THE STRUCTURE OF AUTHORITY
In: Public opinion quarterly: journal of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, Band 17, Heft 1, S. 146-150
ISSN: 0033-362X
'The conceptualization of the structure of authority now prevalent in the literature is subject to criticism in that its component elements of monolithic and pyramidal structure, and unilateral and latent control are inadequate, insofar as they are offered as categories for the analysis of the empirical distribution of authority in social groups.' It is suggested that the structure of authority be conceived as made up of certain components: (1) the areas of action over which authority is exercised, or specific patterns of behavior such as recruitment, promotion, assignment of tasks, etc.; (2) modes of authority, such as command, approval, use of standard operating procedures, etc.; & (3) sequences, or chains of command, a number of positions linked together by some authority with respect to specified areas of action. Thus, the schematic representation of the distribution of authority would become more complex and take the form of a number of diagrams, each concerned with a given mode of authority in a specified area of action. L. P. Chall.
