s standard. Whatever the official rules of the organisation workers have their own ideas and will collectively develop their own norm.In contrast to Marx and Weber view that organisations must be governed by strict rules, they must operate with a certain amount of flexibility. The rules do not always work. Workers usually follow informal norms instead of obeying strict rules because they work best. Peter Blau observed agents working in a federal law agency, and found the agents operated in violation of the rules. The agents were required to consult their supervisor if they encountered problems they could not handle. Many of the agents were reluctant to follow this establish policy for fear that it would adversely affect their job rating. Therefore they usually sought guidance from other agents.Both the Hawthorne studies and Blaus research testify to the importance of informal structures within formal organisation. In organisations, there are always patterns of behaviour that cannot be accounted for by official structure. Thus while a bureaucracy may establish a clear hierarchy and well-defined rules and standards. Workers can always get around these rules. Informal understanding among workers can redefine official policies of bureaucracy....
