21.

0 INTRODUCTION

In every organization to operate it needs management management is defined as a process of

guiding the development, maintenance, and allocation of resources to attain organizational
goals. . This process is based in four key functional areas of the organization: planning,
organizing, leading, and controlling. Management it is important in organization because it
helps in Achieving Group Goals - It arranges the factors of production, assembles and
organizes the resources, integrates the resources in effective manner to achieve goals. It
directs group efforts towards achievement of pre-determined goals to mention but a few.

Therefore in this academic writing we intend to talk about the contributions made by max
weber to management on bureaucracy in the organization.

2.0 THE MEANING OF BUREAUCRACY.

Bureaucracies are all around us. This form of organization, which is comprised of non-
elected officials who implement rules, is not only common in the public sector but in the
business world as well. Examples of bureaucracies in the public sector include the Social
Security Administration, Environmental Protection Agency and public universities. Among
the oldest bureaucratic structures in the country is the United States military.Katz, D. &
Kahn, R. L. (1978).

Bureaucracy is administration that is a faculty and regulatory structure of an association.

Business, work, religious, instructive, and administrative frameworks rely upon an extensive
workforce masterminded in an order to complete specific assignments in light of inward
standards and methodology. The term is utilized generally in alluding to government
organization, particularly with respect to authorities in the central government and common
administration. Weber, M. (1905).

Max Weber is known as the father of Bureaucratic Management Theory, he analyzed

bureaucracy as the most logical and rational structure for large organizations. Weber’s
significant impact on sociological hypothesis comes from his interest for objectivity in grant
and from his examination of the intentions behind human activity.Weber, M. (1905).

Bureaucratic management theory focused on different leveled structures, task of expert, and
control. The attention was on the structure rather than the worker. Weber’s theory of
bureaucratic organization also has two crucial segments.

At first, it includes sorting out a relationship into a chain of significance. Additionally, the
affiliation and its people are directed by unmistakably described ordinary legitimate essential
initiative guidelines. Each segment urges a relationship to fulfill its goal. Weber, M. (1905).
3.0 What is a bureaucratic organization?

According to Udy Jr, S. H. (1959) the bureaucratic theory of Max Weber, bureaucracy is the
basis for the systematic formation of any organisation and is designed to ensure efficiency
and economic effectiveness.

It is an ideal model for management and its administration to bring an organisation’s power
structure into focus. With these observations, he lays down the basic principles of
bureaucracy and emphasises the division of labour, hierarchy, rules and impersonal
relationship.Udy Jr, S. H. (1959)

4.0 The 6 bureaucracy characteristics are:

The following are the six features of bureaucracy task specialisation (Specialization and
Division of Labor), Hierarchical layers of authority, Formal selection, Rules and
requirements, Impersonal (Impersonality and Personal Indifference), Career orientation.

4.1. Task specialisation

According to Udy Jr, S. H. (1959) tasks are divided into simple, routine categories on the
basis of competencies and functional specialisations. Every employee is responsible for what
he/she does best and knows exactly what is expected of him / her. By dividing work on the
basis of specialisation, the organisation directly benefits. Each department has specific
powers.

As a result, there is a delineation of tasks and managers can approach their employees more
easily when they do not stick to their tasks. Every employee knows exactly what is expected
of him/ her and what his/ her powers are within the organisation.Weber, M. (1905).

Every employee has a specific place within the organisation and is expected to solely focus
on his/ her area of expertise. Going beyond your responsibilities and taking on tasks of
colleagues is not permitted within a bureaucracy.

4.2. Hierarchical layers of authority

According to Udy Jr, S. H. (1959) Managers are organised into hierarchical layers, where
each layer of management is responsible for its staff and overall performance. In bureaucratic
organizational structures, there are many hierarchical positions. This is essentially the
trademark and foundation of a bureaucracy.
The hierarchy of authority is a system in which different positions are related in order of
precedence and in which the highest rank on the ladder has the greatest power. The bottom
layers of bureaucratic organizational structures are always subject to supervision and control
of higher layers.

This hierarchy reflects lines of bureaucratic communication and the degree of delegation and
clearly lays out how powers and responsibilities are divided.

4.3. Formal selection

According to Udy Jr, S. H. (1959) all employees are selected on the basis of technical skills
and competences, which have been acquired through training, education and experience.

One of the basic principles is that employees are paid for their services and that level of their
salary is dependent on their position. Their contract terms are determined by organisational
rules and requirements and the employee has no ownership interest in the company.

4.4. Rules and requirements

Formal rules and requirements are required to ensure uniformity, so that employees know
exactly what is expected of them. In this sense, the rules and requirements can be considered
predictable.Weber, M. (1905).

All administrative processes are defined in the official rules. By enforcing strict rules, the
organisation can more easily achieve uniformity and all employee efforts can be better
coordinated. The rules and requirements are more or less stable and always formalised in so-
called official reports.

Should new rules and requirements be introduced, then senior management or directors are
responsible for this.

4.5. Impersonal

Regulations and clear requirements create distant and impersonal relationships between
employees, with the additional advantage of preventing nepotism or involvement from
outsiders or politics. These impersonal relationship are a prominent feature of bureaucracies.

