Bangladesh University of Professionals

Term Paper on
Max Weber's Ideal Type of Bureaucracy in Practice: Lessons from
Public Sector Organizations in Bangladesh
Course Name: Public Administration: Theories and Debates
Course Code: PA 5101

Submitted to

Lecturer Azmaine Faeique

Department of Public Administration
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS)
Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP)

Submitted by
Name:
Class Roll: 2016311006
1st Semester,
Department of Public Administration

Submitted on:June16 ,2020

 Table of Contents

Serial Topic Page No.

No.

1. Introduction 1

2. Objective of the Study 1

3. Methodology 2

4. Rationale for choosing the topic 2

5. Types of presentation styles 2-5

7. Discussion and Analysis 6-8

8. Conclusion 9

9. References 10
 1. Introduction

Bureaucracy can be understood as huge level formal organizations of the present society with
specialized functions. Bureaucratization as well as rationalization go together because
bureaucracies are organized according to balanced principles (Rao, 1990). The development of
bureaucracy turns into the practice of rationalization for some causes. Firstly, bureaucracy is a
rational sensation. It is also said by Weber that it is the most rational managerial form of
administration together in the public and the private sector. Secondly, the bureaucracy is the key
institute for the presentation of the strict rule, which is one more vital component of rationalization.
Thirdly, bureaucracy for instance a central element of the public sector is essential for the working
of the capitalist economy, because the capitalist economy is grounded within an exact calculation
and accounting. In the case of Bangladesh the attainment of Bangladesh’s determinations headed
for economic and social progress to a large degree on the administrative reform effort. The
executive organ of the government is more powerful than other organs, that rearranging the
executive organ is one of the crucial improvement programs in various developing nations (Kim
& Monem, 2009). In Bangladesh, the dominant character of bureaucracy in the state is familiar
with the politicians, academics and general citizens to a great extent. Bangladesh has been and
remains designate to an administrative government where bureaucrats have played a serious part
both in policy construction and policy execution.

2. Objective of the Study

The main objective of the study is to analyze whether the features of bureaucratic model of Max
Weber are consistent to the bureaucracy of Bangladesh or not.

The specific objectives are –

➢ To identify the effectiveness of bureaucratic model of Max Weber.

➢ To identify the present hierarchy of Bangladesh bureaucracy.

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 3. Methodology

The existing study is qualitative in nature. This paper has been made by reviewing the secondary
sources. The information was accumulated from relevant articles, newspapers, different position
papers action plans of the government, relevant websites, journals, published research reports and
papers about such study and on such issues have been mostly used.

4. Rationale for choosing the topic

Weber’s Theory of Bureaucracy is a significant contribution to the field of public administration.

Weber interest in the nature of power as well as authority and his realization of the predictability
rationalization in the operation of large scale modern organizations led him to establish a theory
of bureaucracy. Weber felt that the operation of modern large scale enterprises or organizations
in the political, administrative and economic fields would be impossible without bureaucracy.
Bureaucracy plays dominant role in the development of the society and it is the cornerstone of
modern society. Bangladesh has seen bureaucrats a permanent role in policy formulation and
policy implementation. The bureaucracy, in present Bangladesh originates from the bureaucracy
in British India. The bureaucracy in this part of the subcontinent has experienced numerous ups
and downs during the three distinct periods of British, Pakistan and Bangladesh era. The
bureaucracy in Bangladesh is repeatedly apparent with the issues of corruption, nepotism,
inefficiency, lack of accountability and transparency, etc. If it can avoid problems like corruption,
favoritism, nepotism and make effort with devotion and neutral political approach, then
Bangladesh will progress quickly.

5. Discussion and Analysis

From the previous discussions, it can be said that Weber sets out an 'ideal type' for bureaucracy,
characterized by an elaborate hierarchical division of labor directed by explicit rules impersonally
applied, staffed by full-time, life-time, professionals, who do not in any sense own the 'means of
administration', or their jobs, or the sources of their funds, and live off a salary, not from income
derived unswervingly from the performance of their job. In fact the division of labor applied to
administration, and bureaucracy occupies the same place in Weber's account of the development
of modern civilization as division of labor.
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Similarities with Weberian model

In Bangladesh theoretically the bureaucracy to large extent conforms to the Weberian model.

