Highlights a table giving benefits of bureaucracy compared with traditional organizations. It creates a rigid division for the labor that must be complete. Bureaucracy is a widely disseminated concept in sociology and in organisational theory studies, and it currently has an image. Theoretical background, origins and evolution i concept of bureaucracy bureaucracy is an idea as well as an embodiment of a structural arrangement. A direct consequence is increased specializationit becomes impossible for one person to know everything involved. A bureaucracy that is not structured well can be inefficient and cost more in time and financial resources than it will save.
Seven principles of bureaucracy theory are formal hierarchy structure, formal rules and norms, specialization, equality, recruitment based on abilities and qualification, an upfocused or infocused mission and systematic filling. Defined by four specific features including a clear hierarchy and a rigid division of labor, a bureaucracy can provide stability and security, while discouraging favoritism. In other words, we deal with bureaucratic settings on a daily basis. Pdf on apr 1, 2018, mokgata matjie and others published technical advantages of bureaucracy find, read and cite all the research you. It has been defended as a necessity and at the same time vigorously condemned.
Central authority in bureaucracy makes it effective in organizing. Following inflexible rules and regulations takes time. It runs the administration of the state according to the policies and laws of. Alternatively, this type of structure can hinder productivity. This definition of bureaucracy is somewhat exaggerated because in most of the modern. The end of chinas traditional bureaucracy was marked by the collapse of the qing dynasty in the turn of the 20th century. Reckons that many recent efforts in managing organizations can. The term bureaucracy has not come with the article of max weber because this word had been seen in 1745 for the first time, but must be clear about the fact that max webers name is synonymous with bureaucracy and he enjoys a unique place in the galaxy of. Advantages and disadvantages of bureaucracy management.
Definition, features, benefits, disadvantages and problems. It can result to inefficiency in bureaucracy, there is less competition since hiring and promotion is based on merits and qualifications. Today, bureaucracy is the administrative system governing any large institution, whether publicly owned or privately owned. Do the advantages of the weberian bureaucracy outweigh its. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. As a result, formal organizations,secondary groups designed to achieve explicit. It was max webber who propounded the bureaucratic theory of organisation.
Bureaucratic organisations have the following merits. The essential features of bureaucratic n1anagement. The bureaucratic management theory emphasized on a formal organizational structure where a proper hierarchy is to be maintained. It examines bureaucracy within the specific context of the higher education institution of the university of damascus in syria, using various qualitative research methodologies and techniques including documentaryarchival material, observation, and interviews. The disadvantages of bureaucracy in organizations your.
A bureaucratic structure has both advantages and disadvantages. The impracticability of government allround control. German socialist max weber 18641920 made a theory of ideal bureaucracy that bureaucratic organizations or bureaucrats have occurred due to webers theory note. Each employee performs his specialized work in a predictable manner. Advantages and disadvantages of max webers theory of.
The bureaucratic management theory, introduced by max weber stated that to manage an organization efficiently, it is essential to have a clear line of authority along with proper rules, procedures and regulations for controlling each business operation. Max weber bureaucracy theory may 28, 2019 by prachi m leave a comment definition. It has a clear hierarchy that defines who has authority and how much. Characteristics of bureaucracy modern officialdom functions in the following manner.
It is usually described as the nonpolitical or politically neutral, permanent, and professionally trained civil service. Max weber 18641920, is said to be the father of bureaucratic management theory. Having said all that, we will let you know the merits and demerits of the presidential system of government. The concept of choosing bureaucrats by merit rather than birth started early in chinese history but using written examinations as a tool of selection started in earnest during the midtang dynasty. While there are countries doing well with this kind of structure. Bureaucracy is the administrative structure and set of regulations in place to control rationalize, render effective and professionalize activities, usually in large organizations and government 1. States the use of the word bureaucracy is greeted with much disparaging comment, with max weber held up as the father of the movement although he saw its limitations. Producers have complete freedom to invest in any business or trade. Such precision results in a useful and enduring conceptualization of the term. Examining hindrance of bureaucracy on management innovation for organizations grace thomas mori assistant lecturer at moshi cooperative university mocu coast and dar es salaam centre, dar es salaam, tanzania. Max weber defined the six characteristics of bureaucracy as a formal hierarchical structure, management by rules, division of labor, achivementfocused advancement, efficient organization and impersonality. The more rigid the bureaucracy, the more honest the people working in that bureaucracy and so the more fairly everybody the system interacts with is treated. You can view samples of our professional work here.
Weber has observed three types of power in organisations. It may refer to a government or corporate structure. The bureaucracy would later evolve with the establishment of other dynasties in ancient china. It has policies and procedures or rules and laws that are.
Pdf technical advantages of bureaucracy researchgate. Creates an opportunity for employees to become specialists within one specific area, increasing the effectiveness and efficiency in each area of the organization. Max weber is a german sociologist, who was a pioneer in the field of bureaucracy theory of management. Bureaucracy is the organizational expression of modern legalrational authority. The song dynasty, for instance, practiced a form of bureaucracy known as the meritocracy. As robert merton said, weber is almost exclusively concerned with what the bureaucratic structure attains. The theory of bureaucracy of max weber, merits and demerits i table of contents introduction. Max weber bureaucracy theory definition, advantages. He also instituted the belief that an organization must have a defined hierarchical structure and clear rules, regulations, and lines of authority which govern it.
