The contributions to the management theory of the German sociologist Renate Mayntz focus on the topics of typology of organizations, the authority structure, communication and conflict. She is ranked as one of the main representatives of the structuralist school of administration along with Max Weber and Chester Barnard.
Classification of organizations according to their objectives
It classifies organizations according to their objectives, and in its description it can be seen how the differences affect their structure and mode of operation.
1. Organizations whose objectives are limited to the coexistence of the members, their common action and the reciprocal contact that this requires
Recreation circles, clubs and other recreational associations belong to this category, participating in characteristics such as: their democratic structure, the voluntary membership of the members, and the little differentiated and little bureaucratized structure.
2. Organizations whose objective is to act in a certain way on a group of people who are admitted for this purpose, at least temporarily, in the organization
Schools, hospitals, churches, prisons are some examples. Subgroups can be distinguished in these organizations: those who participate voluntarily or those who do so forced; those who act and on those who act.
The active group is generally made up of volunteers who act professionally and who organize themselves, thus enhancing bureaucratization and rational management. The lower group is less articulated. And between the two groups there is usually no mobility.
3. Organizations whose objective is the achievement of a certain result or the achievement of a certain outward action
Three subgroups are in turn derived from the objective-person relationship.
- Organizations in which members participate without seeking personal advantage. Charitable associations would be a good example: Organizations whose objective is identified with the personal interest of their members, such as cooperatives, unions, etc. Organizations that provide their members with personal advantages not necessarily identified with the objective of the organization. Examples of this subgroup can be companies, police, the Administration, etc., in which most of the members belong, not because they look for the goods they produce or the services they provide, but because they earn their livelihood in the organization..
Normally, the organizations of the two initial subgroups are structured according to the democratic model, and the membership of their members is voluntary, while those of the third group have an authoritarian, hierarchical structure and membership in them is not always voluntary.
The aforementioned typological classification attempts or other similar ones were intended to avoid previous attempts in which only common sense was used or very partial areas of the organizations were attended. However, the unidimensional nature of the classifications made, although it has gained rigor, has not been able to validate criteria and it is common to find organizations that participate in several classification criteria, thus, for example, professional associations can pursue objectives of the three categories It mentions: solidarity and cooperation among its members, representation of their interests through outward action and perhaps an educational action on the members themselves.
The authority structure
Mayntz indicates that the structure of an organization consists of the description of the role or role that each member of it must play. The position defines the individual; that is to say, the occupation of a position within the organization requires that the individual exhibit a consistent behavior, assume responsibilities and have a certain social status. In bureaucratically structured organizations, the expectations regarding the lower ranks are formulated with greater precision and are more coercive than those formulated for the higher ranks. A manager in a bureaucratic organization has more room to make decisions. In contrast, in democratic organizations (a political party), leaders must meet various personality and skill requirements,while members in general have few demands, except for activities related to the organization (attending meetings). It suggests that when a company is regulated too much, it can fall into bureaucracy and that this limits creativity, by not allowing freedom of action.
Classification of authority structures
- Hierarchical structure. Here, the head of the organization makes the decisions aimed directly at its objectives. The more we descend in rank, the more obeying or executing predominates, than giving orders. Some examples would be: a company, the church, the army. Democratic structure. In these, decisions are made by the majority. The managerial positions are determined by election and, these are those that define the aims of the organization and the lines of action. Examples of these organizations would be political parties or unions. Structure with technical authority. Here people act according to their professional know-how. These are governed by academies, technical boards, or specialty committees. An example would be a hospital.
The following figure shows the authority structures according to the Mayntz classification:
Mayntz authority structures. Source: Administration Anthology, p.90.
Importance and structure of communication
In organizations, authority regulates communication, but as mentioned above, authority can be formal or informal, and in both there are different styles of communication. Formal authority is communicated through orders and instructions, usually in writing. In contrast, informal authority uses oral communication and communicates through suggestion and leadership. Communication can occur vertically, from the top down, between superiors and subordinates (instructions, orders) and from the bottom up (reports, suggestions); Or, it can occur horizontally, where people of the same level communicate to exchange experiences and opinions. Communication between subgroups can reduce tension in the organization.
Conflict
It suggests that structural dysfunctions and conflicts occur within organizations when:
- The employee and the company expect different things; orders are not given correctly or are given by several people; greater capacity or speed is required at work; people feel that their role in the company should be different; there are overloads in the job.
___________
To complement, we leave you with the following video, produced by Educatina, in which Mrs. Mayntz's contributions to the theory of organization are very aptly synthesized.
Bibliography
- Álvarez Medina, María de Lourdes. History of administrative thought. Pearson Education, 2005, p.154.Antology of Management. Universidad de la Sierra AC, pp. 88-91 Enrique G., Alonso Munguia. Theory of Organizations. Editorial Umbral, 2006, p.15 Gairín Sallán, Joaquín. The school organization: context and text of action. Editorial La Muralla, 1996, p.99.
