Max Weber

Bureaucracy
Max Weber, 1864-1920

His Work
German political economist and sociologist
Rationalism in the sociology of religion and
government
Vast majority of works not translated into
English until after his death

Source: Wikipedia.org, retrieved Feb. 2006

Bureaucracy

IS AN ORGANIZATIONAL MODEL
RATIONALLY DESIGN TO PERFORM
TASKS EFFICIENTLY
CHARACTERISTICS Authority and
1. Hierarchy its flow
subordination
Highest Office
Such a system
offers the
governed the
High Office High Office possibility of
appealing the
decision of a lower
Low Office Low Office Low Office office to its higher
authority (p. 50).

Lowest Office Lowest Office Lowest Office Lowest Office

2. Division of Labor Specialization
Separation of
roles and
Executive duties
higher
Policy &
authority [is not]
Operations authorized to take
Planning
over the business
of the lower
Strategic Policy Regional
Planning Development Management (p. 50).

Special Legislative
Office Staffing Maintenance
Projects Relations
 3.Written Rules and Rules
Regulations regulate all
matters
Not Special
abstractly.
i.e. no one is
special
Not Special Not Special
Management
Duties
Not Special Not Special Not Special
The Governed

Not Special Not Special Not Special Not Special

 4.Employment
based on Technical Training and
qualification is
Qualifications the number
PhD one requisite.
How to
manage
Masters Masters
How to carry
out duties
Bachelors Bachelors Bachelors Knowledge of
the rules

Associates Associates Associates Associates

STATUS

IS A SOCIAL POSITION THAT A PERSON

HOLDS
ASCRIBED STATUS

RECEIVES AT BIRTH OR TAKES ON

INVOLUNTARILY
ACHIEVED STATUS

TAKES ON VOLUNTARILY THAT

REFLECTS PERSONAL ABILITY AND
EFFORT