ABSTRACT
An organization is a complex and multi-faceted phenomenon. It is therefore virtually impossible to provide a satisfactory all-encompassing definition. Listing its characteristics is usually felt to be sufficient. In this vein, organizations are often described as associations:
of individuals, whose aim is to achieve goals;
in which the work is split up into different tasks (specialisation and differentiation);
in which the integration of activities takes place by means of formalized rules and a hierarchical structure (management structure);
with a certain permanence in time.
