The work of social theorist ______ would be the most useful in trying to explain how a grocery store employee interacts with his boss.

Answer: The work of social theorist Max Weber would be the most useful in trying to explain how a grocery store employee interacts with his boss. Weber's theory of bureaucracy provides a framework that describes how organizations function with a hierarchy of authority, a clear division of labor, and a set of formal rules and procedures that govern interactions and behaviors. According to Weber, the interactions between a grocery store employee and their boss would likely be structured by the formal organizational policies and the authority that the boss holds over the employee within the bureaucratic system.

Extra: Max Weber was a German sociologist and political economist who was active during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His work laid the foundation for modern sociology and contributed significantly to our understanding of social structures and authority. His most influential theories involve the concept of bureaucracy, the types of authority (traditional, charismatic, and legal-rational), and the "Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism."

In a bureaucratic organization like a grocery store, interactions are typically shaped by a clear hierarchy (which outlines who has authority over whom), a division of labor (which specifies the tasks of each employee), and a set of formal rules and regulations (which guide behavior and expectations within the organization).