationships between people. They are not registered in government agency. These organizations are created on the basis of common interests in the field of culture, everyday life, sports, etc. They have a leader and do not conduct financial economic activity aimed at obtaining material profit. Informal groups that unite people from different departments and workshops often appear within formal organizations. This is a natural process that occurs when the standard development of communications lags behind the development of technology and the professionalism of personnel in the organization. Relations between members of such a group are formed

are decided on the basis of personal sympathies. Group members are bound by a commonality of views, inclinations and interests.

Informal groups exist in every organization. They invariably “grow” out of friendly relations and relationships not defined by an organizational chart. It is important for an organization that informal groups do not dominate. Informal organizations can be both similar and different from formal organizations. Therefore, we can identify features that characterize informal organizations.

1. Social control. Informal organizations exercise social control over their members. We are talking about establishing and strengthening norms - group standards of acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Naturally, those who violate these norms will face alienation. The manager should be aware that the social control exercised by the informal organization can have a positive impact on the achievement of the goals of the formal organization.

2. Resistance to change. In informal organizations there is always a tendency to resist change. This is partly due to the fact that change may pose a threat to the continued existence of the informal organization.

3. Informal leaders. Informal organizations also have their leaders. Their difference from formal ones is that the leader of a formal organization has support in the form of official powers delegated to him and acts in the specific functional area assigned to him. The support of an informal leader is his recognition by the group. The sphere of influence of an informal leader may extend beyond the administrative boundaries of the formal organization. An informal leader performs two primary functions: helps the group achieve its goals, supports and strengthens its existence.

The ways in which an informal group influences the activities of an organization are as follows:

Informal communication (the so-called secret telegraph). No news is transmitted as quickly as through informal channels. This is one of the ways in which an informal group exercises its power (informal communication);

The ability to act or not act. In management practice there are many examples when organizations were brought to their knees by unauthorized management;

Unauthorized establishment of production standards. This is one of the ways informal groups negatively influence people. However, some organizations can be saved thanks to this method, since informal groups are able to work more diligently than established by the norms. The bottom line is that an informal group can work both to advance the organization and to slow down its development. The manager's job is to minimize the influence of these groups and channel their power.

The reasons that encourage people to enter into informal relationships are:

1) a sense of belonging. Satisfying the need for a sense of belonging is one of our most powerful emotional needs;

2) mutual assistance. Naturally, you can turn to your formal boss for help. However, some believe that their boss may think badly of them (the principle “don’t create problems for your boss” comes into play here), others are afraid of his criticism, etc. In these and other cases, people often prefer to resort to the help of their colleagues;

3) protection. People have always known that strength lies in unity. Therefore important reason joining an informal organization is a conscious need for protection;

4) communication. People want to know what is happening around them. Since in many formal organizations the system of internal contacts is rather weak, and sometimes management deliberately hides certain information from their subordinates, access to informal receipt of information (rumours) is possible only in an informal organization;

5) sympathy. People often join informal groups simply to be closer to those they like.

Thus, informal organization can work both for and against the manager. How to make her work for the manager? To do this, the manager must:

Agree and accept the fact that an informal organization exists;

Try to understand how informal organization can be valuable in helping to achieve a manager's goals;

Identify informal leaders and manage them;

Combine the goals of informal and formal organizations;

Realize and accept that no matter what he does, informal organizations continue to exist.

The influence of informal relationships can be controlled, but to achieve this, the manager must have a clear understanding of how and why the informal organization functions. When a manager has a basic motivation for the functioning of an informal group, then he has the opportunity to develop an appropriate behavioral strategy. The existence of informal groups in an organization is quite normal. Such groups most often strengthen the workforce, and the formal head of the organization should support them.

End of work -

This topic belongs to the section:

Lectures on the course theory of organization. Organization as a system

Compiled by KT, Associate Professor, Department of Construction Management.. Shevchenko L.. Lecture..

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All topics in this section:

Concept of organization and organizational phenomenon
Every person is connected with organizations in one way or another throughout his life. There are no organizations without people, just as there are no people who do not have to deal with organizations.