1. Division of labor: In Bangladesh each ministry or division is created by executive order and
allocated specific functions. There are currently 39 ministries in the Bangladesh administration
set-up and over 61 divisions with close to one million public employees. A permanent civil servant,
usually a secretary is the ministries administrative head. Currently, there are 351 departments and
directories, which differ greatly in size, status and character, depending on their responsibilities.
We can also see this division in public service commission in Bangladesh. Each division is further
classified into wings which are self-contained sub-divisions of a division for conducting specified
duties of a distinct nature.

2. Hierarchy in Bangladesh bureaucracy: Hierarchy is strictly in Bangladesh bureaucracy. In

the secretarial system, a well defined hierarchy is fixed.

Minister

Secretary

Additional Secretary

Joint Secretary

Deputy Secretary

Senior Assistant Secretary

Assistant Secretary

Figure: Hierarchy of Bangladesh bureaucracy

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The most senior civil servant normally holds the rank of secretary or additional secretary is a
minister’s chief adviser. Joint secretary is under the position of additional secretary. The next
positions are deputy secretary, senior assistant secretary and assistant secretary. Each position
holder is under the higher position holder.

3. Rules and regulations in Bangladesh bureaucracy: there are strict rules and regulations in
Bangladesh bureaucracy. For these rules and regulations, the secretarial system suffered from over
centralization.

4. Impersonality in Bangladesh bureaucracy: I can give an example here, even the secretary
and joint secretary may be friend or classmate. In this case joint secretary have to call the secretary
“sir” in office. But, now-a-days, impersonality is affected with relativity, corruption etc.

5. Management by administration: it may described as the nerve centre of all government

activities where policies are conceived, initiated, designed and apportioned to field agencies for
implementation. Their duty is to formulate public policy, undertake administrative planning,
evaluate policy and plan implementation, formulate sector plan and programs, prepare budgetetc.
so we can say that bureaucrats are the supreme managers of the administration.

6. Careerism in Bangladesh perspective: A Bangladeshi bureaucrat has a fixed career. Over the
last decade, the cost of salaries and allowance for civil servants has increased. Beside this after
retirement they also get pension.

These are the similarities of the bureaucracy of Bangladesh with the bureaucratic model of Max
Weber in theoretically. But actual scenario which exists in reality is given below.

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 8. Conclusion

The state bureaucracy of Bangladesh is patriarchal in nature. But, there are some outward
characteristics manifested in its framework which is the expression of rationalizing bureaucracy.
In particular, documentation, accountability, recruitment policy, hierarchy and division of labors
of state bureaucracy of Bangladesh are legalized visibly. The skill of bureaucrats in this state is
questionable, where skilled managerial body was the precondition of Weber’s ideal type of
bureaucracy on the basis of legal authority. Eventually, before and after independence, Bangladesh
faced military rule in several times. It caused the military influence in its bureaucratic
organization. Based on the above discussion in fine it can be said that the bureaucracy of
Bangladesh is not fully consistent with the features of the Weberian model of Bureaucracy because
there exists some problems like corruption, tadbir, lobbying, nepotism, politicization of
bureaucracy, appointment by political influence, lack of accountability and transparency, weak
monitoring system, weak documentation etc. in Bangladesh’s Bureaucracy as well as this Weberian
model of Bureaucracy has some problems too. Although the theory of Max Weber is criticized by
some scholars and it is not possible for Bangladesh to follow this model fully but still now this is
the most dominant and influential theory. The Weberian model is still relevant in Bangladesh
public bureaucracy. The characteristics of Max Weber’s bureaucracy cannot be found in any
existing bureaucracy in their true or complete form. But, the main form of each characteristic is
still comparable with Bangladesh bureaucracy.

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9. References