The sociology of management is. Scientific electronic library

Modern entrepreneurs are increasingly moving away from the teachings of classical management schools and are looking for new, more effective management methods. One of the young areas that are trying to look for answers and solutions in this perspective is the sociology of management.

Unlike the classical school of scientific management, which focuses on the technological process, sociology proposes to deal with the relationships that have developed in the team.

What does social management do?

The sociology of management considers all the processes taking place in society (at all levels) as an object of its interests. The object of research is the state, and the region, and the individual. It can be argued that the sociology and psychology of management are interested in all people in the world, as well as organizations and processes that occur during their interaction in any historical era.

In addition, this science also studies the spontaneity of social self-organization, which is very important for enterprise management. After all, in addition to the formal team - the staff - informal organizations are constantly formed at the enterprise: friendships are established between people, they have some common interests that are not related to work, etc. And an informal leader can cause a lot of problems to management if suddenly decides to oppose the authorities. In a global sense, sociology defines such spontaneous processes:

• human reproductive behavior;
• the formation of a shadow economy;
• population migration;
• formation of public opinion;
• consumer behavior.

Subject

An important aspect of the study of any problem is the definition of not only the interests of science, but also the characteristics, processes and properties of the objects of study, i.e. its (discipline) subject. The sociology of management analyzes the patterns of functioning of individual social objects and reveals the mechanisms of influence on their components.

At the same time, foreign and domestic theorists seek to identify the algorithms by which social patterns are implemented, and on their basis create recommendations for the strategic and tactical management of an enterprise. In addition, the sociology of management calls one of its subject interests the study of the historical path of management: from the communal social order to modern public administration.

Issues

At the present stage of development of the sociology of management, four blocks of tasks have been identified, the solution of which requires special knowledge and skills:

• the need to manage people in cases where the personal qualities of an employee are higher than his professional skills;
• the need to manage relationships in the team, while highlighting the issues of leadership and leadership, the opposition of formal and informal structures, etc.;
• the need to develop clear criteria for determining the effectiveness of management;
• the need for systems management.

Another important issue dealt with by the sociology of management is the prediction of the development of spontaneous processes and the development of methods for their optimization.

The scale of the problems under study

Like almost any science, the sociology of management is engaged not only in fundamental, but also in applied research. The hierarchical principles of building society dictate their own rules and methods of activity to leaders. Highlighting four levels of social interaction, theorists are looking for solutions to the tasks; by moving from the general to the particular and vice versa, it is often possible to develop truly effective recommendations.

At the macrosociological level, the processes of interstate, state, interethnic and ethnic nature are analyzed. The theory of the middle level is concerned with the management of a society living in a local area (region, municipality, organization). The micro level analyzes the activity and behavior of the individual: behavior in society, consumer habits, motivation, etc. And, finally, at the operational level, analysis and selection of methodologies that are optimal for managing the organization are carried out, programs of specific research on management issues are developed.

Functions

Each science performs certain functions. The sociology of management is no exception. The researchers identified the following:

So, the sociology of management studies the methodology of management, based on socially significant goals; the developed mechanisms are based on the results of applied research. Today, this direction does not yet have an established conceptual apparatus and has not received its place in the general system of knowledge, since it is on the verge of two sciences - sociology proper and management.

If with the definition of sociology everything is more or less precise and unambiguous, then the concept of "management" is very broad and vague. Firstly, because, depending on the situation, management may not refer to an individual or a group, but to the whole system (organization). In some cases, the discipline also considers the management of mechanisms. Secondly, the very concept of management is interpreted in different ways - from the development of a control action to the total control of activities. Thirdly, management is often perceived as the power of one over another (a leader over a subordinate). And, finally, the mechanism of leadership work is inherent in all spheres of human activity without exception.

All this provokes the emergence of such areas as the sociology of management and social management. In a general sense, it is generally accepted that management is the development of guiding influence based on constant interaction.

Management levels

Depending on the size of the managed subsystem, the following levels of social management are distinguished:

• institutional- senior management (president, head of the board of directors, etc.), this also includes the sociology of public administration.
• managerial- Middle management. Involves managing groups of people.
• Technical- operational management. Deals with issues of personnel management (individual people), developing individual approaches to subordinates.

Personnel Management

The most effective and necessary is considered to be the technical level of management. Of course, both institutional and management levels are important as strategic goals. But the daily activities of people and interaction with each other make it possible to create products (i.e., create added value, according to the theory of economics). And that is what leads to income.

This once again confirms the need to study such a science as the sociology of management. Topics to consider here are endless:

• building an organizational hierarchy and power system, creating an organizational culture;
• the formation of social groups, the allocation of statuses in them and the distribution of roles between participants;
• involvement of subordinates in the development of production common solutions, etc.

All this can significantly increase the responsibility of performers and their productivity.

Correct management is the engine of progress

In addition, the so-called social climate of the team affects the quantitative and qualitative indicators of production. This means that the sociology of personnel management is also interested in such issues as interpersonal relations of employees, the emergence and resolution of organizational conflicts, adaptation and satisfaction of personnel, social planning and responsibility.

Being engaged in structural connections in the team, this direction can not only track, but also explain how and why innovations constantly appear in management. And the possibility of transforming management methods from one manufacturing industry to another creates new ways to implement them and, to some extent, stimulates the development of technologies.

Topic 1.1. Sociology of management as a science

Literature

1. Babosov E.M. "Sociology of Management"

2. Udaltsova M.V. "Sociology of Management"

3. Galkina T.P. "Sociology of management: from group to team"

Plan

I. Object, subject, tasks and principles of sociology and psychology of management. Purposes and functions.

II. The main categories of the sociology of management (analysis of the basic and key concepts of the course).

III. Methodology and methodology of the sociology of management (see seminar).

IV. Place in the system of scientific knowledge (see seminar).

I. Object, subject, tasks and principles of the sociology of management. Purposes and functions.

Sociology of Management is a branch of sociology that studies the sociological aspect of managerial activity.

Sociology of Management- this is a section of sociology that considers the process of formation, development and functioning of a certain sphere of life; it is a study of the mechanisms of social change and social relations, the patterns of social actions and behavior in management systems and processes.

Object of sociology: society, i.e. people united in society, and the diverse processes of cooperation, mutual assistance, rivalry of people united in family, professional and other groups taking place in society.

Subject of sociology: study of the interaction of individuals and social groups in certain conditions of their existence.