System foundations of the organization
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Systems and subsystems
There are some general principles for a unified platform for studying technical, biological and social systems. Let's take a closer look at some general properties

si
Social organization

1.1. Social system: main components and levels Social is a system that includes a person or which is intended for a person.
Social organization as a social system

Social organizations bring together the activities of people in society. The interaction of people through socialization creates the conditions and prerequisites for improving social and industrial relations
Goals of social organizations

Types of social organizations Goals 1. Socio-economic Main goal: obtaining maximum profit in interest
The influence of the level of connections on the state of organizations

Social connections Economic connections Weak Average Strong Weak Neutral
State and municipal organizations

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I exist

Evolution of socio-economic systems
Adaptation of a socio-economic system is not just an adaptation, but always a development along the path of system differentiation, aimed at achieving maximum stability of the system.

Basic individual organizational forms of organizations
Single organizational forms include organizations representing one legal entity. The name of the organizational form is determined by the type of products produced: goods, services, information

Basic group organizational forms of organizations
Let us consider the organization as the basic unit of a market economy where management decisions are made.

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Control system

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Self-government and self-organization

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Communications and stages of contradictions

Communication in a broad sense refers to communication, the transfer of information from person to person. In an organizational context, the concept of “communication” is considered as a process
Formation of the science of organization

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Law of Synergy

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(known as under Le Chatelier), but in reality
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The management of an organization feels satisfaction when the organization continues to exist as a single whole. However, almost always the stereotypes of behavior and attitudes of organization members deviate far from the formal plan of the organization's leaders. Informal groups that form in an organization can, under certain conditions, become dominant. Middle managers need to reconcile the demands of informal groups in the organization with the demands of the management apparatus above them. This need

encourages managers to search for non-standard methods of managing people

or use existing techniques more effectively to harness the potential benefits and reduce the negative impact of informal groups.

Formal groups- These are groups created at the will of the leadership.

There are leadership groups, working (target) groups and committees.

Leadership group consists of the manager and his immediate subordinates located in his area of control (president and vice presidents).
Working(target) group - employees working on one task.
Committee- a group within an organization to which authority has been delegated to perform a task or set of tasks. Sometimes committees are called councils, commissions, or task forces. There are permanent and special committees.

Informal group- a spontaneously emerging group of people who regularly interact to achieve a specific goal. Reasons for joining are a sense of belonging, help, protection, communication.

Informal organizations monitor their members. Usually there are certain norms that each member of the group must comply with. In informal organizations there is a tendency to resist change. Typically, an informal organization is headed by an informal leader. The informal leader must help the group achieve its goals and maintain its existence.

On effectiveness of formal and informal groups the same factors influence:

Band size. As the group grows larger, communication between members becomes more difficult. In addition, informal groups with their own goals may arise within the group. In small groups (of 2 - 3 people), people feel personal responsibility for making a certain decision. Think that optimal size groups 5 - 11 people.
Compound(or the degree of similarity of personalities, points of view, approaches). It is believed that the most optimal decisions can be made by groups consisting of people who are in different positions (i.e., dissimilar people).
Group norms. A person who wants to be accepted by a group must comply with certain group norms. (Positive norms are norms that support behavior aimed at achieving goals. Negative norms are norms that encourage behavior that does not contribute to achieving goals, such as theft, tardiness, absenteeism, drinking alcohol in the workplace, etc.).
Cohesion. It is considered as a measure of the gravitation of group members towards each other and towards the group. A high level of group cohesion can improve the functioning of the entire organization.
Group like-mindedness. This is the tendency of an individual to suppress his views on some phenomenon in order not to disturb the harmony of the group.
Conflict. Differences in opinion increase the likelihood of conflict. The consequences of conflict can be positive because they allow different points of view to be brought to light (this leads to increased group effectiveness). Negative consequences include a decrease in the effectiveness of the group: a poor state of mind, a low degree of cooperation, a shift in emphasis (giving more attention to one’s “victory” in a conflict rather than solving the real problem).
Group member status. It is determined by seniority in the job hierarchy, job title, education, experience, awareness, etc. Typically, group members with high status have greater influence on other group members. It is desirable that the opinion of high-status group members not be dominant in the group.

Formal groups usually highlighted as structural units In the organisation. They have a formally appointed leader, a formally defined structure of roles, positions and positions within the company, as well as formally assigned functions and tasks.

A formal group has the following features:

it is rational, i.e. it is based on the principle of expediency, conscious movement towards a known goal;
it is impersonal, i.e. designed for individuals, the relationships between whom are established according to a drawn-up program.

