Human beings have always lived within organizations, therefore they have always known the meaning of hierarchy derived from power, since in every organization there is always a dominant being by nature, by democracy or by instinct.
So it is that from our ancestors and especially today there are large organizations with a lot of power over society. This work talks about the importance of organizations and the types of powers that are exercised today.
Organization and power in ancient times
Since the appearance of man, and the development of peoples, the organization of human society has been a key piece for the advancement in different disciplines such as: hunting, tool development, livestock, agriculture, etc.
Since pre-Hispanic times, men found themselves in the need to group together to achieve the same goal and meet their needs, for example to hunt large animals, men organized and coordinated following a strategic plan and a hierarchical structure.
In administration, Shelon defines the organization as: the process of combining the work that individuals or groups must carry out, with the necessary elements for its execution, in such a way that the tasks that are carried out are the best means for efficient application, systematic, positive and coordinated effort available.
Continuing with the previous example, the groups or organizations were structured under a hierarchy in which they observed a guide who had the legal right to order an action from others and to demand its compliance.
At the beginning of the Middle Ages, the principles of the organization were gaining momentum, such as:
- The division of labor Authority and Responsibility Discipline Unit of command Unit of direction Centralization Hierarchy Order Equity
Which are applied both in business organizations and in society.
Organization concept
There are different organizational concepts in administration:
Terry defines organization as "the arrangement of the functions deemed necessary to achieve an objective, and an indication of the authority and responsibility assigned to the persons charged with the execution of the respective functions."
Petersen and Plowman say: "It is a method of distributing authority and responsibility, and it serves to establish practical channels of communication between groups."
Litterer points out: "it is a social unit, within which there is a stable relationship (not necessarily personal) between its members, in order to facilitate the obtaining of a series of objects and goals."
In conclusion, I define the organization as: a group of people who pursue the same common goal, through administration processes (planning, organization, execution, direction and control) through the technical structuring between functions, levels and activities.
Power concept
The concept of power can vary over time and with respect to the way of thinking of different authors.
"By power is understood every opportunity or possibility existing in a social relationship that allows an individual to fulfill his own will."
For many, power is equal to authority, however I consider that it is not the same since power is in those people or entities that can carry out their decisions beyond their environment; and authority is to enforce decisions within the same environment, be it family, company or group.
Types of organizations
There are different types of organizations that can be oriented to different turns, which exert an influence on people's lives and that are part of the environment where they work, study, have fun, etc.
FORMAL ORGANIZATION
Mechanism or structure that allows people to work together in an efficient way. Each member can contribute more efficiently with their work, for the preservation of the primary objective.
Purposes:
- Allow the administrator or professional executive to achieve the primary objectives of a company Eliminate duplication of work Assign each member of the organization responsibility and authority for the efficient execution of their tasks.
An excellent organization allows the establishment of adequate communication channels.
The formal organization is an element of the administration that aims to group or identify the tasks and jobs to be developed within the company.
INFORMAL ORGANIZATION
It is the result of the individual and collective reactions of individuals to the formal organization.
This type of organization can be observed at five different levels:
- Total Informal Organization, considered as a system of interrelated groups Constituted in larger opinion or pressure groups on some particular aspect of company policy Informal groups based on similar tasks and more or less intimately related Groups intimately related children of three and four isolated individuals who rarely participate in social activities
SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS
Group of people formally constituted to achieve, with greater efficiency, certain common objectives that cannot be achieved individually. Their objectives are the ends or goals they intend to achieve through collective effort.
Two main stages can be distinguished:
- Its structuring or construction consists of its normal operation or functioning to achieve the proposed purposes.
In a company the elements that comprise it must be analyzed:
- Human Resources.
Active elements of the company, that is, those whose work is of a more intellectual and service category.
- Material resources.
It is made up of its buildings and the facilities that are made in them to adopt them to productive work.
- Technical resources.
They are the stable relationships in which the various things, people or these must be coordinated with them. It can be said that they are the intangible assets of the company.
Types of power
While organizations use power to transcend between countries, they also use authority to achieve their objectives, since authority can be delegated to make work more optimal, efficient and effective.
