Original scientific paper
Merlin B. Brinkerhoff
; Odsjek za sociologiju, Sveučilište Calgary, Canada
Abstract
The principal aim of this paper has been to investigate two structural characteristics of complex organizations which were hypothesized to influence the use of staff conferences. The structural characteristics examined were: 1) the manager’s position in the hierarchy of authority, and 2) the degree to which the manager by virtue of this position is exposed to contingencies. In general, the hypotheses were based on the assumption that these structural characteristics entail coordination activities which are handled, in part, in the context of the staff conference.
Data were gathered by questionnaire for 680 managers of a large industrial and engineering organization. Hierarchical status was found to be strongly related to staff conference utilization. In conjunction with earlier studies, the data suggest that top level managers or executives employ the conference in order to coordinate the many varied activities of the firs-time supervisors, with greater directive and controlling responsibilities, may employ proportionately even more spontaneous contacts and meetings to accomplish their duties. The second structural characteristic, contingency exposure, was found to be only weakly related to staff conferences utilization.
In order to examine the hypothesized relationships more carefully, several social-psychological and structural variables were introduced as control variables. The original relationships were not greatly influenced by these controls.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
156566
URI
Publication date:
30.9.1972.
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