Fundamentals of Management, 11/e

6 What Is Formalization?

Traditional View

Formalization refers to how standardized an organization’s jobs are and the extent to which employee behavior is guided by rules and procedures. Highly formalized organizations have explicit job descriptions, numerous organizational rules, and clearly defined procedures covering work processes. Employees have little discretion over what’s done, when it’s done, and how it’s done. However, where formalization is low, employees have more discretion in how they do their work. Early management writers expected organizations to be fairly formalized, as formalization went hand-in-hand with bureaucratic-style organizations.

Today’s View

Although some formalization is necessary for consistency and control, many ...