We explain what bureaucracy is and its main characteristics. Also, its objectives, disadvantages and what a bureaucratic State is.
What is bureaucracy?
Bureaucracy is a mode of organization that Its function is to establish order through the division of labor and a strict chain of command. in which hierarchical control is exercised.
The bureaucratic order is a system of laws or rules that govern its performance in an impersonal and rational manner, that is, with the same logical criteria in all processes and for all individuals. It allows for the administration and management of both the public institutions of a nation and private organizations.
The word bureaucracy comes from French bureau What does “desk” mean? cratie meaning “power” or “government”. It refers to the absolute power exercised by the king from his desk during the monarchies of the 18th century. Today, the term refers to a broader mode of administration and management.
The German economist and sociologist Max Weber designated the term bureaucracy to define the mode of rational organization that It allows the management of the means and resources of any company, institution and State.
Weber also recognizes that bureaucracy as a type of government can present problems due to the rigid formality and the number of instances required for each task or process, which is why creative strategies are needed as a complement.
Weber’s theory proposes that, in order to achieve maximum efficiency in a company or entity, the bureaucratic organization must aim to satisfy or solve a social problem and, by extension, also satisfy those of the company or entity.
See also: Public administration
Characteristics of bureaucracy
Bureaucracy is a mode of organization that is characterized by:
- The hierarchy of authorityin which one person makes the decisions that the rest of the ranks of authority obey and enforce.
- Relationships between individuals are impersonal in which everyone receives the same treatment and has the same rights and rules.
- Are used Formal channels for internal communication of the organization.
- The formality of rules and regulationswhich can be written down, and which are strictly respected in each process of the organization.
- Work processes are routine and standardizedthat is, they perform according to certain work patterns and always in the same way.
- Performance forecasting of the organization, due to standardized processes and the division of staff labor.
- The concentration of administrative means in government processes. A bureaucratically organized state allows for political domination.
Objectives of bureaucracy
The main objectives of the bureaucratic organization system are:
- Forecast the performance of the organization. Through the rational division of workers’ tasks, productive capacity can be projected, in addition to thinking about proposals to optimize or expand it.
- Achieve greater efficiency. Through routine and standardized processes, human and material resources can be optimized. This is a way of obtaining maximum performance, superior to any other means of stability or discipline.
bureaucratic state
A bureaucratic State can function in two ways:
- As an instrument of public administration. It benefits society through rational and standardized management through departments and specialized areas that interrelate.
- As a way of political domination. It can allow the perpetuation of the control of a ruling party. In this case it is considered an authoritarian bureaucratic state.
Disadvantages of bureaucracy
Today there is no single model of bureaucracy as proposed by Weber, in which people work at the pace of robots: in a predictable and systematic manner.
Among the general disadvantages of Weber’s bureaucratic theory are:
- Slowness in solving a taskdue to the series of processes required for its resolution, which does not allow for the management of urgent matters.
- Lack of flexibility for decision making by not being able to deviate from the established rules, which makes it difficult to resolve unforeseen problems.
- The power exercised by the highest rank in the hierarchy does not allow the opinions of others to be taken into account or those who think differently.
- Lack of self-criticism or continuous improvement in order to optimize the bureaucratic system itself, because it is always maintained under the same rules and standard management mode.
Continue with: Formal organization