As the size of the organizations have increased the processes and roles have spread as well. Reporting about all the processes and all the operations to one single Authority has become almost impractical. This is why Bureaucracy kick in to make the things easier for an organization. Bureaucracy is a well defined spread out system where authority and status are differentially distributed among different people.
Under Webber's analysis, a bureaucratic organization is governed by the following seven principles:
"
- official business is conducted on a continuous basis
- official business is conducted with strict accordance to the following rules:
- the duty of each official to do certain types of work is delimited in terms of impersonal criteria
- the official is given the authority necessary to carry out his assigned functions
- the means of coercion at his disposal are strictly limited and conditions of their use strictly defined
- every official's responsibilities and authority are part of a vertical hierarchy of authority, with respective rights of supervision and appeal
- officials do not own the resources necessary for the performance of their assigned functions but are accountable for their use of these resources
- official and private business and income are strictly separated
- offices cannot be appropriated by their incumbents (inherited, sold, etc.)
- official business is conducted on the basis of written documents" *1
*1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureaucracy
1 comment:
It is in some ways unfortunate that bureaucracy is necessary. The familiar comparisons come to mind, mostly the DMV. that is a pretty bureaucratic organization, and not very efficient. Internally the protocols and systems probably work, but the external result to the client is disappointing. Too much "red tape." But a bureaucracy, coupled with the flexibility of feedback systems based in good communication practices will be externally and internally efficient.
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