In a formal group, only service connections between individuals are provided, and it is subordinated only to functional goals.

Formal groups include:

Vertical organization, uniting a number of bodies and a unit in such a way that each of them is located between two others - higher and lower, and the leadership of each of the bodies and units is concentrated in one person.
Functional organization, according to which management is distributed among a number of individuals specializing in performing certain functions and jobs.
Headquarters organization, characterized by the presence of a headquarters of advisers, experts, and assistants who are not included in the system of vertical organization.

Formal groups can be formed to perform a regular function, such as accounting, or they can be created to solve a specific task, for example, a commission for the development of a project.

Informal groups are created not by orders of the leadership of the organization and formal regulations, but by members of this organization in accordance with their mutual sympathies, common interests, identical hobbies and habits. These groups exist in all companies, although they are not presented in diagrams reflecting the structure of the organization and its structure.

Informal groups usually have their own unwritten rules and norms of behavior; people know well who is in their informal group and who is not. In informal groups, a certain distribution of roles and positions develops. Usually these groups have an explicit or implicit leader. In many cases, informal groups can exert equal or greater influence on their members than formal structures.

Informal groups are a spontaneously (spontaneously) formed system of social connections, norms, and actions that are the product of more or less long-term interpersonal communication.

Depending on the style of behavior, informal groups can be classified as follows:

Prosocial, i.e. socially positive groups. This socio-political international friendship clubs, social initiative funds, groups for environmental protection and rescue of cultural monuments, club amateur associations, etc. They, as a rule, have a positive orientation.
Antisocial, i.e. groups that stand apart from social problems.
Antisocial. These groups are the most disadvantaged part of society and cause concern. On the one hand, moral deafness, the inability to understand others, a different point of view, on the other hand, often the own pain and suffering that befalls this category of people contribute to the development of extreme views among its individual representatives.

Characteristics of an informal group

The life of a group and its functioning is influenced by three factors:

characteristics of group members;
structural characteristics of the group;
situational characteristics.

TO characteristics of group members that influence its functioning include personal characteristics person, as well as abilities, education and life experience.

Structural characteristics of the group include:

communications in the group and norms of behavior (who contacts whom and how);
status and roles (who occupies what position in the group and does what);
personal likes and dislikes between group members (who likes whom and who does not like whom);
power and conformity (who influences whom, who is willing to listen and who to obey).

The first two structural characteristics relate more to the analysis of formal organization, the rest - to the issue of informal groups.

Several factors have a significant impact on the establishment of friendly relations between people:

Personal characteristics of interactants. People love those who like the same phenomena, things, processes that they like, i.e. people love those who are similar to them, who are close to them in spirit, taste and preferences. People are attracted to those who have the same or similar race, nationality, education, outlook on life, etc. Potentially, people with similar personality characteristics are more likely to form friendships than those with significantly different personality characteristics.
The presence of territorial proximity in the location of these people. The closer the group members' workplaces are, the more likely they are to form friendships. The same applies to the proximity of their places of residence.
Frequency of meetings, as well as from the expectation that these meetings will occur quite often in the future.
How successful is the group's functioning?. In general, success leads to development in people positive attitude to each other in to a greater extent than the unsuccessful functioning of the group.
Having one goal, to which the actions of all group members are subordinated. If group members are separated by solving individual problems, mutual sympathy and friendliness are less likely to develop than if they are working on solving a problem common to all.
Wide participation of all group members in decision making. The opportunity to influence group processes stimulates the development of positive perceptions of the team among group members.

The presence of sympathy in relationships between people, the presence of friendly relations between group members has a huge impact on people’s mood, on their satisfaction with their work, their membership in the group. However, it cannot be said unequivocally that friendly relations between group members have only a positive impact on the results of work and the functioning of the organization as a whole. If people who have friendly relations with each other have high motivation to work, then the presence of mutual sympathy and friendship contributes to a significant increase in the results of their work and thereby has a positive effect on the functioning of the group as a whole. If people are poorly motivated to work, then the result will be completely opposite. They will spend a lot of time in conversations that are useless for work, smoking breaks, tea parties, etc., and will constantly be distracted from work, sharply reducing the effectiveness of their work. At the same time, they can distract others from work, creating an atmosphere of idleness and relaxation.