Object of sociology of management: management processes occurring in society, its individual subsystems or organizations.

The subject of sociology of management: the study of social relations in the field of management, that is, the study, evaluation and improvement of management processes in various types of communities, organizations, social institutions and society as a whole, each of which is a specific system of social interactions between individuals and their groups

Tasks of sociology of management:

1) the study of facts in which the features of the interaction of those people who carry out managerial activities and those who are not included in this type of activity are manifested;

2) study of trends in the development of management processes, their changes depending on the changed socio-economic conditions;

3) explanation of the reasons for the emergence of innovations in management activities;

4) building directions and scenarios for the development of management activities in the future, that is, a forecast for its improvement;

The essence of the sociological approach to management

The essence of the sociological approach to management suggests that the sociology of management studies the following groups of problems:

1) the sociology of management studies the organs of government from the point of view of their functioning as social systems;

2) SU studies the problems of setting and implementing social management goals;

3) SU studies the problems of social consequences of managerial decisions, research and development of a system for taking into account the opinions, interests and suggestions of people;

4) study of the problems of purposeful influence on controlled subsystems and related issues of discipline, responsibility, diligence;

5) study of the problems of intra-group regulation in individual groups and in the organization as a whole.

Thus, in general, SU considers such topical issues as: organizational culture, the system of power and leadership-subordination relations, the social structure of the organization, social groups, statuses and roles, the formation of groups in the management system, the participation of performers in the development of common decisions, organizational conflicts , adaptation of personnel, management consulting, social planning, job satisfaction, social responsibility.

Thus, depending on the range of managerial problems, four levels can be distinguished in the structure of the sociology of management.

The macrosociological level is the study of management processes and relations at the interstate, state, ethnic, interethnic, etc. levels.

Middle-level theories study management in local areas of society: in the region, in municipalities, in organizations, etc.

Micro level - the study of the individual, his needs, motivation in the process of managerial communications.

The operational level includes the analysis and selection of the most optimal management methods and technologies, the development of a program and the conduct of concrete sociological research on management problems.

Sociology of management as a sectoral sociological theory. Institutionalization of sociology as a science, main theoretical approaches and concepts.

Sociology of management as a special sociological theory. Sociology of management in the structure of sociological knowledge. Subject, object and tasks of the sociology of management. Methods of sociology of management. The main conceptual and categorical apparatus of the sociology of management. Interdisciplinary nature of the sociology of management. Stages of development of the sociology of management. Classical theories of organization and management (O. Comte, E. Durkheim, A. Touraine, M. Weber, R. Dahrendorf, F. Znanetsky). Applied School of Management (F. Taylor, A. Fayol, F. Gilbert, etc.). Empirical (pragmatic) school of management (E. Peterson, G. Simon, E. Dale, etc.). Humanistic approach to management (E. Mayo, F. Maslow, D. McGregor, etc.). The development of the theory of organization and management in the 70-80s. years of the XX century (P. Drucker). The theory of "social capital" and the concept of "analysis of human resources".

Sociology of Management as a special scientific discipline took shape in our country in the 60-70s. XX century. In the US and Western In Europe, this term is practically not used. object sociology of management is social management, management activities related to the management of people. In general, management is the object of study of many sciences, including the natural ones. That. object of the sociology of management are management processes that take place in society, its individual subsystems or organizations (enterprises, institutions, etc.), which are studied from the point of view of the interaction of the people participating in them, united in family, professional, territorial and other groups and included in the diverse processes of cooperation, mutual aid, rivalry. Subject sociology of management is the study, evaluation and improvement of management processes in various types of communities, organizations, social institutions and society as a whole. The isolation of the object and subject of the sociology of management makes it possible to formulate a definition of this very specific branch of sociological knowledge. Sociology of Management - a special sociological theory that studies the system and processes of management in various types of communities, organizations, institutions and society as a whole.

The sociology of management occupies a certain place in the system of sociological knowledge. It is a theory of the middle level and belongs to the group of theories of social processes. The sociology of management is in close relationship with other sciences. On the one hand, it interacts with general sociology and various private sociological theories(economic sociology, sociology of labor, sociology of organizations, communication, conflicts, etc.). Among other branches of sociological knowledge, the closest to the sociology of management are the sociology of labor and the sociology of organizations. The sociology of labor, which studies the attitude of people to work, ways of stimulating them, and the influence of the content of labor on the development of the individual, provides valuable material in solving the problem of reconciling the interests of each worker with the guiding goals of the team. The sociology of organizations reveals the general patterns of development and functioning of various organizations, the knowledge of which allows us to formulate the rules for managing them. The sociology of management is related to social psychology, which helps to better understand such elements of management. As a leadership style, collegial decision-making, conflict situations. Also, the sociology of management is interconnected with economics, systems theory, legal sciences, which also solve management problems.

Functions management sociology designate its role in society. Cognitive. Its main goal is to study the main features of management as a specific area of ​​labor activity, to determine its role and significance in the development of society and its subsystems, organizations, groups, etc. Methodological. It consists in the development and improvement of the principles and methods of management activities. Estimated. Its essence is to assess the extent to which the existing system of management in a given society or organization corresponds (or, on the contrary, does not correspond) to the main trends of this society, social expectations, needs and interests of the majority of the population; whether it is democratic, authoritarian or totalitarian, it develops or fetters the initiative of individual individuals, their groups and communities. Prognostic. It is aimed at identifying the most likely and desirable changes in management activities within the near or more distant future, i.e. to determine possible trajectories for the development of management, to forecasting. Educational (training). Its essence is to disseminate knowledge about management, i.e. about its main tasks, functions, implementation mechanisms. We are talking about the dissemination of knowledge through the system of educational institutions, various institutions and centers for advanced training, retraining and retraining of personnel, helping them to better understand what the essence of management processes is, to acquire knowledge, skills and abilities in the practical implementation of management activities. Management System Improvement Function - improving the efficiency of business management: determining the average and optimal characteristics of management systems, identifying the causes of lagging behind and growth reserves, developing new methods and management technologies. Humanistic. The sociology of management allows a person to better understand his place, understand his capabilities and evaluate his role and his status in the system of social relations.

Methods Sociologies of management are divided into 3 large groups:

1) Organizational and administrative:

The system of legislative acts of the country

The system of normative documents on higher management structures

A system of plans, programs and tasks that are developed in a particular organization

Operational management system: delegation of authority, redistribution of authority, incentives, sanctions. This operational management can be of three types: forced and externally imposed, that is, subordination from top to bottom; passive- alleviating the burden of the employee, which is associated with his release from decision-making; conscious- justified obedience.