The classic study by French and Raven in 1959 identified five bases or sources of power that an individual has over others:
- Legitimate power: that is derived from the official position of a person in an organization. For example, when a president has power over his people. Coercive power: derived from the ability of a person to instill fear in another individual. For example, that of a boss to his subordinate. Power of reward: it is the opposite of the coercive power because it is derived from the power to grant rewards for obeying the superior's wishes. For example, rewarding or encouraging the highest and best production. Expert power: derived from the subordinate's perception or belief that the superior has remarkable ability or knowledge and experience in certain areas. For example, people follow those who are good at that discipline who are interested. Power of reference:it is based on the identification of the individual with a leader who is held in high esteem, who is admired and often imitated by the subordinate. What every administrator should be…
Characteristics of the organization and power
We have all lived since our birth within an organization, be it family, class group, soccer team, work group, etc. And therefore also with the concept of authority from birth.
Authority conditions the actions and behavior of all the administrative members of a company and is the common thread that holds together the various organizational units, thus making possible the effective joint work of the entire organization.
THE ORGANIZATION HAS 6 CHARACTERISTICS:
- Complexity: There are high and low organizations. Large organizations have a large number of intermediate levels that coordinate and integrate the work of people through indirect interaction. Small companies carry out activities interacting directly with people. Anonymity: It gives importance to the work or operation that is carried out, regardless of who executes it. Standardized Routine: These are communication processes and channels that exist in a depersonalized environment or Impersonal, large organizations tend to form sub-collectives or informal groups, maintaining a personalized action within them. Unofficial specialized structure: They configure an informal organization whose power, in some cases, are more effective than formal structures.Tendency to specialization and proliferation of functions: It aims to distance formal authority from those of professional or technical identity, which need an extra-formal model of interdependence Authority-Capacity to maintain order. Size: It will depend on the number of participants and dependencies.
Organization and power applications
Currently there are different types of organizations, such as religious, administrative, sports, social, etc. But all are formed for a common purpose depending on the activities that are carried out. In each of these there is always the person who leads, that person exercises a certain power over the others, for example the churches have a pastor who exerts some pressure on the parishioners to achieve an end for the benefit of society.
Max Weber considers that "power is understood as every opportunity or possibility existing in a social relationship that allows an individual to fulfill his own will". Politics is a model of this author's definition, since they have power and not authority in organizations.
Organization and power in public administration
Public administration is the concept of the set of state organizations that performs the administrative function of the state. The Republic of the United Mexican States, better known as Mexico, is governed by three powers: the Executive, the Legislative and the Judicial; in turn, each of the free and sovereign states of the Mexican Republic adopt the same powers.
The state organizations overseen by the public administration depend on the executive branch of the state. And each organization is called State Secretaries, which have the power to delegate functions. So these are expanded throughout the territorial extension of the State, in order to give a better service to society in general.
In each organization of the public function, there are hierarchies and therefore also the power and authority to carry out the objectives of the State Government.
Organization and power in the Education Sector
My organization depends on one of the Secretary of State with the greatest coverage and importance anywhere, it is the Secretary of Education. It is an organization that is similar in any country since there are schools in every nation, which are small organizations.
Schools are the operational base of Education, but even in these small organizations, there is unity of command and direction, as well as a hierarchy, where the school director is the one who has power over his teachers and students. The directors of the schools also have an immediate boss called the supervisor of each school zone; Likewise, the lines of command are given through the Heads of Sectors, Regional Delegates of Education, Secretary of Education, until reaching the maximum power of the State "The Executive Power" or the Lord Governor.
CRITICISM OF ORGANIZATION AND POWER
Organizations must be a perfect mechanism, otherwise they would not have any success and power over others. In every organization there must be the main principles of administration such as: unity of command, unity of direction and hierarchy, the latter indicating who has power within an organization.
However, most public organizations lack these principles. Therefore, subordinates in this type of organization do not meet the expectations desired by the hierarchical powers; Even so, they are necessary because these organizations are the communication between society and the powers of a nation, state or region.
CONCLUSION
The organization and power come to be constituted in oneself, to satisfy the needs of a society. Likewise, an organization always depends on another, of lesser or greater power. Organizations have existed since ancient times to satisfy productive, economic, social needs, etc.
In conclusion, I can say that organizations will always be part of our lives and in each of them there will always be a person who has control, power or authority. That does not mean that we can never be part of the power of a formal or informal organization.
Public administrators have the duty and power to safeguard the interests of a nation and the economic resources that emanate from them, for the welfare of society.