Features of informal groups

1. Social control

Informal organizations exercise social control over their members. The first step to this is to establish and reinforce norms—group standards for acceptable and unacceptable behavior. To be accepted by the group and maintain his position in it, a person must comply with these norms. To reinforce compliance with these norms, the group may impose fairly harsh sanctions, and those who violate them may face exclusion. It is a strong and effective punishment when a person depends on an informal organization to meet his social needs.

2. Resistance to change

People use informal organization to discuss perceived or actual changes that may occur in their organization. In informal organizations there is a tendency to resist change. This is partly due to the fact that change may pose a threat to the continued existence of the informal organization. Reorganization, implementation new technology, expansion of production and, consequently, the entry of a large group of new employees can lead to the disintegration of the informal group or to a reduction in opportunities for interaction and satisfaction of social needs.

3. Informal leaders

Informal organizations, just like formal ones, have their own leaders. An informal leader gains his position by seeking power and exercising it over group members. There are essentially no major differences in the means used by leaders of formal and informal organizations to exert influence. The only significant difference is that the informal leader relies on recognition by the group. In his actions, he relies on people and their relationships.

An informal leader has two primary ones: assist the group in achieving its goals and maintain and strengthen its existence. Sometimes these functions are performed different people. If this is so, then two leaders emerge in an informal group: one to carry out the group's goals, the other to facilitate social interaction.

The emergence of an informal group and its role in the functioning of the organization

The reason for the emergence of an informal group in a formal organization is the inevitable limitations of the formal organization, which cannot cover and regulate all processes of the functioning of a social organization.

If people join formal organizations to further organizational goals, or need rewards in the form of income, or are driven by considerations of prestige, then belonging to an informal group may provide psychological benefits that are as important to them as the salary they receive.

In accordance with A.'s classification, primary needs are physiological and the need for safety and security, and secondary needs are social, respect and self-expression. Can a formal organization ensure that all needs are fully met? Obviously not. The emergence of an informal organization is a consequence of a person’s natural desire to unite with other people and to form sustainable forms of interaction.

The very first reason for joining an informal group is satisfying the need for a sense of belonging. People whose jobs do not provide opportunities to establish and maintain social contacts tend to be dissatisfied. The ability to belong to a group and its support is closely related to employee satisfaction. Yet, although the need to belong is widely accepted, most formal organizations deliberately deprive people of social contact. Therefore, people are often forced to turn to informal organizations in order to gain these contacts.

Need for protection is an important reason for people to join certain groups. Although it is very rare these days to talk about the existence of real physical danger in the workplace, the very first trade unions arose in social groups that gathered in pubs and discussed their grievances with their superiors. And today, members of informal organizations protect each other from rules that harm them. This protective function becomes even more higher value when the authorities are not trusted.

The need for communication arises because people want to know what is happening around them, especially if it affects their work. Yet in many formal organizations the system of internal communication is rather weak, and sometimes management deliberately hides certain information from their subordinates. Therefore, one of the important reasons for belonging to an informal organization is access to an informal channel of information - rumors. This can satisfy the individual's needs for psychological protection and accessories, as well as provide her with faster access to the information she needs for her work.

The influence of informal groups on the organization

Some managers believe that an informal group is the result of poor management, but the emergence of these groups is natural and very common; every organization has them.

Informal groups have both negative and positive influence on the activities of a formal organization. False rumors can be spread through informal channels, leading to negative attitudes towards management. The norms adopted by the group may cause the organization's productivity to be lower than that determined by management. Tendency to resist any change and tendency to maintain ingrained stereotypes may delay necessary production modernization. However, this counterproductive behavior is often a reaction to management's attitude towards this group. Rightly or wrongly, group members believe that they are being treated unfairly and respond as any person would respond to something that seems unfair to them.

Such instances of backlash sometimes prevent managers from seeing the many potential benefits of informal organizations. Since being a member of a group requires working for the organization, loyalty to the group can translate into loyalty to the organization. Many people turn down higher-paying positions at other companies because they don't want to break the social connections they have made at that company. The goals of the group may coincide with the goals of the formal organization, and the performance standards of the informal organization may exceed the norms of the formal organization. For example, strong spirit collectivism, characteristic of some organizations and generating a strong desire for success, often grows from informal relationships and involuntary actions of management. Even informal communication channels can sometimes help a formal organization by complementing the formal communication system. By failing to find ways to effectively engage with informal organizations or by trying to suppress them, managers often miss out on these potential benefits.