2) Economic - based on the action of economic mechanisms of motivation. This includes tax policy, monetary, investment, social policy, a system of responsibility for the quality of work, a system for stimulating innovation.

3) Socio-psychological mechanisms - a set of specific ways of influencing a person, a social group, a social community, as well as relations and interactions between them in order to increase the efficiency of the managed object

Stages of development of the sociology of management.

The founder of the scientific foundations of management (the theory of rationalization) in the world sociological literature is considered to be an American engineer, production organizer and researcher. UGH. Taylor(1856-1915). He developed a number of methods for the scientific organization of labor (based on the study of the movements of a worker using timing, standardization of techniques and tools) in four areas: 1) rationing (any work can be structured and measured); 2) the ratio of time and tasks (the result should be achieved by a certain point, otherwise the remuneration should be reduced; 3) selection and training of personnel (any entrepreneur striving for long-term success must constantly take care of improving the company's personnel); 4) incentives (monetary remuneration is determined not for activities, but for the final result of labor). In the book "The Scientific Organization of Labor" F. Taylor wrote that "the main task of enterprise management should be to ensure maximum profit for the entrepreneur in combination with maximum welfare for each worker employed in the enterprise."

One of the classics of sociology, German M. Weber(1864-1920) contributed a lot to the enrichment of the scientific concept of management, having developed an "ideal type" of administrative management, which he designated by the term "bureaucracy theory". According to the scientist, who attached paramount importance to the formally organized aspects of management, it is necessary to divide all activities aimed at achieving the goals facing a particular structure into simple operations. This implies a strict definition of the tasks of each of the elements of the system. Management activity is based on the principles of the administrative hierarchy, that is, the subordination of the lower to the higher. Service in the management system should be based on the qualifications of the employee for the position he occupies. The HR policy is designed to form a "corporate spirit" among employees, to promote the development of their initiative, to assert loyalty to the organization.

The most prominent representative of the Western European school of scientific management at the end of the 19th - 20s. 20th century was a French entrepreneur, organizer and scientist A. Fayol(1841-1925), who is the founder of the "administrative school of government". He defined the content of five main management operations: 1) to anticipate (take into account the future and develop a program of action); 2) organize (build a double - material and social - the body of the enterprise); 3) to dispose (to force the personnel to work properly); 4) coordinate (link, unite, harmonize all actions and all efforts); 5) control (make sure that everything is done according to the established rules and given orders).

A. Fayol singled out 14 (equally important) management principles: division of labor, power, discipline, unity of command, unity of leadership, subordination of individual interests to common goals, remuneration, centralization, hierarchy, order, equality, staff stability, initiative, corporate spirit. In his opinion, a manager must have a combination of such qualities as intellectual and organizational skills, a good general education, high competence in his field, the art of dealing with people, energy, independence, perseverance, a sense of duty, and others.

In the 30s of the twentieth century, the theory of "human relations" arose, the main contribution to the development of which was made by the Americans E. Mayo, D. MacGregor, A. Maslow and others. In contrast to the Taylor concept of "economic man", which considered the main incentive for the worker's activity only material interest, this theory showed the great importance of such factors of the psychosocial activity of the individual as the cohesion of the group in which the person works, relationships with management, a favorable atmosphere in the workplace employee satisfaction with their work.

The essence of the concept E. Mayo(1880-1949) was that the work itself, the production process are of less importance for the worker than his social and psychological position in production. Therefore, enterprise managers should put at their service the socio-psychological motives of the employees' activities, focus more on people than on products, since this ensures the satisfaction of the individual with his work and the social stability of society.

In the course of five years of experiments, scientists from Harvard University proved that labor productivity is influenced not only by technical and economic, but also by socio-psychological factors (group cohesion, relationships with management, a favorable atmosphere in the workplace, job satisfaction, etc.).

They act on it in two ways - they increase productivity, then lower it. In the experiment with a team of women, replacing an authoritarian leader with a democratic one led to an increase in output, and in an experiment with a team of men, scientists failed to achieve anything: informal norms that set a low level of productivity turned out to be an insurmountable obstacle.

D. McGregor(1906-1964) proposed in the theory and practice of leadership styles to take into account the fundamental difference between two dichotomous theories - "X" and "Y". The first of the theories, reflecting the traditional approach to management as an administrative-command process, focuses on three psychological and social factors: 1) an ordinary person is characterized by an internal rejection of labor and he seeks to avoid it in any way: 2) an ordinary person seeks to avoid responsibility and prefers to be controlled; 3) a simple person is characterized by the need for protection and he does not have ambitions. In accordance with this, the manager must not only resort to coercion and control, but also carry out certain measures to maintain the good condition of the employee.

The starting points of the second theory, which is based on the perception of the employee as a person with certain intellectual abilities, are as follows: 1) people are not passive by nature, they become so as a result of the work of an organization that is poorly managed; 2) the expenditure of physical and intellectual forces in labor is completely natural for a person, therefore coercion to work, the threat of punishment are not the only means to achieve the goal; 3) a person in the process of activity exercises self-government and self-control; 4) an ordinary person, under appropriate conditions, is not only able to learn to take responsibility, but also looks for an opportunity to show his abilities. In accordance with this, the task of management becomes qualitatively different: the creation of optimal conditions for the most complete development of the intellectual abilities of a person as a guarantee of increasing the efficiency of his work.

A. Maslow(1908-1970) developed a hierarchical theory of needs, identifying five levels of behavioral motives depending on the dominant needs at one time or another: 1) vital, physiological needs (for food, clothing, housing, procreation, breathing, rest, physical movement and etc.); 2) the need for the security of one's existence (confidence in the future, stability of living conditions, a certain constancy and regularity of the surrounding society, guaranteed employment, accident insurance, etc.); 3) social needs (in social ties, belonging to a team, identifying oneself with others, communication, participation in joint labor activities, caring for others and attention to oneself); 4) the need for self-respect (in recognition of the dignity of the individual by "significant others", career growth, status, prestige, appreciation, etc.); 5) spiritual needs (in self-expression through creativity, self-actualization, realization of one's own abilities, talents, inclinations, talents, that is, the full use of one's capabilities, which is the meaning of every person's life.

Only an unsatisfied need organizes the behavior of the individual, forcing him to take the actions necessary to satisfy it.

