Sanctions in Organizational and Social Life

• Published in: Usable Social Science p. 90
• Main Authors: Neil J. Smelser, John S. Reed
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: University of California Press 15.09.2012
• Edition: 1
• Subjects: Applied psychology; Applied sciences; Armed conflict; Behavioral sciences; Business; Business administration; Consumer psychology; Economic sanctions; Economic sectors; Economics; Education; Educational institutions; Employee compensation; Engineering; Executive compensation; Formal education; Human resources; Informal sector; International disputes; International politics; International relations; International sanctions; Macroeconomics; Military deterrence; Military doctrines; Military science; Nuclear deterrence; Pay for performance; Political corruption; Political ethics; Political science; Politics; Psychology; Rational choice theory; School campuses; System effectiveness; Systems engineering; Trade sanctions; Usability; Wages
• ISBN: 0520273567; 9780520273566

The play of sanctions—devices to influence behavior by rewarding or punishing—is pervasive in social life. We praise, cajole, withhold love, and sometimes coerce when rewarding and punishing our children. Sanctions are the cement of informal social relationships, as we see in the flow of influence and power in families, friendships, and small groups. They are the lubricants of organizations, as evidenced in the interplay among financial rewards and punishments, the exercise of authority, and informal processes of influence and resistance. Monetary sanctions are the lifeblood of markets and finance, and political sanctions are among the mechanisms for sustaining