In any case, regardless of whether the informal organization is harmful or useful, it exists and must be taken into account. Even if the leadership destroys one group, another will certainly arise in its place, which may develop a deliberately negative attitude towards the leadership.

Formal organizations

There are two types of organizations:

Firstly, organizations that are created consciously and purposefully to achieve some predetermined goals, within which conditions are formed and maintained to encourage their members to achieve these goals. Leaders are the bearers of such goals., which perceive these goals as their own and to achieve them, coordinate the activities of members of the organization;

Secondly, organizations that are formed spontaneously on the basis of the natural community of goals of their participants, participation in which is determined by the free will of their members. In these organizations, no one makes an effort to consolidate the emerging structure and ensure the achievement of their own goals. As the common goals that gave rise to the organization are achieved, they may disintegrate, but they may also degenerate into organizations of the first type.

Organizations of the first type are usually called formal. According to one of the classics of modern management, Herbert Simon, formal organization we understand a planned system of joint (cooperative) efforts in which each participant has his own clearly defined role, his own tasks or responsibilities that must be fulfilled. These responsibilities are distributed among participants in the name of achieving the goals that the organization sets for itself, and not in the name of satisfying individual wishes, even though both often coincide.

Formal organization- an organization that has the right, the goals of which are enshrined in constituent documents, and functioning - in regulations, agreements and regulations governing the rights and responsibilities of each of the organization’s participants.

Formal organizations are divided into and.

Finally, another formulation that well reflects the specifics of formal organizations states that this is a formal association of people that was formed to ensure the achievement of joint goals on a relatively permanent basis (Fig. 3.2). This association is characterized by obvious boundaries, norms of behavior, the presence of primary (interpersonal, informal) groups, communication channels, activities aimed at solving certain problems and power relations.

Informal organizations

Informal organizations- these are organizations that are not registered with a government agency, either due to their small number or for some other reason.

Informal organization- a spontaneously emerging group of people who interact with each other quite regularly.

Informal organizations include associations of people connected by personal interests in the field of culture, everyday life, sports and others who have a leader and do not conduct financial and economic activities aimed at obtaining material profit.

For example, four amateur fishermen constantly prepare gear together for a number of years, go fishing, discuss the results, and enjoy it. This is an informal organization, since all the signs of a system are present - the presence of a goal, elements, hierarchy, interaction. Role in informal organizations very big. In them, people can realize their needs and interests to a greater extent than in the formal one; find your place in life; try different options for behavior, relationships, etc. Help and protection of colleagues, access to informal channels of information (rumors, etc.) are the main reasons for joining an informal organization.

However it is possible for an informal organization to emerge within a formal one. This is a natural process that occurs when the development of technology and personnel professionalism in an organization proceeds faster than the improvement of organizational forms, functions, style and management methods. The first sign of the birth of an informal organization in the subject area of a formal organization is emergence of an informal leader. We have already discussed above how a leader should act.

Classification of organizations based on the principle of belonging to the main structural elements of society

Classification of organizations according to the principle of their construction and functioning

Types of organizations

Classification of organizations
Essence and characteristics of social and economic organizations
The essence and content of the principles of organization

Criteria for typology of organizations. Systematic approach to classification of organizations

Typology of organizations- multidimensional classification, representing an integral system of types united by a certain common principle, common nature, origin, common environment existence, essential properties.

From a practical point of view, the classification of organizations is important for three reasons:

Finding similar organizations - according to any parameters, this helps to create a minimum of methods for their analysis and improvement;

The ability to determine their numerical distribution by classification to create the appropriate infrastructure: personnel training, control services, etc.;

The organization's membership in one group or another allows one to determine their attitude to tax and other benefits.

Based on essence In a systematic approach to the classification of organizations, it is important to be guided by several objectively justified criteria.

One of the criteria classification may be the principle of construction and functioning of an organization, on the basis of which it is advisable to divide all organizations in society into formal and informal

Formal organization characterized by a legalized system of norms, rules, operating principles, and standards of conduct for members of the organization. Main sign formal organization is the predetermination, programming and certainty of organizational norms and actions. Organization is not limited to the formal part, although it is determined by it.

An informal organization is a system of non-prescribed social roles, informal institutions and sanctions, standards of behavior transmitted by customs and traditions that arise spontaneously in the course of daily interactions. Informal organizations are not registered with a government agency. They are created on the basis of common interests in the field of culture, everyday life, sports, etc. For example, an association of friends, a group of tourists.

