Classifications of the social organizations

As a result of the numerous differences among these organizations and the scientists’ various opinions on the bases that may be used in the process of classification there are several classifications and patterns for social organizations.

As following, a review for the most prominent models used in classifying the social organizations:

2.6.1. Etzioni’s model for organizations classification.

Etzioni (1964) classified the organizations into three kinds according to pressure practiced by

the organization over persons to join it, these are: 1. Voluntary associations

Persons join this kind of organizations on their own desire voluntarily to achieve personal interest or for emotional reason. They have all freedom whether to join these

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organizations .These organizations are such as political parties, cultural and sport clubs, local societies and religious ones.

2. Coercive organizations

Those enforce persons to join them such as prisons, psychic hospitals, compulsory camps and army.

3. Utilitarian organizations

They represent the link between the previous two kinds, where individuals join it to achieve an interest such as the economic organizations in which people work as factories. However, persons are not obliged to join this kind of organizations, but they have to work to acquire their livelihood. So, one can say that this kind of organizations is not completely compulsory or voluntary.

2.6.2. Blau and Scott’s model for organizations classification

Both Blau and Scott (1962) classified organizations according to the interest and profits made out of the organization’s activities. In their classification they revolve around a simple question, that is, who is the beneficent from achieving the organization’s goals?. According to the answer of this question, organizations are classified into four kinds:

1. Mutual – benefit organizations

That are formed from members who exchange benefit each other such as parties, and workers unions.

2. Business organizations

Those include organizations with the basic goal to achieve the benefit for the owner and employees such as banks, companies and factories.

3. Service organizations

That aim continuously at providing certain services (public services) to specific persons such as schools, hospitals and social care institutions.

4. Commonweal organizations

That aim at providing services to a certain local society or for the society as whole such as governmental organizations, ministries, army and police units.

2.6.3. Katz and Khan’s model for organizations classification

Champion (1975, pp. 73 – 74) said that both Katz and Khan have classified social

Chapter 2: Social Organizations______________________________________________ society. He also added that organizations limit their goals as being a sub pattern of the community so; there are four kinds of organizations:

1. Productive or economic organizations, such as factories, communication enterprises and export units.

2. Maintenance organizations, such as schools and hospitals.

3. Adaptive organizations, such as research institutions and universities.

4. Managerial – political organizations, such as the government, local administration and workers unions.

2.6.4. Hicks’s model for organizations classification

Hicks (1972, p. 12) explained, that each organization is set up in order to achieve a set of

objectives which meet its members needs. So, the organizations could be classified according to their members’ goals into several kinds:

1. Service organizations. They aim at helping individuals with no money for these services such as public schools.

2. Economic organizations, which aim at providing goods and services for individuals to get profits such as economic companies.

3. Religious organizations. They aim at providing their members with spiritual needs such as worship places.

4. Protection organizations: That aim at protecting individuals from harms such as police stations.

5. Governmental organizations. Those meet individuals’ needs for the continuous existence of order such as courts.

6. Social organizations. That aim at achieving individual’s social needs as for communication with others such as social clubs.

2.6.5. Khalifa’s model for organizations classification

Based on the organizations volume and subjectivity, Khalifah (1990, pp. 321 – 328) classified organizations into:

1. Classification according to the organizations subjectivity:

• Governmental organizations. Those are affiliated to the government and are run by governmental officers such as the governmental various bodies.

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2. Classification according to the organization size:

• Large organizations. Those are characterized by their large size, complicated structure and many individuals.

• Small organizations. Their small size, simple organizational structure and few members characterize them.

2.6.6. Hamodah’s model for organizations classification

Hamodah (1995, pp. 126 – 127) classified organizations according to a different set of

classification principles as following:

1. Classification according to the organization’s goals:

• Production organizations, which have productive goals of material products. • Service organizations. Those provide specific services for specific customers. 2. Classification according to the benefits from the organization activities:

• Organizations, which bring interest for their members only such as, associations and labor unions.

• Organizations, which bring interest for people such as schools and public hospitals.

3. Classification according to the value that directs the activity and policy within an organization:

• Social service organizations: They are based on the principles of social services. • Commercial and industrial organizations. Those are based on the values and

standards of profits.

2.6.7. Organizations classification in the Egyptian rural communities

Nassrat (1963, p. 48), Abdel-Wahab (1985, p. 83) and Omar (1980, pp. 368 – 369) refereed,

that rural organizations in Egypt can be classified according to their contribution to the rural development as following:

1. Agricultural and economic organizations. They provide economic services for their members such as the agricultural cooperatives and village banks.

2. Social organizations, which include all kinds of organizations, that aim at supporting peasants to perform social services for improving their society such as development society cooperative, rural clubs and children gardens.

Chapter 2: Social Organizations______________________________________________ 3. Educational organizations. That aim at educating and training peasants on the modern

methods of agriculture as well as educating peasants’ sons. They include all kinds of schools.

4. Health organizations, which include all organizations, that provides health services for their members such as rural health units.

From the previous review of organizations classification, it may be noted, that every one of the researcher classified the organizations according to an indicator or basis that agrees with his vision for organization. As a result, organization classifications depend on characteristics, goals and functions for which these organizations are established and also, according to human needs which the organizations provide.

Summarized, one can say that an agricultural cooperative is an economic and social organization as providing several economic and agricultural services for their members such as the provision of production requirements, and marketing of the agricultural products. In addition, it is considering social services for its members. The cooperatives have an important role in enriching peasants through conferences and seminars. So , it may be viewed as an organization that has an educational role as it brings peasants new agricultural skills related to the modern methods of agriculture in addition to the participation of agricultural cooperatives in the projects of illiteracy prevention and educating peasants and their sons how to read and write.