An important role in the development of structural-functional analysis in relation to the problems of sociology and psychology of management belongs to the American R. Merton(born 1910), who, along with the study of explicit and latent control functions, introduced the concept of "dysfunction". In his opinion, the content of the term "function" reflects the visible or hidden consequences of management activities that contribute to the adaptation of a given system to the environment, and "dysfunction" is such observable consequences that reduce the adaptation of the system.

In recent years, innovative management has also been developing, the essence of which can be defined as a management method that helps a person to better use their own capabilities.

Founders pragmatic school of management: E. Peterson, G. Simon, R. Davis and others. Representatives of big business took part in the development of the school. The specialists of this school did not deny the importance of theoretical principles and the use of the achievements of specific sciences, but considered it more important to analyze the direct experience of management.
The contribution of the empirical (pragmatic) school is connected with the problems of professionalization of management. These problems were mostly of a private nature, but their solution was useful for the development of intra-company management, as well as for the training of professional managers. The main contribution of the school to the development of managerial thought can be defined as follows:
1) development of intra-company management, including the development of recommendations on management structures, on the organization of linear and functional services, technical and information management systems and other management issues.
2) research and introduction into management practice of new, effective methods of training managers.
3) the ideologists of the school made an attempt to develop a number of problems that became especially relevant in the 70-80s. 20th century (issues of centralization and decentralization of management, the introduction of targeted management, the classification of management functions, the organization of work of managers, etc.)
4) professionalization of management.

individuals or groups specifically involved in management activities.

Management activities are studied by various sciences - political science, management, sociology, psychology, economic sciences. However, each of them singles out in it its own, inherent only to it object and subject of research. The object of the sociology of management are management processes occurring in society, its individual subsystems (political, economic, social, sociocultural) or organizations (enterprises, institutions, etc.), considered and interpreted from the point of view of the interaction of the people participating in them, united in various social communities and included in variety of social relationships.

The subject of management sociology is study, evaluation and improvement

development of management processes in various types of communities, organizations, social institutions and society as a whole, each of which is a specific system of social interactions between individuals and groups.

In this way, sociology of management is a branch of sociology that studies the sociological aspects of managerial activity: management processes in various types of communities, organizations, social institutions and society as a whole, carried out to preserve and ensure the sustainability of the development of the corresponding system, streamline and improve its structure, achieve its goals. The focus of her attention is the study and improvement of the social mechanisms of a systematic, based on reliable knowledge of the impact of the subject of management on the managed social object to ensure its successful movement towards a given goal.

A specific feature of the sociology of management is that it belongs to active sociology. The sociology of management, using the conceptual and methodological apparatus of research sociology, allows real changes to be made at various levels of people's community.

1.3. Main tasks, functions and content structure of the sociology of management

After defining the features of the sociology of management as a branch of sociology, as well as its object and subject, it is possible to formulate its main tasks.

The first of the main tasks of the sociology of management is to study the real

ny facts that make up a living, constantly developing social fabric of managerial activity; facts that reveal the peculiarities of the interaction of those people who manage various social communities and organizations, and those who, without holding leadership positions, are not included in management activities and are forced to obey the first, to carry out their orders, orders, instructions.

The second task of the sociology of management lies in the fact that from

a rich and diverse accumulation of real facts of managerial activity

it is reasonable to single out the most important, typical ones and, on this basis, to detect trends in the development of management processes, their changes depending on the changing socio-economic, political and socio-cultural conditions of people's life, the development of their groups and communities, society as a whole.

The essence of the third task is the construction of the most probable directions and scenarios for the development of management activities in the future, i.e. the forecast of its improvement. And this means that having determined the most probable trajectory for the further development of management activity, the sociology of management gets the opportunity to solve its fourth task - to formulate scientifically based recommendations for improving the management system and to explain why certain innovations appear in the system and structure of management activity, due to what circumstances new ones arise. practical ways of their implementation in management processes.

Isolation of the main tasks of the sociology of management allows us to determine its main functions, which are directly related to its tasks and follow from them.

cognitive function sociology of management aims to study the main features of management as a specific area of ​​labor activity, to determine its role and significance in the development of society and its subsystems, organizations, groups, etc.

Evaluation function determines (evaluates) the extent to which the management system existing in a given society or organization corresponds (or, on the contrary, does not correspond) to the main trends of this society, social expectations, needs and interests of the majority of people, develops or fetters the initiative of individuals, groups or communities.

predictive function is aimed at identifying the most likely and desirable changes in management activities within the near or more distant future, i.e. to determine possible trajectories of management development.

Educational (training) function is that, on the basis of op-

determining and evaluating the significance of certain management concepts, trends in their development and improvement, predicting their development in the future, disseminating knowledge about management, i.e. its tasks, functions, implementation mechanisms. Another component of this function is equipping managerial personnel with new techniques, management technologies, i.e. the sociology of management acts as a practically effective means of improving the management system and increasing the efficiency of management activities.

Thus, the essence of the sociology of management is comprehensively manifested in the combination of all its inherent functions, which are objectively characteristic of effective management, but largely depend on the subjects of management activity themselves and on the general level of development of management culture.

The essence of the sociological approach to management is to identify and study the following interrelated components:

1) governing bodies from the point of view of their functioning as social systems, including the study of a complex of selection, placement, education of managerial personnel, relations that develop between people when they perform managerial functions;

2) groups of problems related to the setting and implementation of social goals management in terms of social criteria, analysis of the social consequences of managerial decisions, research and development of a system for taking into account the interests, opinions and suggestions of people;

3) purposeful impact on controlled subsystems and associated

related issues of discipline, responsibility, diligence, considered not just as the social qualities of the individual, but as an expression of certain relationships that arise in the management process;

4) intragroup regulation and social self-organization in

individual groups and the enterprise as a whole.

The sociology of management considers such topical issues as organizational culture; the system of power and the relationship of leadership-subordination; the social structure of the organization; the relationship between formal and informal structures; social groups, statuses and roles; formation of groups in the management system on sociological grounds; connection of personal, group and organizational goals; participation of performers in the development of common decisions; evaluation of managers; organizational conflicts; staff adaptation; management consulting; social planning; discrimination based on sex, age, education, etc.; job satisfaction and alienation from work; social responsibility, etc.

Sociology considers management as a constantly ongoing social process of expedient impact on the managed system. To achieve organizational goals, a management strategy is developed. Effective activity of the organization is possible only if the social factor is taken into account.