Informal social groups play an important role in the activities of any organization. Their role is especially noticeable in the activities of large business and government structures.

At the junction Between the two named types of organizations there are such varieties of organizational models as behavioral, organic and “organizational nebula”.

Behavioral models represent the simultaneous functioning of two systems within one organization:

A technical system that produces products or services;
- a social system, including the activities of employees who operate the technical system.

If Insufficient attention is paid to meeting the social and psychological needs of individuals and groups, then technical system, in all likelihood, will begin to lose balance.

Strong behavioral model emphasizes decentralization, open information flow, and a weak chain of command in relation to work organization and reporting systems. Employees are expected to be involved in the decision-making process, which is carried out in a decentralized and often collegial manner. All employees of the organization can influence the procedures used in the organization's divisions. Particular emphasis is placed on the ability of individuals to fit into an organization's structure and solve problems.

Organic model has the following characteristics: the presence of a small number of rules (with the exception of safety rules), complete decentralization, collegial decision-making, a wide scope of responsibility of employees, the presence of several levels of hierarchy and a low level of division of labor. Initiative employees with competence and originality of thinking form the basis of this model.

The organic model is characterized by flexibility and the ability to quickly respond to changes in operating environment conditions (an example of such a model is the Swedish company Ineiter, which provides consulting in the field of computing systems).

Model of "organizational nebula" is a model of self-construction. It is constantly changing, constantly searching for new ways to respond to environmental conditions and methods of creating its own future. Focused on self-construction, the organization is characterized by such qualities as instability, disagreement, unorthodoxy and ingenuity. This type of organization is unpredictable in terms of its methods and its orientation, often being chaotic. This form of organization is experimental.

Using criterion of belonging to the main structural elements of society - the state and civil society, we can distinguish the totality government organizations and the set of organizations that make up the structure of civil society

IN Russian society State organizations include federal (legislative, executive and judicial) organizations. The Constitution of the Russian Federation provides for a division of powers between government bodies of the Russian Federation and government bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation.

Set of organizations, making up the structure of civil society, depending on the nature and goals of their activities, can be divided into commercial and non-commercial.

Commercial organizations are created for carrying out business activities and are divided: by type and nature of economic activity; by ownership of capital and control; the nature of the property; legal status; scale and scope of activity

Classification commercial organizations according to different criteria

Non-profit organizations are divided according to the forms of creation and association.

Typology of organizations

Characteristics of social organization

Organization theory considers primarily social systems, since all others are somehow reduced to them. The main connecting element of the social system is man. Social systems, depending on the goals set, can be educational, economic, political, medical, etc.

Types of social systems

In real life social systems are implemented in the form of organizations, companies, firms, etc. The products of such organizations are goods (services), information or knowledge. Thus, social organization- this is a social (public) subsystem, characterized by the presence of a person as a subject and object of management in a set of interrelated elements and realizes itself in the production of goods, services, information and knowledge.

In organizational theory, there are socio-political, socio-educational, socio-economic and other organizations. Each of these types has a priority of its own goals. Thus, for socio-economic organizations the main goal is to obtain maximum profit; for socio-cultural ones - achieving aesthetic goals, and obtaining maximum profit is a secondary goal; for socio-educational - achieving a modern level of knowledge, and making a profit is also a secondary goal.

Social organizations (hereinafter referred to as organizations) play a significant role in modern world. Their features:

Realization of human potential and abilities;

Formation of unity of interests of people (personal, collective, public). Unity of goals and interests serves as a system-forming factor;

Complexity, dynamism and high levels of uncertainty.

Types and general concepts of business organizations

Economic organizations - organizations created to meet the needs and interests of man and society in the environment external to the organization. These organizations can produce products in the form of goods, services, information or knowledge (Fig. 3.6).

Types of products

Business organizations include:

Legal entities of all forms (except public and religious organizations), including limited liability companies, joint stock companies, consumer cooperatives, etc.;

Non-legal entities of all forms, including divisions of organizations, organizations based on individual labor activities, etc.

