NCJ Number
16356
Date Published
1975
Length
398 pages
Annotation
RESULTS OF A TEN-YEAR RESEARCH PROGRAM ON AUTHORITY SYSTEMS IN FORMAL ORGANIZATIONS.
Abstract
THE THEME OF THIS BOOK IS HOW THE EVALUATION PROCESS IS USED TO CONTROL THE TASK PERFORMANCE, AND THEREFORE THE BEHAVIOR, OF MEMBERS OF ORGANIZATIONS. EMPIRICAL DATA WAS GATHERED ON MORE THAN 20 DIFFERENT TYPES OF AUTHORITY SYSTEMS IN DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONAL SETTINGS, INCLUDING AN ELECTRONICS ASSEMBLY LINE, A UNIVERSITY FACULTY, AND A STUDENT NEWSPAPER. THIS DATA SHOWED THAT AUTHORITY SYSTEMS CRITICALLY DEPEND ON THE EVALUATION OF ORGANIZATIONAL PARTICIPANTS. THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE HOW THIS EVALUATION PROCESS WORKS AND INDICATE HOW INADEQUACIES IN THE PROCESS MOVE PEOPLE AWAY FROM THE ORGANIZATION'S PROFESSED GOALS AND LEAD TO ATTACKS ON THE AUTHORITY SYSTEM AS A WHOLE. THE AUTHORS' GENERAL THEORY ON EVALUATION AND AUTHORITY IS SET OUT IN DETAIL IN THE LAST CHAPTER. A FIFTEEN PAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)