Bureaucracies, a process of unnecessary methods

Bureaucracies or mechanistic structures are defined as a process of excessive methods, procedures,

rules, and regulations of working that often results in the inefficient outputs from organizations.

Too many rules and regulations in a structure affects the efficiency of the organization and its people.
The biggest challenge of a bureaucracy or mechanistic structure is that it is rigid. This rigidness leads to
fixed duties, rigid hierarchal relationships, difficultly in adaptability and formalized channels which
makes things less creative.

Think of workers given fixed salaries and too much restrictions at work, will they be willing to do over
shifts? Will they feel motivated? Will they work heartily?

The answer to all these questions is NO. If employees are not given freedom or a breathing space in
working environments, they will always underperform. It can be a challenge to increase productivity.

In bureaucracies or mechanistic structures, one person leads the show and it is adhered to the chain of
command principle. This principle also creates communication gaps between top management and
lower-level teams. This gap can create conflicts, for example, top manager or the person running the
show will not be able to resolve problems effectively of lower team members due to the lack of
observation from the primary source. This structure is created for consistency in the system but this
consistency often leads to less cross-over opportunities even within the firm. In a fast-moving and
constantly evolving world, stable, boring, inflexible and repetitive/structure, routine will not bring what
is required from them. This system will require the structure to break those many rules developed by
them, to get out of their comfort zone, lengthy and unnecessary work methods and adapt to the new
changes and become organic to work efficiently.

Organic structures can be an efficient way of running firms/organizations. Few rules, adaptable duties,
multi-tasking job descriptions, informal communication, and flatter structures are few benefits of the
successful organic structures. Decisions can be made according to the evolving digital world. Quotas are
not defined/restricted and decisions are not based on only cost structures.