In this case, a legal entity is an organization that:

1) registered in accordance with the established procedure;

2) has a bank account;

3) has separate property in ownership, economic management or operational management;

4) is liable for its obligations with this property;

5) may, on its own behalf, acquire and exercise property and personal non-property rights;

6) fulfills assigned duties;

7) has an independent balance or estimate;

8) can be a plaintiff and defendant in court.

A non-legal entity is an organization that, unlike a legal entity, does not have or does not fulfill any of the items listed for a legal entity.

Business organizations can have the following forms of ownership: state, municipal, public, rental, private, group. There are organizations with a mixed form of ownership, for example, joint-stock companies, in which the state has only part of the shares, and the rest belongs to private individuals - legal entities or individuals.

Business organizations are usually divided into four groups: micro, small, medium and large. The criteria for such division can be the number of personnel, the cost of the property complex, the importance of the products and the market share in the relevant sector.

The criteria for classifying an organization as a small enterprise (SE) are most fully presented, including:

a) the share of the authorized capital of a small enterprise owned by its founders who are not small businesses should not exceed 25% of the authorized capital of the small business;

b) limit values the average number of employees (excluding part-time workers and non-scheduled employees) should not exceed, people: in industry, construction and transport 100 per agriculture And innovation activity 60
in science and scientific service, retail trade, catering and consumer services 30 v wholesale trade, in other industries and other activities 50.

Economic organizations with a headcount, significantly smaller than that of small enterprises, are considered microorganizations, for example audit firm with a staff of six people. Business organizations make up the vast majority of organizations in the world. the nature of changes in individual parameters of business organizations is presented.

Evolution of parameters of business organizations

Business organizations are classified according to the following criteria:

By duration of action: unlimited and temporary. The registration documents indicate the time of its activity. You can register an organization for a year, month or even one day;

By active season: summer, winter, rainy season, etc. This status allows the organization to recruit personnel for a certain cyclical period;

By scale of production: single, serial and mass;

By production specialization: specialized and universal;

By product range: mono-product and multi-product production.

In every work collective Along with the formal (official) structure of relationships, there are also informal (unofficial) relationships between team members.

If official relations are regulated by relevant instructions, orders, instructions, then unofficial ones are not regulated by anyone or anything. Therefore, it should be kept in mind that the management process refers to the creation and operation of a formal organization. However, you need to know that within any formal organization there are also informal organizations that to a certain extent influence the policy of the formal one. This is due to the fact that each member of the work collective belongs to many groups at the same time. The mechanism of formation of formal and informal organizations is presented in Fig. 3.5.

Rice. 3.5. Mechanism for the formation of formal and informal organizations

Formal organizations- companies, partnerships, etc. registered in the prescribed manner, which act as legal or non-legal entities.

Their primary function is to perform specific tasks and achieve the goals of the organization. Relations between people are regulated by various kinds of normative documents: laws, regulations, orders, instructions, etc.

Informal organization- an organization not registered with a government agency that unites people connected by personal interests, has a leader and does not conduct financial and economic activities aimed at making a profit.

Relations between members of such a group are formed on the basis of personal sympathies. Group members are bound by a commonality of views, inclinations and interests. There is no list of team members, responsibilities, or agreed upon roles.

Informal, or shadow, groups exist in every organization. They invariably “grow” out of friendships and relationships not defined by an organizational chart. It is important for an organization that informal groups do not dominate.

Informal organizations can be both similar and different from formal organizations.

Therefore, we can highlight signs characterizing informal organizations:

1) social control. Informal organizations exercise social control over their members. We are talking about establishing and strengthening norms - group standards of acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Naturally, those who violate these norms will face alienation.

The manager in this regard should be aware that the social control exercised by the informal organization can have a positive impact on the achievement of the goals of the formal organization;

Support of the informal leader- recognition by his group. The sphere of influence of an informal leader may extend beyond the administrative boundaries of the formal organization.

An informal leader performs two primary functions: helps the group achieve its goals, supports and strengthens its existence.

The existence of informal groups in the organization- a completely normal phenomenon. Such groups most often strengthen the workforce, and the formal head of the organization should support them. For example, the Corging Glass company (USA) installed escalators in the building (instead of elevators) to increase the possibility of informal contacts between employees; MMM (USA) organizes clubs to increase the likelihood of casual conversations that help solve problems during meals or in other situations. All this enhances the feeling of belonging to the team. Here there is unity and solidarity, which manifest themselves not only in work, but also in leisure hours. Friendly contacts during work and after it, cooperation and mutual assistance form a healthy psychological climate in the organization.

