25. "Authority-Task Problems"

ABSTRACT

Authority-task problems are organizational problems created by inconsistencies between the task process system and both the authority system and the formal hierarchy of offices. Building upon a new theory of group structures, a theory is developed for solving authority-task problems. The theory is used to develop a model that predicts how an administrator responds to an authority-task problem. This theory and model was used in a field study of administrators at a large university. The administrators' choices of strategies for resolving the authority-task problems presented to them were consistent with the predictions of this theory.