- 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
- the fact that 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 rules
- 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 is based on merit—proven and documented skills
- normative or 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 herself
- 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