Review questions

1. Why is interest in sociology growing in modern society?

2. On what basis does the sociology of management stand out in the general structure of sociological knowledge?

3. Define the object and subject of the sociology of management and characterize their relationship with the object and subject of general sociology.

4. Give a general definition of the sociology of management.

5. What does the fact that the sociology of management is an active sociology suggest?

6. Describe the main tasks of the sociology of management.

7. What are the main functions of the sociology of management? How do they relate to its main tasks?

Topic 2. The evolution of sociological views on management

Considering the process of emergence and development of the sociology of management, three main stages can be distinguished. The first stage is connected with the interpretation of ideas about management within the framework of classical sociology (XIX - early XX centuries). The second stage, in essence, marks the emergence and constitution of the sociology of management as a result of the development of the concepts of human relations, activity motivation, theory Y (1920-1950s). Finally, the third, modern stage, covering the entire second half of the 20th and early 21st centuries, is the desire of the sociology of management to integrate broad sociological theories with management, theory with practice, academic component with applied.

2.1. The first stage in the development of the sociology of management

The sociological approach to management was first formed at the stage of classical sociology, which ended at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries. sociological concept of Max Weber (1864-1920). This approach meant (in the broad sense of the word) the understanding of management as an integral component of society, included in it as an essential element and associated with all other structures of the social life of society. A feature of the sociological approach to management at the stage of classical sociology was that, up to Weber, it was considered primarily as an element of the political system. Weber was the first to pay special attention to management as an element of the economic system and its necessity for organizations and enterprises.

In his classical theory of bureaucracy, M. Weber proceeded from the need to rationalize all aspects of the life of modern society. He rightly believed that diverse human activities, including managerial ones, become more systematized and efficient if they are organized according to the rules established on the basis of rational analysis. In the field of managerial activity, the main aspect of rationalization is the formation of an effective managerial apparatus - the bureaucracy. In order to isolate the basic principles of its activity, he constructed an ideal type of bureaucracy, its theoretical model. Such an ideal type practically does not occur in reality, but it serves as a model, referring to which it is possible to increase the effectiveness of management activities in the organization.

The main features of the bureaucratic activity of a formal organization, according to M. Weber, are reduced to the following seven points:

1) tasks of the organization are distributed among various positions in it as

official duties, which implies a clear division of labor according to positions, making possible a high degree of specialization, which, in turn, contributes to the improvement of the qualifications of service personnel, both directly and indirectly, through the possibility of hiring employees on the basis of their production qualities;

2) positions or positions organized inhierarchical power structure, usually in the form of a pyramid: each official is responsible

superior to his superior both for his own decisions and actions, and for the decisions and actions of his subordinates, and has power over those who are below him.

3) decisions and actions of officials are controlled formally

updated system of rules and regulations, ensuring uniformity and continuity of activity and, together with the power structure, making it possible to coordinate its various types;

4) formal organization hasspecial administrative state whose task is to ensure its functioning, in particular its communication channels;

5) officials in their contacts with clients and other officials must be guided byimpersonal orientation,to-

where each client or employee must be treated as the object of another "case", and it is assumed that in this case the employee is obliged to discard all personal considerations and maintain complete emotional impartiality;

6) the hiring of an employee by an organization provides for hiscareer advancement: after passing the verification period, employees enter the position for a long time and are subject to re-certification, as a result of which, in the event of

her successful completion, they can get promotion upwards - along the same vertical linear relationship;

7) the formal organization is designed to develop a "corporate spirit" among employees, to form a high degree of loyalty to the organization

tion, the desire to steadily follow the established rules and norms, according to which the position occupied by the individual in the organization should be considered by him as the main occupation.

Substantiating the advantages of the "bureaucratic form" of an organization based on the specialization of functions, service hierarchy and career, M. Weber emphasized that it provides high efficiency. The provisions of the theory of M. Weber, which dealt with the problems of power and management of social and political processes both in society and in specific enterprises and organizations, became basic for the sociology of management. Therefore, it makes sense to consider the entire management concept of Weber as the starting point for the sociology of management.

However, it should be noted that Weber paid the main attention, first of all, to the formal aspects of social management, ignoring the informal relationships that inevitably arise between colleagues, since they interact as integral individuals, and not just as performers of the formal roles entrusted to them. The actual activity of almost all institutions shows that the informal relations that inevitably arise within the framework of a formal organization are vital for the functioning of the corresponding social system. Thus, while giving a clear description of the functions of various elements of the organization, Weber did not take into account that the same factor that increases the effectiveness of one parameter can lead to dysfunctional consequences in another. Thus, he left a wide field for the subsequent work of theorists in this field of social knowledge and practice.

2.2. The second stage in the development of the sociology of management

A significant role in the emergence of the sociology of management was played by the emerging in the 1920s. empirical sociology. Under it we mean the area of ​​development of sociological science associated with obtaining factual knowledge as a result of special empirical research. The latter mean the study of local social problems, mainly associated with the solution of specific problems, the regulation of intergroup and intragroup relations and social processes. They can also be aimed at clarifying certain theoretical ideas and positions, or obtaining specific information that is used in managerial actions in all spheres of public life.

It was the end of the 1920s - the beginning of the 1930s. considered to be the time of formation of the sociology of management as a special branch of sociological knowledge. This stage is associated with the study of social processes and relations in production, and only in subsequent decades, the sociology of management “penetrates” into other areas of public life. The concept of human relations associated with the name of the American sociologist Elton Mayo (1880-1949) played a decisive role in the emergence of the sociology of management.

The essence of this concept is that the work itself, the production process, is of less importance for the worker than his social and psychological position, the system of informal relations in production, called Mayo human relations. From this he concluded that all problems of production and management should be considered from the standpoint of these relations. The factor of human relations, based on the desire of members of the production team to understand each other, to feel included in it and at the same time feel free, is the main condition that affects the efficiency of the production process and the growth of labor productivity. This desire of a person to be included in a certain social community Mayo called a sense of sociality.

