The formal organization is the skeleton of a company, the informal is the central nervous system that drives the processes of collective reflection, actions and reactions of its business units. (Hanzon, 1993)
Inside the organization we can find formal and informal groups, which generate that the organizational actor gives a special meaning to the task he performs and does not fall into the trap of the activity. In other words, the worker feels that he is not just one more number on the payroll, but that he expresses a sense of belonging and the meaning of his task.
Formal and informal organization
Formal structure.
Organization based on a division of labor based on criteria established by those who manage the decision-making process. It is a planned organization. Generally approved by the management and communicated to everyone through organization manuals, job descriptions, organization charts, rules and procedures.
Informal structure.
It is the organization that emerges spontaneously and naturally among the people who occupy positions in the formal organization and from the relationships they establish with each other as occupants of positions. It is formed from friendly or antagonistic relationships or the emergence of informal groups that do not appear in the organization chart, or in any other formal document. Informal organization is made up of interactions and social relationships between people located in various positions in the formal organization. It represents a form of activity outside the authority network and the system of regulated information flows, they are "centers of power" without official recognition.
Properties of the informal structure.
They create their own catalog of standards, they reflect shared values about what is fair, right, equitable, and desirable. The rules serve to prove the loyalty of its members to the group and apply sanctions in case of non-compliance, such as: "not to exceed a certain work rate, not to harm another member…"; In case of not complying with said unwritten norms, sanctions are applied such as “exclusion from the group, the use of derogatory names or loss of favoritism”
In the informal structure, unofficial work practices are generated: ways of carrying out tasks that the group considers appropriate, even if they go against the rules or methods established by the organization, such as "dispensing with the necessary safety equipment"; On many occasions, members swap tasks or help reach the established production level for the slowest employees, or protect the weakest ones. They can facilitate or interfere with the interests of the organization, influencing the achievement of its objectives as a company.
Positive aspects of informal organization.
The positive aspects of an informal organization are listed below:
- It helps individuals meet certain needs that the formal organization cannot: affiliation, esteem, security. They collaborate in making the formal organization more efficient. It facilitates interdepartmental cooperation and the flow of information. Satisfactions and rewards provide individuals with improve the work environment, reducing absenteeism. Friendship and social treatment improve work efficiency and help ideas and information flow better. It facilitates the circulation of excluded information in the formal system, which usually focuses on objective and quantitative data.
Negative aspects of informal organization.
We give way to a series of negative aspects of this type of organization:
- On some occasions, people do not obey the regulated system to prioritize their personal needs. They can manipulate information for their benefit, withhold information from managers or disclose information of some importance to outsiders. They can establish their own work standards, ignoring established programs. By creating and enforcing their norms, they undermine formal authority and render the organization's control system useless. Few individuals can manage the group for their own benefit. One of the purposes of the informal group is to perpetuate and establish its group structure; if to achieve this they must ignore what is convenient for the organization, it is evident that they will
Formal groups.
It is the one that defines the structure of the organization, through certain work assignments in which activities are established, in formal groups, the goals of the organization stipulate the behaviors that can be observed and are aimed at achieving them.
Formal groups are deliberately created by managers and are responsible for executing certain tasks to help the organization achieve its goals. The most prevalent type of formal group in the organization is the command group, which includes the manager and her subordinates. The formal structure of organizations consists of a series of interlocking command groups. Managers belong to command groups made up of themselves and their subordinates, and simultaneously belong to command groups made up of their colleagues and senior executives. (Nosnik, 1995)
According to Shermenhorn and others, a formal group is officially designated to serve a specific organizational purpose. The organization creates such a group to perform a specific task, which typically involves the use of resources to create a product. Formal groups can be permanent or temporary. Permanent working groups, or command groups in the vertical structure, appear in the organizational charts as departments, divisions or teams, these groups are officially created in order to perform a specific continuous function. In contrast, temporary work groups are task groups created specifically to solve a problem or perform a defined task; they are undone once the assigned purpose has been fulfilled. (John R. Schermerhorn, 2005)
The organizational processes of companies tend to form two types of formal groups: those of command and those of task. The former are made up of subordinates who report to a certain supervisor. The authority relationship between a department head and supervisors or between the head nurse and her subordinates is an example of this hierarchical group. While the latter are those in which employees work together to complete a task or project.
Informal groups.
They are alliances that are not formally structured or determined by the organization. These are natural formations in a work environment and are presented in response to the need for social contact. Informal groups arise every time people meet and interact on a regular basis. Such groups develop within the organizational structure.
