formal organization

Definition of Formal Organization

(noun) An impersonal organization that is typically large and highly structured, formed to achieve explicit tong-term objectives and designed to maximize efficiency.

Example of Formal Organization

• British Petroleum
• Disney
• McDonald’s
• Peace Corps

Types of Formal Organization

• coercive organization
• utilitarian organization
• voluntary organization

Formal Organization Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: for·mal or·gan·i·za·tion

Audio Pronunciation

International Phonetic Alphabet

• American English – /ˈfɔrməl ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃən/
• British English – /ˈfɔːməl ˌɔːgənaɪˈzeɪʃən/

Usage Note

• Plural: formal organizations
• Formal organizations coordinate people, resources, and technology toward objectives.
• Formal organizations are bureaucracies with explicit norms and rules for its members.
• Conglomerates are formal organizations.

Related Video

Additional Information

• Word origin of “formal” and “organization” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com
• Blau, Peter M., and W. Richard Scott. 1962. Formal Organizations. San Francisco: Chandler.

Related Terms

• bureaucracy
• clear division of labor
• coercive organization
• explicit rules
• hierarchy of authority
• impersonality
• McDonaldization
• organization
• utilitarian organization
• voluntary organization

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Cite the Definition of Formal Organization

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “formal organization.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved April 19, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/formal-organization/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

formal organization. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/formal-organization/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “formal organization.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed April 19, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/formal-organization/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“formal organization.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/formal-organization/>.