Bureaucracy learn the pros and cons of uniform authority. The bureaucrats exercise their authority only because they hold public office. An investigation of the weberian notion of bureaucracy in. The foremost advantage of this system is that everybody enjoys economic freedom as one can spend ones income according to ones wishes. This is not an example of the work produced by our essay writing service. Hence, taking a closer look at the pros and cons of bureaucracy is important. Argues the integration of rationality into organizations has its costs. Bureaucracy is a highly misunderstood and infamous concept which has been taken in varied perspective by public at large. The dictionary meaning of bureaucracy is a system of government in which most decisions are taken by state officials rather than by elected representatives. One of the principle advantages of a bureaucracy is its ability to divide large projects into manageable parts. Whether or not they wish to admit it, most americans either work in bureaucratic settings, or at least deal with them daily in schools, hospitals, government, and so forth. Chinese imperial examinations were a civil service examination system in imperial china for selecting candidates for the state bureaucracy.
Developed and appearing economies are converging to 1 gigantic global overall economy. Max weber, a german scientist, defines bureaucracy as a highly structured, formalized, and also an impersonal organization. In its ideal form, bureaucracy is impersonal and rational and based on rules rather than ties of kinship, friendship, or. This new orientation transformed the way in which society is organized. Advantages of bureaucratic approach protects employees from unfair rulings from leaders which gives a greater sense of security to the employees. Notes on max webers bureaucracy theory concept and. Advantages and disadvantages of max webers theory of bureaucracy. Assuming that employees stick to the established rules and procedures, and that the rules and. Robbins and mary coulter in their book titled management, bureaucracy can be defined as a form of. Moreover, once a teacher is appointed, he or she has a fixed salary, works on specialized tasks and cannot function outside the sphere of the department he or she belongs to. There is the principle of official jurisdictional areas, which are generally ordered by rules, that is, by laws or administrative regulations. A clear division of labor and an established hierarchy help your organization perform as one. There is division of work on basis of specialization of jobs in bureaucratic organizations.
A structure of form is created by specifying the duties and responsibilities and reporting relationships within a command hierarchy. It is distinguished from informal and collegial organizations. In organizations, bureaucracy structure is divided into different levels, from frontline employees up to the upper management. Such a structure, such an organization has an authority, which is exercised by bureaucrats. Bureaucracy is an administrative system designed to accomplish largescale administrative tasks by systematically coordinating the work of many individuals. The issue of time is the primary disadvantage of a bureaucracy. Bureaucracy, specific form of organization defined by complexity, division of labour, permanence, professional management, hierarchical coordination and control, strict chain of command, and legal authority. However, understanding the root of powerful bureaucracy is useful to maximize its strengths and minimize its weaknesses. Bureaucracy or the civil service constitutes the permanent and professional part of the executive organ of government. This pdf is a selection from an outofprint volume from the national bureau of economic research volume title. Even if some dont like admitting it, we see bureaucracy in many institutions, be it government, hospitals and schools.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of bureaucracy. The advantages and disadvantages of a bureaucracy show that a wellstructured environment can improve efficiencies and reduce barriers that could limit production. Critical theory this will be an appraisal of webers theory of bureaucracy from a critical theory point of view. Webers theories, developed at the turn of the 20th century, helped define the economic and political. The system became dominant during the song dynasty and.
The federal civil service system and the problem of bureaucracy volume authoreditor. For a state, the rule of law is the most important prerequisite to its contributory existence and bureaucracy act as a tool to it. Formal organizations and bureaucracy regardless of whether marx or weber was right about its cause, rationality was a totally different way of thinking that came to permeate society. Bureaucracy max weber, a german social scientist, analyzed the formation and administration of enterprises. W eber s ideal t ype the term bureaucracy has never been so precisely defined than in the writings of max weber. Just a quick one, a presidential system of government is one in which there is an executive president, that is, someone vested with all executive powers and who combines the office of head of state and head of government. Weber was a german sociologist and political economist that viewed bureaucracy in a positive light, believing it to be more rational and efficient than its historical predecessors.
A bureaucratic organization provides the advantages of specialization because every member is assigned a. In government, bureaucrats implement policies, write rules and regulations and administer them on people, among others. Although not many are in favor of bureaucracy, the organizational model still continues to prevail today. Using the lens of max webers theory of bureaucracy to. It also means that the rules are more explicit and so more tr. A bureaucratic organization provides the advantages of specialization because every member is assigned a specialized task to perform. Even though many americans dislike bureaucracy, this organizational model prevails today. Webers ideal bureaucracy, thus, treated organisation structures with welldefined tasks and authorityresponsibility relationships which are uniformly followed by all members irrespective of their personal or official positions. The following are some of the hindrance of bureaucracy on management innovation bureaucracy puts an upper limit on what individuals are allowed to bring to their jobs it was pointed out by hamel 2006 that bureaucracy has limitations on individuals creativity. The major benefit of a wellfunctioning bureaucracy is greater efficiency. This is not a surprise since bureaucratization is a common. The word bureaucracy is derived from the french word bureaucratic which is again derived from bureau.
1071 102 18 1242 776 1537 1251 233 484 792 1207 1477 369 989 1367 1030 1439 196 1055 486 555 597 283 460 899 361 328 464 1225 488 9 481 914