North South University
Undergraduate Programme
PAD 201: Introduction to Public Administration
Course Teacher
Saifuddin Ahmed (SuA2)
Associate Professor
Department of Peace and Conflict Studies
Dhaka University
E-mail:[email protected]
Bureaucracy
Bureaucracy
Bureaucracy
What is the meaning of Bureaucracy?
Bureaucracy
Bureaucracy is government administration managed by
departments staffed with non-elected officials.
Today, bureaucracy is the administrative system governing
any large institution.
The public administration in many countries is an example
of a bureaucracy.
Bureaucracy
Bureaucracy is:
"a body of non-elected government officials“
"an administrative policy-making group“.
Bureaucracy
Word meaning of Bureaucracy
Bureau + kratia = Bureaucracy
Bureau (French) means Desk or Office
Kratos (Greek) means Rule or Political Power
Bureaucracy means:
To exercise political power through office
The ideal type of Bureaucracy
Weberian form of Bureaucracy
The ideal type of Bureaucracy/Weberian form of Bureaucracy
Basically, Bureaucracy is the exercise of particular authority
The ideal type of Bureaucracy/Weberian form of
Bureaucracy
Who has had authority to exercise bureaucracy?
The ideal type of Bureaucracy/Weberian form of
Bureaucracy
What type of Authority does Bureaucracy exercises?
The ideal type of Bureaucracy/Weberian form of
Bureaucracy
Forms of authority in the society
1. Traditional authority
2. Charismatic authority
3. Legal authority (Legal-rational authority)
The ideal type of Bureaucracy/Weberian form of Bureaucracy
1. Traditional authority
The ability and right to rule is passed down, often through
heredity.
It does not change overtime, does not facilitate social
change, tends to be irrational and inconsistent, and
perpetuates the status quo.
Example: British Kingdom
The ideal type of Bureaucracy/Weberian form of
Bureaucracy
2. Charismatic authority
Charismatic authority is found in a leader whose mission
and vision inspire others.
It is based upon the perceived extraordinary
characteristics of an individual.
Weber saw a charismatic leader as the head of a new
social movement, and one instilled with divine or
supernatural powers, such as a religious prophet.
The ideal type of Bureaucracy/Weberian form of
Bureaucracy
3. Legal authority (Legal-rational authority)
Legal-rational authority is empowered by a formalistic belief in the
content of the law (legal) or natural law (rationality).
Obedience is not given to a specific individual leader - whether
traditional or charismatic - but a set of uniform principles.
Weber thought the best example of legal-rational authority was a
bureaucracy (political or economic). This form of authority is
frequently found in the modern state, city governments, private and
public corporations, and various voluntary associations.
The ideal type of Bureaucracy/Weberian form of
Bureaucracy
So, the Bureaucracy is the exercise of Legal-
Rational Authority
The ideal type of Bureaucracy/Weberian form of
Bureaucracy
Stipulated social condition of exercising
Legal-rational authority (Bureaucracy)
The ideal type of Bureaucracy/Weberian form of
Bureaucracy
Conditions of the society where Bureaucracy
Grows better
1. Development of money economy/ Protestant ethics
2. increasing size of states and organizations
3. The development of society through culture, education
and technology.
4. The technical superiority of bureaucracy over other
forms of organizations
The ideal type of Bureaucracy/Weberian form of
Bureaucracy
The characteristics of Bureaucracy
1. Rules and regulations
2. Specialization/ Division of work
3. Hierarchy
4. Impersonality
5. Careerism
6. Management by administration
The ideal type of Bureaucracy/Weberian form of
Bureaucracy
The characteristics of Bureaucracy
Rules and regulations
Controlling by rules allows decisions made at high levels to
be executed consistently by all lower levels.
The ideal type of Bureaucracy/Weberian form of
Bureaucracy
The characteristics of Bureaucracy
Specialization/ Division of work
Work is to be done by specialists, and people are
organized into units based on the type of work they do or
skills they have.
The ideal type of Bureaucracy/Weberian form of
Bureaucracy
The characteristics of Bureaucracy
Hierarchy
Each level controls the level below and is controlled by the
level above.
A formal hierarchy is the basis of central planning and
centralized decision making.
The ideal type of Bureaucracy/Weberian form of
Bureaucracy
The characteristics of Bureaucracy
Impersonality
The idea is to treat all employees equally and customers
equally, and not be influenced by individual differences.
The ideal type of Bureaucracy/Weberian form of
Bureaucracy
The characteristics of Bureaucracy
Careerism
In bureaucratic management there is clear career path.
The ways and means of individual employee’s progress
within the organizational framework.
The ideal type of Bureaucracy/Weberian form of
Bureaucracy
The characteristics of Bureaucracy
Management by administration
Having formal as well as legal structure of managing
things in organization
The ideal type of Bureaucracy/Weberian form of
Bureaucracy
Weberian Bureaucracy is Ideal because:
Legal-rational Social
authority conditions
6 Characteristics
of Bureaucracy
Ideal practices of
Bureaucracy
Bureaucracy: Dysfunction
Bureaucracy
Different connotation of Bureaucracy
Bureaucracy
Different connotation of Bureaucracy
To a layman
Bureaucracy is continuation of red-tapism,
inefficiency and abuse of power in the context
of official-client relationships within an organization
Bureaucracy
Different connotation of Bureaucracy
To a sociologist
Bureaucratic organization does not learn
from its own mistake because it is static
and inflexible
Bureaucracy
Different connotation of Bureaucracy
To a political scientist
Bureaucracy can mean a system of government where
departmental officials at upper levels have their voices heard and
given due consideration
Bureaucracy
Different connotation of Bureaucracy
To a student of organization
Bureaucracy usually refers to the structure found in modern
large organizations with all the accompanying paraphernalia
To Martin Albrow, the modern concept of
Bureaucracy:
1. Bureaucracy as rational organization
2. Bureaucracy as organizational inefficiency
3. Bureaucracy as rule/govern/implemented by officials
4. Bureaucracy as public administration
5. Bureaucracy as administration by officials/ composed of
officials
6. Bureaucracy as the organization
7. Bureaucracy as modern society
Bureaucracy
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