Interdependence and Informal Control in Organizations

Research

Wittek, R. (1999). Interdependence and Informal Control in Organizations. Amsterdam: ThelaThesis.

Best Dissertation Award 2000

SNS-Bank/RUG Thesis Prize for the Best Social Science Dissertation in Groningen of the Years 1997-2000

Overview

Modern companies increasingly rely on teamwork, trust, and ‘flat’ organizational structures in order to improve their flexibility. The members of ‘self-organizing’ teams now often carry the responsibility of both resolving work-related conflicts and monitoring the performance of their peers. Peer pressure, as it emerges in such workgroups, is widely considered to be an extremely powerful instrument for securing high performance. However, organizations vary considerably in how their members deal with grievances caused by their colleagues. Temporary avoidance, gossiping, public insults, but also friendly peacemaking, informal mediation or toleration - all of these behaviors are part of the vast spectrum of how people in organizations react to the undesirable behavior of their peers. The purpose of this book is to find out more about why differences in sanctioning behavior exist and how they differ in their consequences. Drawing on an ethnographic study of informal control in the management team of a German paper factory and a longitudinal social network study in four Dutch organizations, this book develops and tests a theoretical framework about the interrelationship between (in)formal interdependence, control strategy choice, and the stability of cooperative relationships. This book will be of interest to students of organizational behavior and social scientists who are interested in the study of group processes, cooperation, and social networks.

Chapter 1 Introduction (1)
Chapter 2 Existing Explanations and Empirical Evidence (17)
Chapter 3 A Relational Signaling Theory of Informal Control (51)
Chapter 4 Interdependence and Informal Control (69)
Chapter 5 Social Goals and Informal Control (119)
Chapter 6 Social Capital and Informal Control (155)
Chapter 7 Cooperation and Informal Control (183)
Chapter 8 Conclusion (209)
Appendix (229)
Dutch Summary (287)
References (303)
Index (331)

ISBN 90-367-1125-8

NUGI 684 652 653

Rafael Wittek

Professor of Theoretical Sociology at the University of Groningen, Department of Sociology. I am the Scientific Director of the Interdisciplinary Research and Training Center SCOOP: Sustainable Cooperation and a Board member of the Interuniversity Center for Social Science Theory and Methodology (ICS).

My research focuses on problems of sustainable cooperation and how to prevent and solve them. My areas of expertise are the sociology of organizations, economic sociology, social network analysis, and social theory.