From this, another conclusion was drawn: in management activities, it is necessary to strive to create "social" structures in production, i.e. within the framework of formal groups (for example, brigades) - informal relations, thanks to which employees will feel their involvement in important decisions, feel their own need. Human relations can, according to sociologists, play a decisive role not only in increasing the efficiency of an enterprise, but also in optimizing the management of all processes, from directly production (even production-technological) to interpersonal relations. A rigid hierarchy of subordination is by no means always appropriate, since it may turn out to be incompatible with the nature of man and his freedom. The leaders of organizations should focus not only and even not so much on the output of products, but on the person, on his needs and interests, strive to satisfy at least some of them. Any managerial action must take into account the peculiarities of self-perception and self-esteem of subordinates and, relying on this socio-psychological mechanism, influence the relationship between them and their social

leadership as members of a single social group. As a result, this will ensure the efficient operation of production, social stability at the enterprise and in society as a whole. E. Mayo concluded that the main task of management is to create conditions conducive to the effectiveness of groups. Identified by him informal system in organizations subsequently received

title of organizational culture.

Mayo's experiments showed the great practical possibilities of sociology to influence the effectiveness of many managerial decisions. Thus, an impetus was given to the active introduction of sociology into the activities of various organizations.

After the concept of human relations became widely known, managers faced the task in their activities in production not only to take into account formal, production factors, but also to study, know and use in their work informal, social and socio-psychological aspects of interaction between participants in production. process. In this regard, the interest of the sociology of management in the knowledge and use of motivational mechanisms, including needs, interests, value orientations, and motives for people's behavior, is understandable. Here the theory of the American sociologist Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) "Pyramid of Needs" played a key role. He believed that in the process of managerial influence on people, it is necessary to take into account the system of human needs, which consists of the following hierarchically ordered elements:

1) physiological (vital) needs(need for food, water,

recreation, sex, etc.) that are necessary for survival;

2) the need for security, confidence in the future includes security from physical and psychological danger from the outside world and confidence that physiological needs will be met in the future;

3) social needs- include a sense of belonging to certain social communities (entrepreneurs, managers, farmers, workers, etc.), social interaction, affection, support, spiritual closeness, friendship, love;

4) prestige needs: desire to achieve respect, recognition of achievements, acquisition of competence;

5) needs for self-realization- the desire to realize their potential, the need for social and spiritual development of their own personality.

At the same time, the first two types were classified by Maslow as primary, innate needs, the rest - as secondary, acquired. According to his concept, each person satisfies his needs, starting with the primary ones and climbing the steps of the hierarchical ladder to higher types of secondary, priority needs in the social sphere. The management system should create optimal conditions for the realization of all groups of needs, but especially the highest (self-fulfilling), since they give a person the greatest sense of their significance and happiness.

Of course, the hierarchical system of needs developed by Maslow is overly schematic, does not take into account the diversity of interests and needs of people, ways of motivating and stimulating activities, but it gave good guidelines for organizing and determining the direction of management activities. It oriented managers of various ranks to the use of specific management methods that contribute to the social and spiritual improvement of employees, the full disclosure of their potential, and the development of creative abilities in subordinates. They were greatly helped in this by Theory Y of the American social psychologist. Douglas McGregor(1906-1964), who suggested that a manager's ideas about human motivation affect his management style, and who proposed in management theory and practice to take into account the fundamental difference between two dichotomous theories - X and Y.

Theory X reflects the traditional, Weberian approach to management as an administrative-command process. Her followers believe that most people are passive and work as little as possible; people do not like responsibility and prefer to be led, controlled; most people do not have ambitions, they are characterized by the need for protection; people are self-oriented and therefore indifferent to the needs of the organization and are naturally resistant to change. With this perception of employees, the manager must, on the one hand, resort to coercion and control, and on the other hand, implement certain measures to stimulate the employee. Such managers tend to manage by rewarding and punishing in a "carrot and stick" way.

The counterbalance to this approach is, according to McGregor, theory Y, which is based on the perception of the worker as a person with intelligence and abilities. The followers of this theory believe that people are active by nature (they become passive as a result of inefficient management of them); the expenditure of physical and intellectual forces in labor for a person is as natural as during a game on vacation, therefore, forced labor under the threat of punishment is not the only means to achieve the goal; people, under the right conditions, are not only able to learn to take responsibility, but also look for opportunities to show their abilities by making plans and exercising control themselves. Accordingly, managers in theory Y play a qualitatively different role: their task is to integrate (combine), create a set of conditions corresponding to the development of the intellectual and creative abilities of employees, organize work so that subordinates achieve their personal goals by realizing the goals of the organization. Under such conditions, there is a guarantee of the effectiveness of their work.

D. McGregor proposed to recognize the need for managers to abandon the provisions of theory X and to recognize theory Y as the basic management philosophy, considering the employee not as a passive object of influence, but as an active subject of activity with significant intellectual abilities. In essence, the theory of Y meant such an approach to managing a person, in which “human relations” in the understanding of E. Mayo would be possible not only between workers, within production teams, but also between them and managers of different levels. The condition for this

only a different perception by workers of labor, its nature and content can become. Therefore, the task of management is to create favorable conditions for an appropriate attitude to work among employees, which McGregor, among other things, associated with providing employees with opportunities for self-management and self-control.

Mid-twentieth century was marked by the emergence of a new stage in the interpretation of management by Western sociologists. He was associated with the so-called "grand theories". Among them, first of all, it is necessary to name the theory of system

dark and structural-functional analysis American sociologist

Talcott Parsons(1902-1979). Developing a systematic approach to the analysis of society and its management, Parsons proceeded from the possibility and necessity of maintaining balance, consistency, stability, order in it - taking into account the scientifically proven position that entropy tends to increase in closed systems. Management problems are considered by Parsons and his numerous followers in a broad social context. Social management is based on a normative character, the norms themselves carry out

in Society predominantly functions of integration and regulation of the vast majority of social processes. In addition to compliance with norms, social management must take into account the presence in society of an increasing variety of social roles, which makes it difficult to make and implement managerial decisions. The correlation of motivation and behavior of members of society as part of social communities is ensured by social control.

The main ideas of Parsons concerning the problems of managing society and social processes were subjected to critical analysis, and from two sides. On the one hand, as an antithesis to Parsons' structural functionalism, which emphasizes the initial predestination in the social system of stability and balance and the role of social management to achieve them, the concepts social conflict. Their proponents (primarily the American sociologist Lewis Koser and the German sociologist Ralf Dahrendorf) argued that the main function of social control is

in using the integrating and stabilizing role of conflicts in society, since they arise on the basis of differences in the interests of groups in the struggle for their own status, power and share of rewards. The integrating and stabilizing possibilities of the conflict should become, according to the supporters of the theory of conflict, the basis for the activities of various administrative structures, from the government to municipalities.