Interpersonal relationships are solely characterised by a system of public law and rules and
requirements. Official views are free from any personal involvement, emotions and feelings.
Decisions are solely made on the basis of rational factors, rather than personal factors.Weber,
M. (1905).

4.6. Career orientation

Employees of a bureaucratic organisation are selected on the basis of their expertise. This
helps in the deployment of the right people in the right positions and thereby optimally
utilising human capital.

In a bureaucracy, it is possible to build a career on the basis of experience and expertise.

As a result, it offers lifetime employment. The right division of labour within a bureaucratic
organisation also allows employees to specialise themselves further, so that they may become
experts in their own field and significantly improve their performance.

5.0 Advantages and disadvantages of the Bureaucratic Theory

5.1 Advantages

Generally speaking, the term bureaucracy has a negative connotation and is often linked to
government agencies and large organisations.

Nevertheless, the great benefit of a bureacracy is that large organisations with many
hierarchical layers can become structured and work effectively. It is precisely the established
rules and procedures that allows for high efficiency and consistent execution of work by all
employees.

All this makes it easier for management to maintain control and make adjustments when
necessary. Bureaucracy is especially inevitable in organisations where legislation plays an
important role in delivering a consistent output.Weber, M. (1978).

5.2 Disadvantages

Bureaucracy is characterised by a large amount of red tape, paperwork, many desks, certain
office culture and slow bureaucratic communication due to its many hierarchical layers.

This is the system’s biggest disadvantage of a bureaucratic organization. It is also unfortunate

that employees remain fairly distanced from each other and the organisation, making them
less loyal.

Bureaucracy is also extremely dependent on regulatory and policy compliance. This restricts
employees to come up with innovative ideas, making them feel like just a number instead of
an individual. Later research (the human relations theory) demonstrated that employees
appreciate attention and want to have a voice in decision making.Weber, M. (1978).

6.0 Bureaucratic Theory: problems

Because employees of an bureaucratic organization have no opportunity to voice their
opinion or influence decision making, a bureaucracy may demotivate employees in the long
run..Katz, D. & Kahn, R. L. (1978).

Moreover, over the course of time, employees may start to get annoyed at the various rules
and requirements, with the risk that they may start boycotting and / or abusing these rules and
standing up to the established order.Weber, M. (1978).

It is therefore very important that bureaucratic organisations properly inform employees well
in advance about their approach to work and requires them to accept this. Only employees
who agree to this approach are suitable to work within a bureaucratic organisation.Weber, M.
(1978).

today’s modern organizations? Do these management principles and business ethics work in
every organisation or are there exceptions? And if so, what are the exceptions and what can
we learn from them?

7.0 Criticism of Bureaucratic Organization

Bureaucratic Management Approach of Max Weber also has some fault-lines and received
criticism for it.

The emphasis only on rules and regulations.

There will be unnecessary delays in decision-making due to formalities and rules of

Bureaucratic Organization.

Coordination and communication hampered because of too much formality and

rules.Bureaucracy involves a lot of paperwork and has just too much level of authority which
results in a lot of wastage of time, effort and money. Not ideal for efficiency.Rosenbloom,
1995).

Because of its too much formality, a Bureaucratic approach is not suitable for business
organizations. The bureaucratic model may be suitable for government organizations.

Too much importance is given to the technical qualifications of the employees for promotion
and transfers. Dedication and commitment of the employee are not considered..

8.0 CONCLUSION
In a conclusion Weber introduced bureaucracy to emphasize rule, ability and knowledge,
which in fact offered an efficient and rational administrative system to society. An ideal
administrative organization should be based on rationality-legal rights. The more it reduced
the personal, irrational and unpredictable factors, the more it developed in Weber’s view.
Although the polity, economy and culture of modern society has changed a lot compared the
Weber’s age, but the basic idea of his age still applies to today’s organization. Certainly,
bureaucratic organization is still cannot easily replace of organization in the management of
government’ department, large social group and enterprise.

REFERENCES

Katz, D. & Kahn, R. L. (1978). The social psychology of organizations. Wiley.

Udy Jr, S. H. (1959). Bureaucracy and Rationality in Weber’s Organization Theory: An

Empirical Study. American Sociological Review, 791-795.

Weber, M. (1978). Economy and society: An outline of interpretive sociology. Univ of

California Press.

Weber, M. (1905). The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Courier Corporation.

Touraine, A. (1988). Modernity and cultural specificities. International Social Science

Journal, 118, 443-457.

Wagner, P. (1997). Sociología de la modernidad [Sociology of modernity] Barcelona:

Herder.
Weber, M. (1966). Os fundamentos da organização burocrática: Uma construção do tipo
ideal [The basics of bureaucratic organization: A construction of the ideal type]. AAVV.
Sociologia da Burocracia. Rio de Janeiro: Zahar Editores.

Weber, M. (1982). Ensaios de sociologia [Sociology essays]. Organisation and

introduction by H. Gerth and C. Wright Mills. Rio de Janeiro: Editora Guanabara.