ABSTRACT
The Dombusch-Scott theory of authority is concerned with the stability of organizational authority systems. Stability is the outcome of two kinds of forces: A set of pressures for change, created by the compatibility or incompatibility of the rights that constitute a structure of authority, and a set of pressures that delay or prevent change, created by its validity. This chapter reviews experimental research relevant to some of the basic assumptions and implications of Dombusch and Scott's theory. It also reviews experiments on authority, compliance, and pressures to change an authority structure except for those that fall outside the scope of the Dombusch-Scott theory. The chapter shows that if a valid system of authority is also proper, it is the structure of positions in an authority system that determines the distribution of control and compliance. It also shows that propriety by itself is not only not necessary but also not sufficient to justify acts by a group and/or for others.
