Sociological Bureaucracy

Discussion

The sociology traits of bureaucracy are still evident in most of today’s large multinational

organizations. Hierarch in managerial positions, specific operational norms, and rules, as well as

the division of labor in modern organizations like Amazon, is a clear vindication that the

sociological trait of bureaucracy is adhered to in management and running operations at these

entities. Almost all organizations or institutions have a structured chain of command that often

begins with the Chief Executive Officer at the top and trickle down to various levels of

management. Division of labor is still evident in organizations as it’s used to enhance employee

productivity and inculcate the virtue of responsibility on employees (Hummel, 2018). In fact,

most organizations periodically assign targets to departments to boost sales and productivity.

There are, of course, some exceptions, so this model does not accurately represent reality.

Flatter organizational structures with fewer layers of administration at every level have become

more prevalent in recent years. A more streamlined management system is the result of this.

Additionally, several companies have been experimenting with more adaptable working

arrangements, which frequently involve some level of customization (Lazega, 2020). In other

words, jobs and duties in modern organizations are relatively impersonal as managers nowadays

embrace talents and innovation in their human resources. However, the bureaucracy paradigm

still significantly impacts the corporate sector as a whole.

Of course, the level of bureaucracy in today’s multinational organizations is not as it was

some decades ago, but it’s still adhered to administrative hierarchy though at relatively reduced

levels. The adoption of remote or virtual working environments has contributed to another

exception to the implementation of sociological bureaucracies in modern organizations. because

of the modernization of organizational management structures, flatter organizational systems

with fewer levels of administration are becoming more popular. Though more corporations are

adopting flexible work arrangements, the bureaucratic management approach still dominates the

corporate sector.

Whether today’s large companies like Walmart, Facebook, or Amazon are bureaucracies,

my response is yes. These organizations still uphold administrative hierarchy and standardization

of policies and division of labor with their departments. Though the bureaucracy in modern

organizations may differ from the conventional paradigm, the concepts and principles of

sociology bureaucracy traits are still evident (Kanter, 2019). They may have adopted more

adaptable work arrangements, embraced innovation in their human resource, and had fewer

levels of administration, but these are just slight adjustments from the conventional paradigm.

This adjustment from standard models is brought about by changes in the market, technological

advancement, and innovations in organizational management structures. They nonetheless

maintain systems of the impersonality of positions, division of labor, and distinct chain of

command.

For instance, taking Amazon as a case example of today’s multinational organizations,

traits of bureaucracy are evident. Their aspect of the division of labor is noticeable in Amazon as

it has several departments with distinct roles and target objectives. For example, a marketing

department is responsible for pushing the company’s products to the global market.

Administration hierarchy is still practiced in today’s large corporations, as they have positions

for Chief Executive Officer and Upper-level managers, departmental heads, employees, and

subordinate staff. The only deviation that could be spotted is the fewer level of the administrative

hierarchy.
 The organizational structures of online businesses are frequently more flattened, with

fewer layers of management, compared to traditional corporations operating out of brick-and-

mortar locations, which are more bureaucratized. Additionally, they often have more adaptable

work arrangements that permit employee customization. The conventional sociological

viewpoint holds that large corporations today are, on the whole, less bureaucratic than they were

in the past (Monteiro & Adler, 2022). They have reduced the emphasis on hierarchy,

standardized their organizational structures, and given their staff more autonomy and freedom.
 Reference

Hummel, R. P. (2018). Bureaucracy. In Defining Public Administration (pp. 121-127).

Routledge.

Kanter, R. M. (2019). The future of bureaucracy and hierarchy in organizational theory: a report

from the field. In Social theory for changing society (pp. 63-93). Routledge.

Lazega, E. (2020). Bureaucracy, Collegiality and Social Change: Redefining Organizations with

Multilevel Relational Infrastructures. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Monteiro, P., & Adler, P. S. (2022). Bureaucracy for the 21st century: Clarifying and expanding

our view of bureaucratic organization. Academy of Management Annals, 16(2), 427-475.