Hierarchy and Distribution of Power in Informal Organizations (a Case of Freelancers)

In the context of comprehensive informational and technological development, modernization of the economy, and rethinking of labor, various forms of employment are emerging. Among them, special attention is drawn to freelancers ― highly professional self-employed, working outside the organization and providing services to different customers simultaneously. The development of the Internet and remote access exchanges in particular makes it possible to carry out such activities without direct interaction with the customer both at the discussion stage and during the transfer of results. At the same time, along with the individual freelancers, there are project teams in which highly professional self-employed agents fulfill an order together. This work is devoted to the study of the internal structure of informal organizations of freelancers: the foundation of association and the mechanisms of selection in the team, its principles of governance, coordination and distribution of power. Guided by the methodology of qualitative research, 15 semi-structured interviews with participants of informal organizations of freelancers were conducted. According to the results of the study, it was concluded that the basis of the association of freelancers is interpersonal trust and the experience of the previous interaction, which allows freelancers to provide both comfortable joint work and the quality of the performance. Also a number of typologies have been developed, illustrating the types of power relations within an informal organization, among there are both systems built on hierarchy and fully decentralized teams. Coordination of the activities of freelancers within the organization is supported by a number of material and non-material mechanisms.