FROM On the other hand, there was an anti-fundamentalist critique of the concept of social control in structural functionalism, most vividly presented by the American sociologistHerbert Simon(1916-2001). He believed that the formal principles of management allow for many practical interpretations, which is not always taken into account in Parsons' concept. The main thing is that the problem of rationality of management models needs to be solved, and this, in turn, makes it necessary to specify the principles of social management. The main, most acceptable principles of management formulated by Simon include: 1) special

zation, which is a necessary condition for improving management efficiency; 2) the establishment of a clear hierarchy of subordination, subject to the observance of unity of command; 3) narrowing the scope of control at any point in the management hierarchy; 4) targeted grouping of employees (according to criteria such as tasks, process, customer, territory) in order to improve control over management activities.

2.3. The current stage in the development of the sociology of management

The development of the scientific and technological revolution of the twentieth century. caused a revolution in the material conditions of existence and development of society. This led to qualitative transformations and changes in all areas and elements of production. The characteristic directions of these changes are: integrated automation, cybernetization, electrification, robotization, computerization, the creation of new technologies, etc. However, it was less and less possible to ensure the functioning of production and increase its efficiency, relying mainly on technical means and methods of rationality, without adequately realizing the human resources of the organization. It has become impossible to achieve the active use of skilled labor in production by the old methods. In the changed conditions, new management tools were needed, taking into account new realities and capable of increasing the efficiency of companies without large additional costs. One of these means of managing a modern organization has become an approach based on the concept of "organizational development" (organization development), the beginning of work on which dates back to the late 1950s, and the main features were formulated in the United States in the late 1960s - early 1970s. -s.

Organizational Development (OD) is an organizational strategy based on an integrated approach that solves or helps solve many of the complex problems facing people in organizations. The following factors had a direct impact on the emergence and formation of the concept: changes in the conditions for the functioning of firms; increasing the role of the human factor in effective management (an employee with knowledge and a manager who is able to mobilize and direct all the human energy of an organization to achieve its goals are becoming more and more valued); accumulation of sufficient empirical material in the field of group research and group dynamics.

According to the concept of OR, the management of companies faces the need

the opportunity to learn how to transfer the entire management system to a new state in accordance with the changed conditions in order to achieve the goals set . The ability to restructure the work of the organization, based on a changing environment, is becoming a characteristic feature of the management of a firm that is increasingly focused on the constant implementation of organizational change.

The original idea of ​​the OR was to help people collectively manage the culture of an organization in a way that achieves the goals and intentions of the organization and at the same time

The first primitive elements of the science of management, that is, attempts at this phenomenon, can be found in Socrates, Xenophon, Plato, Aristotle.

Plato called management "the science of human nutrition", thereby emphasizing its vital importance in ensuring the material existence of society. The philosopher believed that laws should govern the country, but they are too abstract, and therefore a politician who knows the art of government should supervise their implementation. Moreover, depending on the circumstances, Plato distinguishes two styles of management: political and tyrannical. If citizens perform their functions in society and comply with the laws, then the style of government should be soft (political); if there is no proper order and harmonious relationships in society, then a management style based on force (tyrannical) is used. Thus, in Plato we find the origin of ideas about management styles and about the most “modern” now situational approach to management.

Aristotle gave a lower assessment of managerial activity. He called management "master's science", the meaning of which is to supervise the slaves. And he gave advice, if possible, to entrust these chores to the manager, and to engage in more noteworthy sciences himself: philosophy and other fine arts.

Given the historical approach, the types of social management can be classified in accordance with the stages of development of society: tribal management, management in slave, feudal, industrial societies. In the conditions of tribal relations, the leaders of the tribe, endowed with power and enjoying authority, coordinated all the main functions of the life of tribal groups. In this control mechanism, a group consciousness, embodied in traditions, played an essential role.

In a slave-owning society, legislative principles, differentiation of power, and a strict delimitation of the spheres of subject and object of control are already emerging. If the tribal community was regulated by unwritten laws, then under slavery, written laws appear.

Under feudalism, there is a great differentiation of management systems - political, legal, moral, religious, philosophical, artistic and others designed to ensure the appropriate principles of social behavior of people, social groups, society as a whole. Political power here was of an elitist nature (transmitted by inheritance), as, indeed, almost all forms of material and spiritual production (craft, healing, agricultural culture, art, etc.).

In the context of the general democratization of public life, political power, having forever lost its hereditary character, becomes elective, and the ruling elite is formed from people capable of leading various parts of public life. The achievements of science and technology, as well as the reserves of human capabilities, are used to the maximum. In each specific case, the organization of management has a clearly defined purposeful character, while at the same time obeying, on the whole, the spontaneous forces of the market. Management of various types of material and spiritual production has become an independent profession that requires special education, experience, mindset and even character. A special science of management has been formed, which is based on economic research, sociology, psychology, mathematics, cybernetics, etc. The institution of managers has also been formed - hired specialists in managing various fields of activity.

The classical or administrative school in management takes a period of time from 1920 to 1950. Henri Fayol is considered the founder of this school. Unlike the school of scientific management, which was mainly concerned with the rational organization of the labor of an individual worker and increasing the efficiency of production, representatives of the classical school began to develop approaches to improve the management of the organization as a whole. The goal of the classical school was to create universal principles of government.

Fayol's merit lies in the fact that he divided all management functions into general, related to any field of activity, and specific, related directly to the management of an industrial enterprise. One of the shortcomings of the scientific management school and the classical school was that they did not fully understand the role and importance of the human factor, which, ultimately, is the main element in the effectiveness of the organization. Therefore, the school of psychology and human relations that eliminated the shortcomings of the classical school is often called the neoclassical school.

The formation of the school of management science is associated with the development of mathematics, statistics, engineering sciences and other fields of knowledge related to them. The School of Management Science was formed in the early 1950s and is successfully functioning at the present time. The merit of the management science school lies in the fact that it was able to identify the main internal and external variables (factors) that affect the organization. Modern management science is developing very intensively, at a rapid pace, it is a synthesis of theoretical developments and comprehension of the conclusions drawn from many years of practical activity.

Thus, the 1950s are characterized by the formation of a new stage in the development of managerial thought. Based on the synthesis of ideas put forward in previous periods, researchers have come to understand the need for an integrated approach to management. In addition, the idea was formulated that management is not only a science, but also an art.

The subject of the sociology of management are patterns, forms and methods of purposeful management of social processes and groups in order to achieve a specific goal.

