The Communication Journal

Issue 8, March 2012

The Communication Journal

Max Weber

Theory of Bureaucracy 3
Webers ideal stricture of an organizational workplace

Modern Day

Who is Max Weber?

How has this theory continued into modern day organizations?

Whats in this months newsletter?

We will continue with the Classical Theories: Up next: Max Webers Bureaucracy Theory.
The Communication Journal is a student ran monthly newsletter. Within the newsletter is new information regarding commination topics. The main feature for the next few months will be that of the organization communications

Editor: Kristen Durkin Kdurkin5@kent.edu - (419) 512-2278

The Communication Journal

Issue 8, March 2012

Max Weber 1864-1920

German socialist who created a classical management theory.

Theory of Bureaucracy

Max Weber was born on the 21st of April 1864 in Erfurt, Germany. He was born into a politicians family. Constantly being surrounded by intellectual and successful individuals, Max had no other option that to peruse a successful career through his education. He began his journey to brilliance at the University of Berlin. He studied Social Science, German politics, and capitalism in Europe and the Americas. His research and work was detailed, methodical, and scientific. With great work ethic comes great advancements. After receiving his doctorate he began educating future sociologists like himself at Freiburg University. After doing more research and educating students, Weber started writing books. He wrote The protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. He book was very controversial however struck discussion and interest towards scholars. Just as Webers father was involved with politics, Max continued his interest throughout his lifetime. He dedicated a lot of time to trying to start organizations, being a spokes person, and serving on committees. In 1915 Weber became a specialist for the German Armistice Commission at the Treat of Versailles. Weber resigned at the University of Munich in 1919 and then passed away on June 14, 1920 in Munich, Germany.
(S9.com, 2007) (Lloyd, 2004) (Weber, 2012)

The fate of our times is characterized by rationalization and Intellectualization and, above all, by the disenchantment of the world. 2

The Communication Journal

Issue 8, March 2012

Theory of Bureaucracy

Max Weber: Organizational Structure Max Weber developed his theory of Bureaucracy with the intentions to make a pure organizational structure within the business place. He believed in structure within an organization and believed that without a higher authority, there would not be effective and successful operation. It is necessary, that is, that there should be a relatively high probability that the action of a definite, supposedly reliable group of persons will be primarily oriented to the execution of the supreme authoritys general policy and specific commands. Weber believed in three types of authority.

Traditional Authority: This authority involves the following qualities: Past customs Personal loyalty

Charismatic Authority: This authority involves the following qualities: Personal trust Devotion Heroism

Rational Authority: This authority involves the following qualities: Legality patterns Legal belief Rules

Example of authority would be royalty. Authority is based off of past traditions and history.

Example of authority would be Martin Luther King Jr. Authority is based off of characteristics, skill, and loyalty. 3

Webers favorite authority. He believed that the authority level was higher since more order was being used.

(Modaff, Dewine, & Butler, 2008), (S9.com, 2007)

The Communication Journal

Issue 8, March 2012

(Continued)

Webers theory follows eight primary components to make the concepts of authority and power applicable: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Rules Specified sphere of competence Hierarchy Specialized Training Workers do not own technology No entitlement to official position by incumbent Everything written down Maintenance of ideal type bureaucracy

Weber strives to use written documentation, definite reasoning for promotion, and effective and successful operational functions through top down organization.
(Modaff, Dewine, & Butler, 2008),

Theory of Bureaucracy in the modern day work place: Through modernization, the theorys definition and ethics have been twisted around into what Weber hated about organizations. The theory seems lacks legitimacy of authority and ideal qualifications. In an academic journal written by Richard Hilbert that reconstruction and realization of the theory is discussed for the postfunctionalist age. He titles his work Bureaucracy as belief, rationalization as repair: Max Weber in a post-functionalist age. Hilbert discusses new understandings and provides modern research of the different types of authority and primary components that Weber originally discussed in his research. Koen Bartels apiece wrote another academic journal that was composed about Max Webers theory. He discusses how the bureaucracy theory isnt acknowledged as much as it should considering it contains knowledgeable information about a successful work place. Organizations that are categorized as a bureaucracy today consist of; Government agencies, universities, unions, and assembly line plants.
(Hilbert, 1987) (Bartels, 2009)(Modaff, Dewine, & Butler, 2008)

The Communication Journal

Issue 8, March 2012

Next months edition will continue the explanation of classical theorists and their theories.
Special thank you to the College of information and Communication studies for providing information and passages for this months edition of The Communication Journal

Kent State University, Taylor Hall Publications