Informal groups emerge without official designation by the organization. They are formed spontaneously and are based on personal relationships or special interests, and without any specific organizational endorsement. They are normally found within most formal groups. Informal groups often help people to do their jobs. Through their network of interpersonal relationships, they have the potential to streamline the flow of work, as people help each other in ways that formal lines of authority do not provide. (John
- Schermerhorn, 2005)
On the other hand, Gibson and others claim that informal groups are natural associations of people willing to work in response to social needs. There are two specific informal groups: interest and friendship. In the first, individuals who do not belong to the same hierarchical or task group can join to achieve a common goal. The objectives of these groups are not related to those of the organization. Friendship groups are formed because their members have something in common, be it age, political beliefs, or ethnicity. These friendship groups often extend their relationships and communications outside of their work environment. Although friendship groups are informal, leaders should be aware that they should, as far as possible, try to positively influence them. (GIBSON,nineteen ninety six)
The concept of group dynamics.
It is the social process by which people interact directly with each other in small groups. "Dynamics": it is derived from the Greek word that means force. Hence, group dynamics refers to the study of the forces operating within a group.
The groups have their own attributes, different from the attributes of the individuals that compose them. The attributes of the groups are illustrated by a simple lesson; "One plus one equals three".
In a group things cannot be reduced to just two people, because it is impossible to consider two people without considering at the same time the relationship between them, the third element of the equation.
Fundamentals of Group Behavior.
Stages of group development.
In their evolution, groups usually go through a standardized sequence, called a five-stage model of group development. Although research indicates that not all groups follow this pattern, it is a useful theoretical framework to understand their development. The five-stage development model states that groups go through five distinct stages: formation, storm, normalization, development, and termination.
- Formation is characterized by a great deal of uncertainty about the group's purpose, structure, and leadership. Its members "test the water" to determine what types of behavior are acceptable. This stage ends when members think of themselves as part of a group. The storm stage is that of conflict within the group. Members accept the existence of the group but resist the limitations it imposes on individuality. Also, there is conflict about who will control the group. When this stage ends, there is a relatively clear leadership hierarchy within the group. The third stage is one in which close relationships develop and the group demonstrates cohesion. There is a strong sense of identity and group camaraderie.This stage of normalization ends when the group structure solidifies and the group has assimilated a common set of expectations that defines what constitutes the correct behavior of its members. The fourth stage is that of performance. At this point, the structure is fully accepted functional. The energy of the group has been transferred from knowing and understanding each other, to carrying out the task in question. For permanent work groups, performance is the last stage of development. However, for temporary committees, teams, task forces, and similar groups that have a specific job to do, there is a completion stage. In this, the group prepares for the disbandment, the high performance in their work is no longer their main priority but the attention is directed to finish the activities.At this stage the responses of group members vary, as we are being praised for the group's accomplishments, others are depressed over loss of camaraderie and friendship gained during the life of the group. (Chiavenato, 2009)
Why do people get together in groups?
- By meeting in a group, individuals reduce the insecurity of "being alone." When they are part of a group, people feel stronger, have less self-doubt and resist threats more. Inclusion in a group that is appreciated by others, gives recognition and status to its members. they give people feelings of worth. That is, in addition to investing them in status before people outside the group, membership in the group also increases the sense of well-being for its members. Groups meet social needs. People enjoy the regular interaction that comes from membership, and for many of them such interactions at work are the primary source of meeting their membership needs.What cannot be achieved individually often is possible through group action. In the number there is power Achievement of goals. There are times when more than one person is required to achieve a particular goal: there is a need to gather talents, knowledge, or power to carry out a job. In such cases, the administration will use a formal group.
Performance.
A number of properties that groups have are related to performance. Among the most prominent are the perception of roles, norms, status differences, group size, and cohesion.
There is a positive relationship between the perception of the role and the evaluation of the employee's performance. The degree of consistency that exists between an employee and his boss regarding the perception of the work of the former influences the degree that said worker will be judged as an effective director by his superior. To the extent that the perception of the employee's role meets the expectations of the boss's role, the employee will receive a higher evaluation for their performance.
Norms control the behavior of group members by setting standards for what is right and what is not. The rules of a given group help explain to managers the behavior of its members. When group standards approve high output, managers can expect individual performance to be higher than when they disapprove. Similarly, norms that support antisocial behavior increase the likelihood that individuals will engage in deviant activities in their workplace.
Status inequities generate frustration and adversely influence productivity and willingness to stay in the company. Among individuals sensitive to inequity, inconsistency leads to decreased motivation and an intense search for ways to find justice (that is, job search). Furthermore, because lower-status people tend to participate less in group discussions, those characterized by large status differences among their members inhibit the contributions of low-status members and squander their potential.
