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Answer to q. 1
There are an exhaustive number of examples that can be used to answer this question. A good answer would include a discussion of size, stability, diffusion of responsibility, and what leadership styles are employed. It might also address the effectiveness of this leadership style.
Answer to q. 2
Group dynamics refer to how groups influence us and how we affect groups. The smallest group possible is a dyad, composed of two people. There is no maximum number of participants in a large group. But as a small group grows larger, it becomes more stable, but its intensity or intimacy decreases. When some members of a group align themselves against other members of the group, it creates a coalition. At least a triad is required for a coalition to exist. As the number of members of a group increases the number of relationships increases at an accelerated rate. In a two person group there is one relationship, in a dyad three relationships, in a four person group six relationships, in a seven person group twenty-one relationships, and so on. As groups increase in size there is also a diffusion of responsibility or a lack of personal accountability by each member of the group to the overall welfare of the group.
Answer to q. 3
Corporate and department heads have
ideas of what it takes to get ahead. Not surprisingly, since they themselves got ahead,
they look for people who have characteristics similar to their own. They feed better
information to workers who have these characteristics, bring them into stronger networks,
and put them in fast-track positions. With such advantages, these workers perform
better and become more committed to the company. This, of course, confirms the supervisor's expectations, the initial stereotype of a successful person.
Answer to q. 4
Goal displacement is the adoption of new goals by an organization when the organization's original goals have been met or are no longer needed. By changing its purpose, the organization can continue to exist. In many cases, once the bureaucracy has become established, there are benefits to its continuation. These benefits include salaries for officers and directors, support services, and the accumulation of property and capital. To dissolve the bureaucracy means a loss in paid positions, company cars, personal expense accounts, and other benefits, as well as a discontinuation of fees paid to others for services. Examples of goal displacement: the March of Dimes' goal changed from finding a cure for polio to fighting birth defects after Jonas Salk discovered a cure for polio; NATO's purpose changed from protecting western Europe from Soviet invasion to acting as a rapid deployment force to combat terrorism.
Answer to q. 5
George Ritzer uses the term McDonaldization to refer to the standardization of everyday life that results in the robot-like assembly of food, one-stop shopping, familiar franchises, packaged vacation tours all the outward signs of an efficient and highly dependable, but predictable, lifestyle. While McDonaldization can increase efficiency and predictability, it also results in a reduction of spontaneity and creativity, thus producing a bland sameness and further entrapping individuals in Weber's iron cage.
Answer to q. 6
The characteristics of bureaucracies are (1 ) clear levels with assignments flowing downward and accountability flowing upward; (2 ) a division of labor; (3 ) written rules; (4 ) written communications and records; and (5 ) impersonality and replaceability. The university bureaucratic structure flows neatly and logically from the board of governors to the faculty and maintenance staff. There is a clear and enforced division of labor. Faculty members do not paint offices and electricians do not teach courses. All universities have a host of written rules, including student handbooks, how to apply for grants, and other guidelines for students, faculty, and staff. The computerization of records has virtually eliminated written records but has increased the volume of data stored. When students enter a university, they are essentially starting over. If faculty members suffer debilitating injuries or illnesses, they are replaced within a few days. Additional defense of the university as a bureaucracy may be applied.
Answer to q. 7
Bureaucracies qualify as formal organizations because they are secondary groups designed to achieve specific objectives. Not all formal organizations are bureaucracies, however. A formal organization may share some of the characteristics of a bureaucracy without qualifying as being one. Some formal organizations, such as voluntary groups, are based on mutual interest rather than efficiency. Voluntary organizations are also less formal, more personal, and less hierarchical than a bureaucracy.
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