10 Examples of Formal and Informal Organization

There are various ways to collective organization, with varying degrees of hierarchy, structure and rigor in its operation.

In this sense, there is talk of formal and informal organization to distinguish between those forms that adhere to what is established in a document (formal organization) and those that are more spontaneous and flexible (informal organization). For example: the government of a country, street vendors.

Both can occur in the same social or work context (in fact, they do), but only one can be imposed in the long run if it is intended to achieve a specific task.

All organizations, without exception, have a higher or lower degree of stiffness and attachment by its own rules of the game, so it could be said that "formal" and "informal" are just extreme categories of the same analysis perspective.

In fact, informal organization often arises from the interactions and social friction that the formal structure imposes on the members of a group.

Differences between formal and informal organization

The main difference between the formal and informal organization has to do with the fact that the former is “official”, that is, supported by a model theoretical (often in writing: a charter, an organizational manual, etc.) based on plans, projections, models of behavior and other conceptual tools that constitute a hierarchy and allow the division of labor into units specialized and differentiated.

Examples of formal organization

1. The bureaucratic body of a Ministry. Although it may not seem like it at times, state ministries and departments are formally organized, since They obey a departmentalization and specification of the work according to a division established in its regulations internal. This can be altered, of course, but not without generating a new document stating the changes implemented to the structure.
2. The co-government of a University. The autonomous universities have co-government bodies elected by vote of the university community and whose operation is governed by constitutive documents that prioritize and structure the Rectorates and Vice-Rectorates and so on until the simplest Center of Students. Again, the operations of these instances could be changed, but not without first generating a new written provision and without going through certain decision instances.
3. The management of a bank. The structuring of work in a bank obeys different, hierarchical and differentiated departments and coordination according to at the beginning of the greatest formality and control, something essential since it is an organization that will handle quantities of money.
4. The government of a country. Regardless of their government regime and their specific legislative framework, the governments of the countries are examples of organizations formal: they are chosen according to specific methods (some are not chosen, of course), they adhere to positions and hierarchies ranging from monopoly from violence by the State (military forces), to the traffic laws that regulate the way we move in the city. All this is contained in laws, codes and the Constitution of the Republic.
5. Any company. The Business They are governed by constituent documents in which their hierarchy, their different departments and coordination appear, in short, their formal structure that coordinates the efforts of its different workers and employees, to carry out pending tasks and approach its mission as an organization, whatever it may be.

Examples of informal organization

1. A group of coworkers. A group of colleagues who see each other regularly and go out after work to have a beer, is governed by an informal organization that allows eventual absence of any of them, which horizontalizes and makes the deal more flexible and does not require any written commitment or list of rules for be governed. A group member can choose to no longer attend or attend in another way without stipulating anywhere.
2. A Sunday football team. It is common for many families or groups of friends to get together to do sport, for which they must organize themselves minimally into two opposing teams, and obey the rules of the game that are common to all; but that organization will not appear in any document or be resistant to your wishes, so if any decides to change teams with another can do it, or if he gets tired of running and changes places with the goalkeeper, there will be no trouble.
3. Street vendors. For a reason, peddling is known as part of the informal economy: they do not enter the regulated and official apparatus of taxes and economic circuits, but rather they sell their products itinerantly, for a while here and another there, setting the price without any type of agreement and without paying taxes, rents or anything that can later be proven legally. This does not mean that they are not organized: they must buy the cheapest merchandise and sell it more expensive, they know where to locate themselves, which products are in demand the most, etc.
4. A reading clubneighborhood. In any city there may be a reading club that involves neighbors willing to read, without this meriting much more than encouragement to meet to talk about their books and a certain margin of organization in the meetings, so that not everyone talks at the same time or talks about books different. But this organization is flexible, changing and does not require any kind of formal commitment.
5. A loving couple in the courtship stage. Unlike marriage or cohabitation, courtship is a stage of organization of the couple that could be classified as informal, since it only appears in the wills of those involved and does not merit any legal commitment, such as an act of marriage. It can be freely interrupted, in spite of everything, and yet it sticks to certain rules by mutual agreement between the bride and groom, who are normally fidelity, I respect, exclusivity, etc.

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