The effect of size on the performance of a group depends on the type of group it undertakes. Larger groups are more effective in fact finding activities. Smaller groups are more effective at performing action tasks. Our knowledge of social laziness suggests that if management uses large groups, it must make efforts for individual performance measures within the group.
Satisfaction.
As with the relationship between the perception of the role and the performance, the high congruence between the boss and the employee with the perception of the work of the latter is closely associated with the high satisfaction of the worker. Similarly, role conflict is associated with job-induced stress and job dissatisfaction.
Most people prefer to communicate with others of the same or higher status, and not with those below. As a result, satisfaction should be expected to be higher among employees whose work minimizes interaction with individuals of lower status than themselves.
The relationship between group size and satisfaction is expected by intuition: larger groups are associated with less satisfaction. As size increases, opportunities for participation and social interaction decrease, as does the ability of members to identify with group achievements. At the same time, more members also facilitate dissent, conflict and the formation of subgroups, all of which make the group a less pleasant entity to be part of.
Conflict, Negotiation and behavior between groups.
Many people assume that conflict is related to lower group and organization performance. It can be shown that this assumption is very often incorrect. Conflict is constructive or destructive to the functioning of a group or unit. Conflict levels can be too high or too low. Either extreme is detrimental to performance. An optimal level is one in which there is sufficient conflict to avoid stagnation, stimulate creativity, allow tensions to relax, and initiate change, although not too much that is disruptive or impairs the coordination of activities. (MORGAN, 1986)
What advice to give to managers who face excess conflict and need to reduce it? Don't assume that a single conflict management intention will always be the best… You should select the one that is appropriate for the situation. The following are some guidelines in this regard:
- Use competition when swift and decisive action (in emergencies) is vital, in important matters where it is necessary to implement unpopular actions (cut costs, impose unpleasant rules, discipline) in vital aspects for the well-being of the organization in which you know who is right, and against people who take advantage of non-competitive behavior.
- Use collaboration to find an integrative solution when sets of concerns are too important to make a commitment, when your goal is to learn, to get those of people with different perspectives, to achieve commitment by incorporating concerns into a consensus, and to work with feelings that have interfered in a relationship. Avoid conflict when one aspect is trivial or others are more pressing, when you feel there is no opportunity to satisfy your concerns, when potential disruption outweighs the benefits of the solution, to allow people to calm down and get another perspective, when obtaining information is beyond an immediate decision, when others are able to resolve the conflict more effectively,and when issues appear to be tangential or symptoms of others. Use accommodation when you find yourself wrong and allow yourself to hear a better position, to learn and show how reasonable you are; also when there are matters more important to others than to you and satisfy them so that they maintain cooperation; to build social credits for later affairs; to minimize losses when you are outdone and losing; when harmony and stability are especially important; and to enable employees to develop through learning from their mistakes. Use commitment when goals are important but do not benefit from the effort of a potential disruption of more assertive approaches; when there are opponents with equal power committed to mutually exclusive goals;to achieve temporary arrangements of complex matters; to arrive at expedited solutions with time pressure; and as support when the collaboration or competition is not successful.
Negotiation is a dynamic activity in groups and organizations. The distributive arrangement resolves disputes, but often it negatively affects the satisfaction of one or more of the negotiators because it focuses on the short term and confronts. On the contrary, the integrative arrangement tends to yield results that satisfy all parties and build lasting relationships. When you enter into negotiations, be sure to set your goals aggressively and try to find creative ways to achieve both sides, especially when you value the long-term relationship with the other side. That does not mean "surrender" in their interests, rather it means trying to generate solutions that give both parties what they really want.
Bibliography
- Chiavenato, I. (2009). Organizational behavior. The dynamics of success in organizations. Mexico: McGraw Hill. Mexico Gibson, JL (1996). THE ORGANIZATIONS: BEHAVIOR, STRUCTURE, PROCESSES. MCGRAW-HILL / INTERAMERICANA DE CHILE.Hanzon, DK (1993). Informal Networks: The Company Behind the Chart. Massachusetts: Harvard Business Review, Hernández, FA (2012). Leadership: how to implement it in your company. Barcelona: Spanish academic publishing house, John R. Schermerhorn, JG (2005). Organizational Behavior. Wiley MORGAN, G. (1986). Images of the organization. Ra-ma.Nosnik, A. (1995). Organizational Communication Course: Planning and effective management of your processes. Mexico: Mimeo.
