Formal organizations - Research Paper Example

?Running head: Formal organizations Formal organizations Insert Insert Insert March 9, Outline Microsoft companies a. Type of the organization b. Parts of the organization c. Connection to a specific social institution d. Connection to one or more ‘essential tasks’ of the social institutions 2. Using micro sociology a. Formal organizations b. Routine day to-day interaction patterns in the organization c. How concepts from Dramaturgical approach apply d. Related concepts e. Leadership roles and styles f. How group conformity and group think relate to the above patterns 3. Impacts of the social variables in societal setting of the organization a. Significant social variables b. Status differences within this setting 4. Using macro sociology a. Characteristics associated with bureaucracy b. Other social institutions and formal organizations that have an impact c. The potential impacts of these other macro structures on the organization d. The potential impacts of these other macro structures on the organization Works cited 1. Microsoft companies a. Type of the organization Microsoft companies can be grouped as a utilitarian formal organization. In a utilitarian organization, the members of the organization are mainly brought together as a way of earning a living. The organization is formal due to its high institutional context (Meyer & Rowan, para.2). The members are paid for the services that they give. The service here is not voluntary as is the case with most normative organizations and neither are the members receiving correctional or medical services as in coercive organization. b. Parts of the organization Microsoft Company has various divisions depending on the functional aspects and the products produced at the divisions. At the head of the hierarchy are the two parallel but complementary positions; there is the CEO who is concerned with product development, sales and marketing, operations, administration, consulting and support, as well as financial management. The Chairman and Chief Software Architect is charged with the responsibility of developing the technical strategy in order to help in planning for the future operations of the organization. The discussion shall be concentrated on the business solutions under business divisions. c. Connection to a specific social institution Microsoft companies have a connection to several social institutions. It particularly has an important relation to the economic growth and development in a given society. The company is a developer and distributor of a variety of computer software and employs tens of thousands of professionals worldwide. The software developed by the company is useful in small businesses and the large enterprises as well. This helps in promoting the business operations hence encouraging economic growth. d. Connection to one or more ‘essential tasks’ of the social institutions Just like any other institution, Microsoft Company has an elaborate system for hiring employees and replacing the old employees who have left or died. We have also seen cases where a top serving officer in the organization resigns from his position and establishes a strategic senior position to help manage the organization. This was seen when the former Chief Executive Officer, Billy Gates, surrendered the position to be the Chairman and Chief Software Architect of the company. Another essential task performed by social institutions is producing, distributing, and consuming goods and services. In deed, Microsoft is the leading world producer of computer packages that are applicable in many sectors of the economy. 2. Using micro sociology a. Routine day to-day interaction patterns in the organization The day-to-day interactions are not very common at the organization at the lower level. The employees are often charged with individual responsibility under certain rules and regulations. The nature of the tasks that require consistent inventive and innovative abilities call for limited interactions. b. How concepts from Dramaturgical approach apply The Dramaturgical approach holds that the individuals in a given societal setting are capable of developing and performing various social roles in the organization (Goffman, 1). A similar scenario is indeed witnessed at the organization. Different groups of individuals are charged with various responsibilities at varying levels. The notion of individual responsibility practiced at the company requires that an individual be trusted to perform the role effectively. This is an essential element of the Dramaturgical approach (Goffman, 2). c. Related concepts The practice of a secondary group is evident in the operations at Microsoft Company. Unlike the primary group with little specialization, a secondary group is a ‘larger more specialized group in which members engage in more impersonal goal oriented relationships for a limited period of time’ (Kendall, 124). This is what occurs at the organization. d. Leadership roles and styles The Business department is concerned with the application software that is used in office and business environment. The business division has a president that reports to the Chief Executive Officer and is charged with managing the operations in this department. There are vice presidents for the subdivisions in this department. The officers at this level are charged with different roles. The office of the Vice President MS Business Solution has the role of developing business solutions and sales strategies for small and medium sized organizations. e. How group conformity and group think relate to the above patterns Groupthink occurs when members of a group make a decision that most of them individually feel is incorrect but they were unable to say it in the discussions (Kendall, 157). Such situations are rare since such discussions are not common at elementary levels at Microsoft Company. 