There is some question as to the usefulness of Etzioni's typological theory of compliance in organizational research. This study with a sample of 265 blueand white-collar workers in six organizations tests propositions from the theory concerning relationships between power used by organizations, commitment of workers to the organization and task performance. The results cast doubt on the usefulness of a classification scheme using concrete organizational types, but support the proposition that the more normative (less utilitarian) the power, the greater the commitment. Little or no relationship was found between power and task performance or commitment and task performance.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
DAMEK, R. & DAGER, E. Z. (1968). Social structure, identification and changes in a treatment - oriented institution . American Sociological Review33: 931-944 .
2.
AIKEN, MICHAEL & HAGE, JERALD (1966). Organizational alienation: A comparative analysis . American Sociological Review31: 497-507 .
3.
BERELSON, B. & STEINER, G. (1964). Human behavior: An inventory of scientific findings. Harcourt, Brace and World, Inc.
4.
BLALOCK, H. M. (1969). Theory construction. Prentice-Hall, Inc.
5.
CAPECCHI, VITTORIO (1966). Typologies in relation to mathematical models . Ikon58: 1-62 .
6.
ETZIONI, AMITAI (1961). A comparative analysis of complex organizations. Free Press .
7.
ETZIONI, AMITAI (1964). Modern organizations. Prentice-Hall, Inc.
8.
ETZIONI, AMITAI (1968). Organizational dimensions and their interrelationships: A theory of compliance, in Indik & Berrien (ed.). People, groups, and organizations. Teachers College Press : 94-109.
9.
ETZIONI, AMITAI (1969). A sociological reader in complex organizations. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc.
10.
FRANKLIN, JACK (1972a). Role performance and commitment to the organization. Springfield, Va.: National Technical Information Service .
11.
FRANKLIN, JACK (1972b). Power, commitment, and task performance. Unpublished paper presented to the Midwest Sociological Society.
12.
FRANKLIN, JACK (1972c). The normative organization: A test of Etzioni's compliance classification. Unpublished paper presented to the American Sociological Association.
13.
GAMSON, ZELDA (1966). Utilitarian and normative orientations toward education . Sociology of Education39: 46-73 .
14.
HAAS, J. , HALL, R. & JOHNSON, N. (1967). An examination of the Blau-Scott and Etzioni typologies . Administrative Science Quarterly12: 118-139 .
15.
HALL, RICHARD H. (1963). The concept of bureaucracy: An empirical assessment . A merican Journal of Sociology: 3240-3240 .
16.
INDIK, BERNARD P. (1968). A summing up - toward a more coherent future of research, in Indik & Berrien (eds.). People, groups, and organizations. Teachers College Press : 250-263.
17.
INGHAM, ROY J. (1968). A comparative study of administrative principles and practices in adult education units . Adult Education JournalXIX: 52-68 .
18.
JONES, GARTH N. (1965). Strategies and tactics of planned organizational change . Human Organization24; 192-200 .
19.
JULIAN, JOSEPH (1966). Compliance patterns and communication blocks in complex organizations . American Sociological Review31: 382-389 .
20.
JULIAN, JOSEPH (1968). Organizational involvement and social control. Social Forces : 12-16.
21.
KANTER, ROSABETH (1968). Commitment and social organization: A study of commitment mechanism in Utopian communities . American Sociological Review33: 499-517 .
22.
KELMAN, HERBERT (1958). Compliance, identification, and internalization: Three processes of attitude change . Journal of Conflict Resolution: 51-60 .
23.
LEEDS, RUTH (1964). The absorption of protest: A working paper, in W. W. Cooper , H. J. Leavitt & M. W. Shelly, II (eds.). New Perspectives in Organizational Research: 115-135. New York: John Wiley and Sons .
24.
LEVINSON, P. & SCHILLER, J. (1966). Role analysis of the indigenuous nonprofessional . Social WorkII (3): 95-101 .
25.
MANN, F. & DENT, J. (1954). Appraisals of Supervisors. Ann Arbor: Survey Research Center. University of Michigan : 25-25.
26.
McKINNEY, JOHN C , (1966). Constructive typology and social theory. Appleton-Century-Crofts.
27.
MULFORD, C. , KLONGLAN, G. & WARREN, R. (1971). Socialization, communication, and role performance . Sociological Quarterly13: 74-80 .
28.
SEARS, ROBERT R. , MACCOBY, ELEANOR E. & LEVIN, HARRY (1957). Patterns of child rearing. Harper and Row.
29.
UDY, STANLEY H. (1959). Bureaucracy and rationality in Weber's organizational theory: An empirical study . American Sociological Review24: 791-795 .
30.
WARREN, DONALD I . (1968). Power, visibility, and conformity in formal organizations . A merican Sociological Review33: 951-970 .
