Interorganizational Resource Links in Towertown, U.S.A.

As part of a more elaborate study of social organization, sociologists from the University of Chicago gathered information on the formal organizations in a midwestern U.S. community of 32,000 persons, referred to here by its pseudonym, Towertown. This city lies 60 miles from a large metropolitan centre, and contains a large state university with an enrollment of almost 24,000 students. A total of 109 formal organizations were identified; for more details, see Galaskiewicz and Marsden (1978) and Galaskiewicz (1979). These organizations included all manufacturing firms having more than 20 employees, banks, savings and loans, law firms, business associations, service clubs, labour unions, city offices and departments, political organizations, mass media organizations, health institutions, public welfare institutions, educational institutions and churches.