Often the term "management" is used as an equivalent of the term "sociology" of management. However, the sociology of management considers only the social aspects of management and in this sense is a superstructure of management. In general, the sociology of management and management have much in common - the same goals and objectives solve the problems of managing objects and people, but they have different methods and approaches to this problem.

In management, broader issues are considered: special socio-economic institutions, a special circle of people (managers) employed in the field of management, technical, organizational and social aspects of production and people management. The social aspect of production and people management, managers and other issues of social management coincide with management.

The sociology of management is interested in the social aspects of economic and scientific and technological development, social policy, the development and implementation of managerial decisions, the study of the process of self-government, the relationship between the leader and subordinates. The system of information necessary for the implementation of management activities is also considered.

Information processes are not an end in themselves, they are ultimately designed to manage material flows, the interaction of material and information flows.

The sociology of management is one of the young sociological disciplines. Obviously, this is largely due to the fact that it "still does not have its generally recognized place in the system of sociological knowledge and the established conceptual apparatus."

The immaturity of its methodology is expressed in a broad borrowing from the sociology of labor, the sociology of organizations, the foundations of management and other sciences and scientific disciplines.

The need for scientific reflection of the ongoing changes has become especially acute in the context of the transformation of Russian society, at the time of the transformation of basic institutions. Qualitative changes affected the entire Russian institutional system: forms of ownership, laws in the labor sphere, economic rights of enterprises. At the same time, it was found that during the reforms there was a weakening of the integrity of the institution of enterprise management, manifested in the violation of "mutual consistency and internal balance of managerial functions and end-to-end management processes, as well as innovative processes in this system."

The sociology of management is considered as an interdisciplinary sociological theory of the middle level. The object of the sociology of management is "the process of joint activity of people, in which, under certain conditions, an artificial structure arises, the main functions of which are the coordination and programming of this activity." The separation of this artificial structure from the bowels of joint activity is the process of institutionalization of social management. Management relations, the processes of their institutionalization and functioning, as well as social mechanisms for optimizing managerial influence are the subject of management sociology.

The point of view, according to which management is considered as a social institution, has become popular in recent years. Many authors use the sociological category "institution" when analyzing management: G.V. Atamanchuk, A.I. Kravchenko, P.V. Romanov, V.I. Franchuk. The social institution of management is a stable types and forms of social practice, through which the stability and regulation of relations between the subjects of management relations are ensured.

A more in-depth understanding of a social institution can be given by an analysis of its structure. Considering social institutions, most sociologists recognize the systemic nature of its structure. In the structure of a social institution, six elements are distinguished: a social group, institutions, customs, material tools, an organization, a specific goal. The constituent elements of the structure of a social institution include the goal, functions, institutions and means of achieving the goal, social sanctions.

Cognition, sociological substantiation and interpretation of management as the most important social institution is the main function of the sociology of management, which is experiencing a rebirth. This is all the more important in the context of social change, when the institution of governance that exists and functions in society cannot remain unchanged, and the transformations taking place in it are of a fundamental nature.

Sociology in many countries has long been successfully included in the mechanism of state administration, because it equips with scientific knowledge about society. The effectiveness of management in modern conditions depends on the quality of information, its reliability, completeness, efficiency, etc. This is what the modern technique of sociological research is capable of providing. With a well-established program, methodology and analysis procedures, the process of collecting and processing data becomes so formalized that a biased assessment of social phenomena is unlikely.

Sociology performs a variety of functions. First of all, it is able to diagnose the state of the control object. Any social system can be described by a certain number of indicators that reflect the vital factors of its functioning. For example, the level of social tension, the dominant orientations of the population, loyalty to power, etc. The implementation of the diagnostic function is carried out in the monitoring mode in the presence of a normative model, the need for which is due to the fact that data about a real object is meaningless for management if specific criteria are not developed. This model reflects the achieved level of social development, which can be considered the norm. For example, the normative model for housing means that each family has a separate well-appointed apartment. Revealing the real situation with housing in society, sociologists compare it with the normative model and thereby determine the direction and magnitude of deviations. The totality of these deviations provides information for decision making.

Sociology is needed by government bodies to perform a prognostic function. Usually, forecasts of two types are developed: search, designed to show the possible state of a social object by extrapolating observed trends, and normative, determining the forms, methods and timing of achieving the desired state of the object based on predetermined criteria. This function is implemented through social modeling, design, construction and planning.

Social modeling is most often associated with the allocation of a limited number of factors that affect fundamental changes in people's lives. In the system of human relations, changes in one factor inevitably entail changes in others. In everyday practice, it is not always possible to predict how, say, the social activity of civil servants will change if, after the adoption of the relevant law, the “growth prospects” factor changes, i.e. each official will clearly know what awaits him in his financial, professional, official position . Moreover, this will not depend on the personal attitude of his boss towards him.

Thus, if the main factors that determine the system of human relations are known, their interrelations are identified, then by changing any parameter, it is possible to simulate changes in the social object. What does it give? The ability to make a decision after testing it on the model and finding out its consequences.

Social design is the development of a model of a social object in clear qualitative and quantitative characteristics. Of course, it is possible to regulate relations at the farm level without a social project, but it will be very difficult to form a team of a large joint-stock company. A variety of design is social design. It is a general, speculative construction of human relationships that are not set by specific parameters. However, no matter how well the social construction is developed, it needs to be thoroughly tested. This is usually done through a social experiment.

Social planning acts as not only a method for determining the desired state of a social object, but also a tool for achieving it. The plan is a scientific substantiation of the goals, sequence and pace of change in human relations in close connection with the life of various social groups.

Recently, the role of the control-analytical function has been growing. We are talking about the sociological examination of bills and management decisions. Sociology is able to check how the decision will “work”, how, in particular, people will perceive it.

Of particular importance is the organizational and technological function. As a result of studies of specific situations, not only social projects are developed, but also technologies for their implementation. In essence, this is a socio-engineering activity focused on a purposeful change in the organizational structures that determine human behavior. Thus, it is directly related to the process of forming a new way of life for people with an effective socially oriented system of public administration.

Sociology performs a consulting function that optimizes the internal activities of administrative institutions. It participates in the improvement of organizational structures, decision-making processes, leadership style, selection, placement of personnel, etc. For these purposes, the achievements of the sociology of organizations, the sociology of management, and the sociology of public service are used.

Sociology also performs an image function, which is aimed at preserving or changing the image of a state organization, creating an atmosphere of trust and goodwill on the part of the public, and ensuring that the population is informed about the work of this organization.