Do you agree?
In analysing Max Webers study of bureaucracy in the modern state,
it is crucial to note that his concept came hand in hand with the
rationalisation of society. Shifts in religion in Western Europe, particularly
in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, had a dramatic effect on modern
society, leading to the spread of rational capitalism, secularisation and the
erosion of culture. Bureaucracy is indicative of this rationalisation process,
as society became preoccupied with obtaining goals as quickly as
possible, to maximise profits perhaps or even to minimise the time spent
on a certain task. This is embodied in bureaucracy as Weber saw it as a
concept, though an imperfect one as his criticism of his own work shows,
that was inherently efficient due to several characteristics it harnessed; a
hierarchical structure, clear, universal rules, a specialisation-based
division of labour, purposely impersonal behaviour, unelected bureaucrats
and a clear distinction between the public and private spheres of life. This
being Webers ideal type exemplifies what makes bureaucracies efficient.
The concept is not without flaws however, as Weber and other critics alike
have pointed out where a bureaucracy may fall short of a perfect system.
In Webers study of bureaucracy, he outlined that within this ideal
type the system must have a top-down structure and as such would have
optimum efficiency due to the existence of a hierarchical, specialised
framework and universal rules to keep it in place. A top-down structure in
this way, with orders coming from above, would allow for effective
communication and settle conflicts which inevitably rise in any large
organisation undertaking co-ordinated activities (Downs, 1967). Conflicts
may arise from differences in the goals of bureau members, and a
hierarchy would solve this issue by giving some superior levels in order
to achieve goal focus, as those in higher positions than other bureau
members would set goals for the bureaucrats underneath them, allowing
for maximum efficiency. People within this are subjected to the
permanent control of their superiors (Mommsen, 1989) so focus can be
achieved. In terms of communication, a clear hierarchy would reduce
total wasted time by only interacting with bureau members you are
directly involved with, or where tasks overlap, and only relevant messages
to those who are directly concerned with them. As such, no single person
knows everything about the bureau which makes the system efficient as
it minimises any sort of wasted effort, people focus on their tasks and
nothing else so they can complete their assigned duties as quickly as
possible. Division of labour and functional specialisation therefore also
Bibliography
Aron, R. (n.d.). Main Currents in Sociological Thought 2: Durkheim, Pareto,
Weber.
Collins, R. (1986). Weberian Sociological Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Downs, A. &. (1967). Inside bureaucracy. Boston: Little, Brown.
Mommsen, W. J. (1989). The Political and Social Theory of Max Weber.
Cambridge.