Table of Contents
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
Formal Organization Pronunciation
Syllabification: for·mal or·gan·i·za·tion
Audio Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
- American English – /fOR-muhl orguh-nuh-zAY-shuhn/
- British English – /fAWm-uhl awguh-nie-zAY-shuhn/
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 November 9, 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 November 9, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/formal-organization/.
MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“formal organization.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 9 Nov. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/formal-organization/>.