FORMAL ORGANIZATION - CHARACTERISTICS, BENETICS, DISADVANTAGES

A formal organization refers to the structure of well definite measure of authority, responsibility and accountability thus; a formal organization is created through the co-ordination of efforts of various individuals. Every member is responsible for the performance of a specified task assigned to him on the basics of authority responsibility relationship is an organization. Formal organization is a fixed set of rules of intra-organization procedures and structure. As such it is usually set out in writing, with a language of rules that ostensibly leave little discretion for interpretation. In some societies and in some organization, such rules may be strictly followed; in others, they may be little more than an empty formalism.


To Whom It May Concern: facilitate the accomplishment of the goals of the organization. In a formal organization the work is delegated to each individual of the organization. He/she works towards the attainment of definite goals, which are in a compliance with the attainment of the organization.

To facilitate the co-ordination of various activities .the authority, responsibility and accountability of individual in the organization is very defined. Hence, facilitation the co-ordination of various activities of the organization very effectively.

To aid the establishment of logical authority relationship: the responsibilities of the individual in the organization due to a well defined hierarchical structure which is inherent in and formal organization.
Permit the application of the concept of specialization and division of labour, division of work amongst individual according to their capabilities helps in greater specialization and division of work.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A FORMAL ORGANIZATION
Well defined rules and regulation
Arbilary structure
Determined objectives and polices
Status symbol
Limitation on the activities of the individual

The informal organization is the interlock social structure that governs how peoples work together in practice. It is the aggregate of behaviours, interactions, norms, personal and professional connections through which work gets done and relationships are built among people who share a common organization affiliation or cluster of affiliations. It consists of a dynamic set of personal relationships, social networks, communities of common interest, and emotional sources of motivation. The informal organization evolves organically and spontaneously in response to change in the work environment, the flux of people through its porous boundaries, and the Complex social dynamics of its members.
            Tended effectively, the informal organization complement the more explicit structures, plans, and process of the formal organization: It can accelerate and enhance responses to unanticipated events, foster innovation, enable people to solve problems that require collaboration across boundaries, and create footpaths showing where the informal organization may someday need to pave away.
            Informal organization refers to the relationship between people in an organization based on personal attitudes, emotion, prejudices, like and dislikes, etc.
            These relations, are not developed according to precedence and regulations laid down in the formal organization.

BENEFITS OF INFORMAL ORGANIZATION
To Employee
1.      Sense of Belonging: In a formal organization, there is lack of sense of belonging and personal satisfaction.

2.      Value for Emotional Problem: In the daily work routine there are many opportunities for tension and frustration

3.      Aid on the Job: In case of accident or illness, members of an informal group helps one another.

4.      Innovation and Originality: By enabling members to modify the job situation more to their liking, the informal organization creates the necessary environment for individual innovation and originality. The individual can experiment with his ideas.

5.      Important channel of communication: News travels quickly via informal groups. They are clandestine transmitters and receivers of information before it is officially released.

6.      Social control: Informal groups provide all its members a set of norm or guides as to correct bahaviour. Members are expected to conform to those norm.

7.      Check on Authority: Information group forces the manager to plan and act more carefully than he would otherwise.  Informal organization is check and balance on unlimited use of authority by a manager.

To Management
i.        Less Supervision: Informal group is self-policing. This relieves the management of much of the burden of supervision.
ii.     An aid to management: the information gives the manager much feedback about employees and their work experiences thereby increasing his understanding of what he needs to do.

DISADVANTAGES OF AN INFORMAL ORGANIZATION
Resistance to change: An informal organization is bound by customs conventions and culture.
Role conflict and self optimization: In an informal organization, everyone works towards objective. Members put their own group objective ahead of organizations objectives. Hence, the organization suffers.
Rumour: An informal organization sometimes functions as a carrier of rumour.

The notion that power and influence are based largely on some set of power resources has been a popular one which appears theoretically strong as well. The typology offered by French and raven (1959) appears to be the most robust but in terms of popular application and in its ability to subsume other typologies. This well known typology posits five bases of power, including legitimate authority, expertise, reward, and coercive and referent power.
                   A great deal of research has been done using French and Raven’s typology or ones similar to it. The majority of such research conducted in the work place, however, has been limited to the study of the relationship between power base utilization and either compliance with supervisory directives or measures of production. No research has been conducted that measures the relationship between power base utilization and informal influence in the organization.(i.e. lateral influence among work unit peers and influence exercised by subordinate over their supervisor). Still another gap exist regarding legitimate organizational authority classical notions maintain that authority is leg.

REFERENCES
Morphet, E.L. John , R.L. and Reller, T.L. (1974). Educational 
Organization and administration: concepts and practices and issues. Engle wood cliffs: practices-Hill Inc.

Kenzevich, S.J.(1976).Administration of Public Education New
                   York: Harper and Row Publishers.

Olagboye, A.A. (2004). Introduction to educational
                    Management in Nigeria

Ibadan: Kemsio Education Consultants.

  Adeogun , A.A. (1999) organization and management of
                   School in Nigeria Lagos: Frank-Unity (nig) Ltd.
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