I teach in the Bachelor and Master programs of the Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the University of Groningen. I am the coordinator of the Sociology Master Track Social Networks in a Sustainable Society, where I teach a course on Theories of Networks and Sustainable Cooperation. In the Research Master Behavioral and Social Sciences, I teach the course Economy and Society: Critical Transitions in Advanced Industrialized Societies. In our Sociology Bachelor program, I teach the course Organization and Society.
Awards
- Best Book Award 2014
  American Sociological Association, Rationality and Society Section
- Best Book Award 2013
  Outstanding Academic Title, Choice Magazine
- Best Conference Paper Award 2012
  Latin American and European Meeting on Organization Studies
- Best Journal Paper Award 2012
  Group and Organization Management
- Best Student Paper Award 2011
  International Network for Social Network Analysis
- Best Conference Paper Award 2005
  Academy of Management, Organization Development and Change Division
- Best Conference Paper Award 2004
  Irish Academy of Management, Strategic Management Track
- Best Dissertation Award 2000
  SNS-Bank and University of Groningen
- Best Article Selection 2000
  Handboek Interne Organisatie
Honors and Fellowships
- European Academy of Sociology (EAS)
  Elected member since 2010
- Netherlands Institute for Advanced Studies (NIAS)
  Fellow 2001-2002
  Member of the Selection Committee (since 2006)
Guest Professorships
- Universita della Svizzera Italiana (USI Lugano, Zwitserland)
  Guest professor in the Humanitarian Management and Logistics Executive Master Program (2009-2014)
- Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich, Zwitserland)
  Guest professor at the Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences (2008-2009)
- Cornell University
  Visiting Lecturer at the Department of Sociology (1998)
Major Grants
- Teaching Transdisciplinarity: The TETRA-Initiative
  Main Applicant.
  Co-Applicants: Russell Spears, Ellen Janssen.
  Amount: ca. 350.000 Euro (Assistant Professor position,1 fte, four years)
  From: Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen (Teaching Innovation Fund)
  Year: 2017
- Jongeren in een veerkrachtige samenleving. Naar nieuwe arrangementen voor inclusiviteit en participatie (JOIN)
  Member core team.
  Main Applicant: Bas van Bavel.
  Amount: 2.500.000 Euro
  From: NWO (Startimpuls National Science Agenda, Route Veerkrachtige en Zinvolle Samenlevingen)
  Year: 2017
- Sustainable Cooperation - Roadmaps to Resilient Societies (SCOOP)
  Main Applicant.
  Co-Applicants: Naomi Ellemers, Russell Spears, Bas van Bavel, Martin van Hees, Tanja van der Lippe
  Amount: 18.800.000 Euro
  From: NWO (Gravitation Grant 024.003.025)
  Year: 2017
- Sustainable Labor Market Integration of First Generation Migrant Groups
  Co-Applicant.
  Main Applicants: Nina Hansen, Liesbet Heyse
  Amount: ca. 220.000 Euro (4-year PhD-position)
  From: Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen
  Year: 2017
- Resilience at a Crossroads: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Coping with Social Devaluation
  Co-Applicant
  Other Co-Applicants: Russell Spears, Monicque Lorist, Jolien van Breen
  Amount: ca. 150.000 Euro (2 year Postdoc position)
  From: Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen
  Year: 2017
- Cross-border network governance for sustainable training in health care
  Co-Applicant.
  Other Co-Applicants: Liesbet Heyse, Francesca Giardini
  Amount: ca. 110.000 Euro (50% of 4 year PhD-position)
  From: NetwerkZon
  Year: 2017
- Urban Collective Living Arrangements – Golden Key to Sustainable Communities?
  Main Applicant.
  Co-Applicant: Louisa Firnenburg
  Amount: ca. 200.000 Euro (4 year bursary PhD-position)
  From: PhD-fund, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen
  Year: 2017
- Informal Social Networks and Organizational Inclusion: The Invisible Minority’s Dilemma
  Main Applicant.
  Co-Applicants: Sabine Otten, Julian Rengers
  Amount: ca. 200.000 (4 year bursary PhD-position)
  From: PhD-fund, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen
  Year: 2017
- Sustainable Collaborative Networks. Design, Dynamics, and Decay of Cooperation in a Multilevel Organizational Field
  Co-Applicant
  Other Co-Applicant: Liesbet Heyse
  Amount: ca. 110.000 Euro (50% of 4 year PhD-position)
  From: NetwerkZon
  Year: 2016
- Warsaw School of Data Analysis
  Co-Applicant.
  Main Applicant: Michal Bojanowski
  Amount: 510.000 Euro
  From: European Social Fund
  Year: 2014
- Good Governance and Corruption of Public Leaders in Indonesia
  Co-Applicant.
  Other Co-Applicant: Mala Sondang Silitonga
  Amount: ca. 260.000 Euro (4 year PhD-position with tuition)
  From: World Bank Spirit Program, Bappenas Indonesia
  Year: 2013
- Organizational Governance and Sustainable Health Care in Indonesia
  Co-Applicant.
  Other Co-Applicant: Suwatin Miharti
  Amount: ca. 260.000 Euro (4 year PhD-position with tuition)
  From: World Bank Spirit Program, Bappenas Indonesia
  Year: 2013
- The Education Divide in Indonesia: Determinants of Unequal Access to and Quality of Education
  Co-Applicant.
  Other Co-Applicant: Tatang Muttaqin
  Amount: ca. 260.000 Euro (4 year PhD-position with tuition)
  From: World Bank Spirit Program, Bappenas Indonesia
  Year: 2012
- Gossip and the Management of Reputation
  Co-Applicant.
  Other Co-Applicant: Francesca Giardini
  Amount: 13.000 Euro
  Amount: NIAS-Lorentz Program
  Year: 2012
- Self-Improvement Interventions in Organizations
  Co-Applicant.
  Other Co-Applicant: Gabriël Anthonio
  Amount: 150.000 Euro
  From: FranklinCovey bv and Stenden University of Applied Science
  Year: 2010
- Healthy Aging: Population and Society (HAPS)
  Co-Applicant.
  Other Co-Applicants: Inge Hutter and Ronald Stolk
  Amount: 4.200.000 Euro
  From: Board of the University of Groningen
  Year: 2009
- Graduate Program
  Main Applicant.
  Co-Applicant: Werner Raub
  Amount: 800.000 Euro
  From: NWO
  Year: 2009
- Gendered Humanitarian Careers
  Co-Applicant.
  Other Co-Applicants: Liesbet Heyse and Melinda Mills
  Amount: 45.000 Euro
  From: Board of the University of Groningen
  Year: 2007
- Handbook of Rational Choice Social Research
  Main Applicant.
  Co-Applicants: Tom Snijders and Victor Nee
  Amount: 100.000 Dollar
  From: Russell Sage Foundation, New York
  Year: 2006
- Network Dynamics in Organizations
  Main Applicant.
  Amount: 100.000 Euro (Postdoc Position, 1 fte, 4 years)
  From: Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Strategic Fund
  Year: 2006
- Reorganizations and Workplace Transformations in the Netherlands
  Main Applicant.
  Amount: 45.000 Euro
  From: NWO (Replacement Grant 400-05-704)
  Year: 2006
- Solidarity at work and informal networks within semi-virtual teams
  Main Applicant.
  Amount: 51.000 Euro
  From: NWO (MES 014-43-722)
  Year: 2003
- Governance by Reorganization
  Main Applicant.
  Amount: 1.500.000 Hfl (750.000 Euro)
  From: NWO (VIDI-Scheme 016.005.052)
  Year: 2000
- Time Competition, Flexible Contracts, and Intrahousehold Negotiation
  Main Applicant.
  Co-Applicants: Tanja van der Lippe and Arie Glebbeek (Aandachtsgebied Time Competition)
  Amount: 225.000 Hfl (112.500 Euro)
  From: NWO (490-24-060-C)
  Year: 2006
Journal Editorships
- International Sociology
  Member of the Editorial Board (since 2004)
- Social Network Analysis and Mining
  Associate Editor (since 2011)
- Sage Studies in International Sociology
  Member of the Editorial Board (2003-2006)
- Netherlands Journal of Social Sciences
  Member of the Editorial Board (2003-2004)
Curriculum Vitae

Updated May 5, 2017

CV (PDF)

Contact

Department of Sociology
Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen
Grote Rozenstraat 31, 9712 TG Groningen, The Netherlands
Email: r.p.m.wittek@rug.nl, Phone: +31 50 36 36282

Secretary: Ms. Simon (+31 50 36 36469, s.simon@rug.nl)

News

18.8 million euro NWO grant for SCOOP

On Monday 8 May, 2017, the Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science, Jet Bussemaker, announced that the project SCOOP (Sustainable Cooperation: Roadmaps to a Resilient Society) is one of the six projects awarded 18.8 million euros in funding from the NWO programme Gravitation.

Research

Sustainable Coooperation

Status, Reputation, and Gossip

Organizational Change and Administrative Reform

Intra-Organizational Networks

Health and Well-Being