Freedom, conflict and social organization: an illustrative analysis

Abstract

This thesis proceeds from the observation of Professor George A. Hillery, Jr. that groups which are oriented towards achieving specific goals (formal organizations) show greater perceived deprivation of freedom and conflict among their members than do groups which are not so oriented (communal organizations). A variable, the goal relationship, is suggested as possibly ordering groups according to perceived deprivation of freedom and conflict within the categories of formal and communal organizations as well as between them.

The goal relationship is defined as the perceptions of organizational members of the extent to which the official goals of an organization support their own personal goals. In hypothetical form, the contention of this thesis is that the perceived deprivation of freedom and intra-organizational conflict of an organization's members will increase the more the members perceive the official organizational goals as being nonsupportive of their personal goals.

An illustrative analysis of this contention is undertaken at the group level for the lower participants of seven organizations. The results indicate strong support for the hypothesis, though cautious interpretation of the results is suggested because the seven organizations studied do not represent a known population.