3. Impacts of the social variables in societal setting of the organization a. Social diversities Every organization or institution in a given society will draw members from different cultural backgrounds, different races, gender, and even age. The employees of and organization, the top management, and the clients of such organizations often exhibit various kinds if diversities. Managing the social diversities is one of the key to a successful management of an organization. Being a multinational enterprise, Microsoft cuts across races, religious cultures, ethnic divides, gender, and age differences. The organization is committed to capitalizing on the diversity that exists among the customers, stakeholders and the community in order to improve the company’s operations. The company welcomes the divergent views that individuals from different groups can contribute towards the successful management of their organization. The company is committed to recruiting and selecting employees from diverse culture (Fagerberg, para.2). One of the components of the company’s Strategic Plan is to offer diversity training on all the employees. All the employees of the organizational are required to develop the skills that required working in the diverse environment. There are mentoring programs conducted by the organization to help the new employees to learn the operations of the organization (Fagerberg, para.2). Thus, the diversity that exists creates other structures within the organization that are aimed at managing them. b. Significant social variables The more significant social variables that have been considered by the organization include gender, race/ethnicity, and disabilities among groups of individuals. It has established various Diversity Advisory Council groups to help in developing a network of support for all the associated groups of individuals. c. Status differences within this setting A common status difference is often seen in a hierarchical system where the kind of communication depends on the individual’s position in the hierarchy (Martin, Jones & Callan, 1). This is not the case at Microsoft. There are typically no status differences within this organization. All the employees and others stakeholders are treated alike. In fact, the organization has developed strategies to ensure that all groups of individuals have relatively equal representation in all the operations of the organization 4. Using macro sociology a. Characteristics associated with bureaucracy Bureaucracy is an organizational model that is adopted to have a complex task broken down to smaller levels to have it performed effectively. It has six main characteristics or elements. These include specialization, rules and regulations, technical competence, hierarchy of offices, impersonality, and formal/written communications. The organizational model of bureaucracy is intended to promote efficiency and predictability of the organizational operations. The organizational structure that is witnessed at Microsoft Company has somehow a similar structure. There is an element of hierarchy of offices with Chief Executive Officer being the top management personnel. Under the CEO are the presidents of various divisions. The senior vice presidents and vice presidents follow the presidents in the hierarchy and are yet charged with responsibilities at the subdivisions. Below the vice presidents are the General Managers. Specialization is also evident in the development of the development of this hierarchy. A division will be set that works on a particular kind of products. The concept of impersonality has been seen in the Company for along time. It is necessary that at times the software architects work independently and separately confined in a room. The co-founder and the Chief Software Architect once termed the job as a ‘sit and think’ job that required a peaceful mind in a quiet place. b. Effect of organizational structure on individual interactions One of the cultures that have been traditionally adopted by Microsoft Company is emphasis on individual responsibility. Every one is therefore charged with a particular role and is expected to work on the task individually towards the overall achievement of the company objectives. There has also been the spirit of accountability instilled in the employees of the organization. Every one is held accountable for all the operational management under his jurisdiction. Another important culture that has been adopted is the openness in communications. The promotions that are witnessed at Microsoft Company are not based on how long one has served the company. Instead, it is based on the individual performance at a given time. A newly recruited but intelligent professional might climb the ladder faster than a long serving but less inventive professional might. c. Other social institutions and formal organizations that have an impact The social institutions that have an impact on the functioning and operations at the company are the government and the economy. Microsoft Company is a multinational enterprise and it has set up several outlets in different countries of the world. The government policies and legislation often influences the operations of the company. Microsoft has been charged with the alleged violation of an Act that was checking on how the competing companies gave room for each other. The level of local and global economy will determine which section of the sphere is appropriate for the US-based multi-billion enterprise to make foreign investment. Other formal organizations deal in the same products that are produced and distributed by Microsoft. These organizations include Apple Computer Inc, International Business Management Corporation, Sony Corporation, and Yahoo Inc among many others. d. The potential impacts of these other macro structures on the organization The other formal organizations mentioned above have offered some competition to the Microsoft Company in the market for computer software. This has led to the development of various technical marketing strategies by the organization to sustain the competitive advantage it had ripped of the hands of IBM Corporations. Works Cited Fagerberg, Paul. Microsoft: Numerous outreach and diversity programs are a hallmark of the company's commitment to inclusiveness The Black Collegian Magazine ©. 2005. 09 March 2011. http://www.black-collegian.com/issues/1stsem03/microsoft2003-1st.shtml. Goffman, Erving. Dramaturgical Approach. N.d. 09 March 2011. http://www.fdbond.com/Sociology/04-Socialization/Dramaturgical%20Approach.pdf. Kendall, Diana. Sociology in Our Times: The Essentials 7th ed. OH: Cengage Learning 2008. 09 March 2011. http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=vsbhwKM3QcMC&pg=PA126&lpg=PA126&dq=5+essential+tasks+of+social+institutions&source=bl&ots=InbFrDKYYB&sig=4OJ4A1LaRIPuRwY8hapRj0otX4Y&hl=en&ei=VzR3TbTIJKKD0QHuw4jpBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=%20group%20conformity&f=true. Martin, Anjela, Jones, Elizabeth and Callan, Victor. Status differences in employee adjustment during organizational change. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 21 No. 2, pp. 145-162. 2006. 09 March 2011. http://eprints.utas.edu.au/7260/1/MartinetalJMgrlPsy06eeAdjustmntOrgChangeHealthHospital.pdf Meyer, John and Rowan, Brian. Institutionalized Organizations: Formal Structure as Myth and Ceremony. The New Institutionalism. N.d. 09 March 2011. http://ssr1.uchicago.edu/PRELIMS/Orgs/orgs2.html. Read More