Any organization can be described using a number of parameters: purpose, legal and regulatory framework, resources, processes and structure, division of labor and distribution of roles, external environment, etc. In accordance with this, the entire variety of organizations is divided into classes and types.

Based on the formalization criterion, the following are distinguished:

? formal organizations with clearly defined goals, formalized rules, structure and relationships;
? informal organizations operating without clearly defined goals, rules and structures.

To the group formal organizations includes all business organizations, state and international institutions and bodies. They are registered with government agencies in accordance with the procedure established by law and may have the status of a legal or non-legal entity. Their primary function is to perform specific tasks and achieve the goals of the organization. Relations between people are regulated by various kinds of normative documents: laws, regulations, orders, instructions, etc.

TO informal organizations include the institutions of family, friendship, informal interpersonal relationships. They are not registered with a government agency, they are created on the basis of common interests in the field of culture, everyday life, sports, etc. They have a leader and do not conduct financial and economic activities aimed at obtaining material profit. Informal groups that unite people from different departments, workshops, and groups are often formed within formal organizations. This is a natural process that occurs when a company’s regular development of communications lags behind the development of technology and personnel professionalism. Relations between members of such a group are formed on the basis of personal sympathies. Group members are bound by a commonality of views, inclinations and interests.

Informal groups exist in every company. They invariably “grow” out of friendships and relationships that are not defined by an organizational chart. It is important for an organization that informal groups do not dominate. Informal organizations can be both similar and different from formal organizations. Therefore, we can highlight the following features that characterize informal organizations.

1. Social control which informal organizations exercise for their members. We are talking about establishing and strengthening norms - group standards of acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Naturally, those who violate these norms will face alienation. The manager should therefore be aware that the social control exercised by the informal organization can have a positive impact on the achievement of the goals of the formal organization.
2. Tendency to resist change. This is partly due to the fact that change may pose a threat to the continued existence of the informal organization.
3. Informal leaders. The difference between informal leaders and formal ones is that the latter has support in the form of official powers delegated to him and acts in the specific functional area assigned to him. The support of an informal leader is his recognition by the group. The sphere of influence of an informal leader may extend beyond the administrative boundaries of the formal organization. An informal leader performs two primary functions: helps the group achieve its goals, supports and strengthens its existence.

Ways of influence of an informal group on the activities of an organization.

1. Informal communication(the so-called “secret” telegraph). No news is transmitted as quickly as through informal channels. This is one of the ways in which an informal group exercises its power (informal communication).
2. The ability to act or not act. There are many examples in management practice where organizations were brought to their knees by unauthorized management.
3. Unauthorized establishment of production standards - one of the ways through which informal groups have a negative impact on people. However, some organizations can be saved because informal groups can work harder than the norm. The point is that an informal group can work to advance or retard the development of an organization. The manager's task is to minimize the influence of these groups and channel their power in the right direction.

There are several reasons that encourage people to enter into informal relationships.

1. A sense of belonging. Satisfying the need for a sense of belonging to a group, for recognition, respect and love, and self-affirmation is one of our most powerful emotional needs.
2. Mutual assistance. Naturally, you can turn to your formal boss for help. However, some believe that their boss might think badly of them (the principle “don’t create problems for your boss” comes into play here), others are afraid of criticism, etc. In these and other cases, people often prefer to resort to the help of their colleagues.
3. Protection. People have always known that strength lies in unity. Because of this, an important reason for joining an informal organization is the perceived need for protection.
4. Communication. People want to know what is happening around them. Since in many formal organizations the system of internal contacts is rather weak, and sometimes management deliberately hides certain information from their subordinates, access to informal information (rumors) is possible only in an informal group.
5. Sympathy. People often join informal groups simply to be closer to someone they like.

Thus, an informal organization of people can work for or against the manager. How to make her work for the manager? The following sequence of actions should be followed:

1) the manager must accept the fact that the informal organization exists;
2) one should try to understand how the informal organization can be valuable in helping the manager achieve his goals;
3) identify informal leaders and manage them;
4) try to combine the goals of the informal and formal organization;
5) the manager must understand and agree that no matter what he does, informal organizations continue to exist.

The existence of informal groups in an organization is quite normal. Such groups most often strengthen the workforce, and the formal head of the organization should support them.