1

Lecture-07
Bureaucracy
Bureaucracy may be defined as that type of hierarchical organization which is
designed rationally to coordinate the work of many individuals engaged in
carrying out large –scale administrative tasks. In popular parlance, the term
“bureaucracy” is equated with “red-tape,” efficiency and the like. But to the
sociologist the term „bureaucracy” means a certain type of social structure, a
formal, rationally organized social structure in which there is integrated a series
of offices, of hierarchical statuses and of levels of graded authority.
Bureaucracy, thus defined, stresses division of labor, hierarchical control, fixed
patterns of communication, and dependence upon fixed rules and records. In
every modern society such formal organizations are found in large business
enterprises, church bodies, nationwide labor unions, large party organization as
well as the government. “The body of officials actively engaged in „public‟ office
along with the respective apparatus of material implements and the files,” says
Weber, “make up a „bureau‟. In private enterprise, the „bureau‟ is often called the
„office‟”.

According to Oxford Advanced Learners‟ Dictionary, Bureaucracy is a system of

government through departments managed by state officials; not by elected
representatives.

R. Aron says, “Bureaucracy in the Weberian sense is defined by the several

structural traits. It is a permanent organization involving co-operation among
many individuals, each of whom performs a specialized function”.

Max Weber says, “The bureaucracy is a system of administration characterized

by expertness, impartiality, hierarchy and promotion” (Essays in sociology, 1970,
p-197)
Characteristics of Bureaucracy

Max Weber defined a „pure‟ (ideal) type of bureaucracy by abstracting what he

considered the most essential elements: a high degree of specialization and a
clearly defined division of labor, with tasks distributed as official duties; a
hierarchical structure of authority with clearly demarcated areas of command
and responsibility; the establishment of a formal body of rules to govern the
operation of the organization, administration based on written documents;
impersonal relationship between organizational members and with clients;
recruitment of personnel on the basis of the ability and technical knowledge,
long-term employment, promotion on the basis of seniority or merit, a fixed
salary; the separation of private and official income.

Modern writers like Albow, Anthony Downs, Victor Thomson and others have
elaborated the definition of bureaucracy. Taking into consideration all these
definitions we may identify the essential structural features that constitute a
bureaucratic organization. These are:

Hierarchy:

Hierarchy is the hallmark of bureaucracy. It consists of a ranking of roles and a

system of statuses. Those who are higher up in the organization are called
„superordinates‟ and those at lower levels are „subordinates‟. Each lower office is
supervised from above by a higher one. In other words, direction and control
flow down ward, while information flows up the hierarchy. Rank in a hierarchy
 2
may be attached to a person but in civilian public bureaucracies rank is usually
attached to the office itself.

Specialization:

A bureaucratic organization has a clearly defined division of labor, with tasks

distributed as official duties. Each office holder is given specific duties.
Consequently bureaucratic organization tends to produce high levels of
expertise in narrow areas. The task of the hierarchy is to coordinate the
multitude of specialized functions.

Formalization:

The establishment of a formal body of rules to govern the operation of

organization is third feature of bureaucracy. All official functions are bound by
rules which may be technical rules or norms. All rules, administrative acts and
decisions are formulated and recorded in writing. The principal object of
formalization is clarity. Formalization enables an individual to exercise discretion
in various situations in conformity with organization goals and demands.
Merit and Seniority:

Bureaucratic organizations follow the principles of merit and seniority in their

personal systems. Merit is the ability to perform tasks well and this is the primary
criterion for recruitment of personnel by a bureaucratic organization. Promotions
may also be according to merit, but seniority commonly plays a role here as well.
Achievement orientation is the principal value system in bureaucratic
organizations.

Impersonality:

The relationships between members of the bureaucratic organization and its

clients are impersonal. This is essential to assure uniform treatment of identical
cases.

Size:

To become truly bureaucratic, as Anthony Downs suggests, an organization

must be so large that the highest ranking members know less than half of the
other members. It is bigness that demands hierarchy and formalization.

Non-marketable output:

The output of public bureaucracies is typically non-marketable. The services of

public bureaucracies cannot be bought and sold in the market like commodities.
Hence a bureaucracy‟s output and efficiency cannot be evaluated in terms of
profit or loss.

A true bureaucracy thus must have all seven characteristics enumerated above,
though some organizations may be more bureaucratic than others. To the
sociologist a bureaucracy means a certain type of social structure, a formal
rationally organized social structure, in which there is integrated a series of
offices.