respond and contribute to the discussion post I am part of an informal organization that is comprised of younger (25 to 35-year-old) employees of a larger division of the company outside my lab. It developed due to us having "more in common" than our older colleagues and led to more rewarding conversation. That has developed further into a method for us to hear about what is going on in other labs and parts of the company. I would say the group offers social stimulation that the company cannot itself provide, nor would I argue that it would be well suited to do so. Informal organizations form naturally due to a need existing that can easily be filled by people forming connections with one another, it is organic and does not require direction or force from the organization. I would say that some are easily identifiable by management, and some are more subtle and may go unnoticed, it depends on the size and relative depth of the connections that the informal organization fosters