Analysis Of Max Weber's Bureaucracy

Weber’s bureaucracy is at the same time protective and dehumanizing. In 1978, Weber reflected again on its superiority over other systems through its “purely technical superiority over any other form of organization. […] Precision, speed, unambiguity, knowledge of the files, continuity, discretion, unity, strict subordination, reduction of friction and of material and personal costs – these are raised to the optimum point in the strictly bureaucratic administration, and specially in its monocratic form” (Weber, 1978, p. 973). This was, in the end, merely a reiteration of the same stance he had held since the 1940s. Weber places the dehumanizing, autocratic monocracy on a pedestal as superior above all other alternatives: “the monocratic variety

Many authors have utilized his writings as the basis for their own research. Consider, for instance, Robert K. Merton whose Bureaucratic Structure and Personality shares many explicit similarities with Weber’s thought. Merton is also, for instance, a strong proponent of bureaucracy as the ideal type of administrative form: “The ideal type of such formal organization is bureaucracy and, in many respects, the classic analysis of bureaucracy is that by Max Weber” (Merton, 1940,). Merton’s writings already began incorporating the troubling aspect of dehumanization inherent to bureaucracy: “As we know from Merton, bureaucrats often seek refuge in rules and procedures as protection from criticism” (Lerner & Wanat, 1983, p. 506). Modern authors have studied this important disconnect as

These are classified into both structural and personnel features.

2.1.1 Structural features

Hierarchy: A major feature of bureaucracy is that there is an organizational structure arranged in a pyramidal or hierarchical form where each official has a clearly defined area of competence with a clear division of labour; each individual is answerable for his or her performance to a superior

Authority: In bureaucratic organizations, authority resides in the office, and is as a result of one’s position on the organizational hierarchy.

Impersonality: Tasks in the bureaucratic organization are conducted according to prescribed rules. There is strict application of rules and regulations and everything is to be done