WEBER: CONCEPT MAPPING

RATIONALITY
AND
TRADITION

SOCIAL ACTION
WEBER BUREAUCRACY

THE
PROTESTANT
ETHIC
VS
THE SPIRIT OF
CAPITALISM
SOCIAL ACTION BUREAUCRACY

Traditional Action Specialization

Affective Action Hierarchy of Offices

Rational Action Rules and Regulations

Value Oriented Rationality Technical Competence

Value Free Rationality – Experience Impersonality

Individuals Sense making Behaviour Formal Written Commu’t

Human meanings and actions shape Society

Ideas have transforming power

Modern society is a new way of thinking Criticism of bureaucracy

Power resides in people

not in offices

Humans are creative

Inefficiencies and Rituals

Inertia and abuse of

power (Oligarchy – rule
of the many by the few)
The Protestant Ethic Versus The Spirit of capitalism

Working hard as a sign of grace Relentless profit and hard work

The “calling and earthly duties Rationality

Salvation and predestination Time is money Invest for Profit

Self monitoring and self control HARD WORK –Profit motive

Sins of waste and idleness Imp’ce of hard work and Savin

RATIONALITY

Deliberate matter of fact calculation of the most efficient means to accomplish a

particular goal

Rationalisation of society is the historical change from tradition to rationality as

the dominant mode of human thought

TRADITION

Sentiments and Beliefs

Being guided by the past