Max Weber argued that bureaucracy was the most effective method to establish and run an entity. It was essential for larger organizations with several people and duties to attain optimum efficiency. Everybody is treated fairly in a perfect bureaucracy, and tasks are explicitly assigned based on each team’s areas of competence. There are six features of bureaucracy, as described by Weber. They include formalized rules, specialization, hierarchical structure, managerial dedication, well-trained personnel, and impartiality of management.
Task specialization, according to Weber, encourages the prompt accomplishment of tasks at the maximum degree of proficiency. In Weber’s hypothetical entity, assignments are divided into groups depending on staff members’ skills and domains of competence (Cochrane, 2018). Departments and employees have specifically articulated responsibilities and objectives, and they are each only accountable for the work that falls within their areas of expertise. This is intended to increase the organization’s effectiveness. Similarly, the federal government of the United States consists of fifteen cabinet departments, which are important executive agencies directly responsible to the president. The president appoints, and the Senate confirms each cabinet department’s secretary, who reports to the head of state and supervises the department’s offices and agencies. Each cabinet department comprises critical employees, minor offices, and agencies that flow hierarchically from the head. Their hierarchical design enables enormous bureaucracies to handle multiple concerns with specialized officials.
When Weber mentioned formalized regulations, he referred to what is now known as procedures and policies. The approach may similarly be extended to lower-level roles, even though his primary emphasis was on the wide, comprehensive, and largely unchanging rules that regulate managers (Cochrane, 2018). Established and written regulations should describe the administrative design, who is accountable for which activities, and how responsibilities are to be completed. Bureaucrats must implement and administer various policies and programs established by congressional acts or presidential orders. Given the power bureaucrats have to adopt and enforce public policy, they must follow several legislative regulations and procedural guidelines. For example, the Department of Justice has an attorney general responsible for enforcing federal laws, providing legal assistance in federal cases, interpreting rules regulating executive departments, and more.
Additionally, according to Weber, a hierarchy must be present inside an organization, with a single, recognizable leader in charge. This organizational network should include all management levels and indicate which roles answer each executive (Cochrane, 2018). Establishing such a hierarchy is helpful from the top down, as it clarifies who is in charge of monitoring who. From the bottom up, it specifies whom to approach if someone wishes to challenge a particular decision. An example can be drawn from the bottom-up reporting of cabinet secretaries.
Correspondingly, Weber asserts that an organization needs well-trained employees. According to him, supervisory staff members must undergo training, and executives should possess in-depth expertise, particularly in expert employment. The Constitution specifies just three requirements for the president of the United States: He or she must be at least 35 years old, a natural-born citizen, and have resided in the United States for not less than 14 years. Further, Weber claims that bureaucracies demand managerial dedication (Cochrane, 2018). Despite the length of time they will maintain their post, executives must devote their maximum work ability to the job at hand and prioritize work above personal interests. Throughout their tenure in office, the U.S. president is expected to show dedication to serving the country and the people. Failure in this objective can lead to public dissatisfaction with the president’s term. Lastly, Weber argues that management ought to be impartial. This comprises managers not just playing by the book but also separating their interests from those of the firm (Cochrane, 2018). In the United States, public bureaucrats are distinguished from private sector job seekers by a common urge to do good for the country. Those naturally inclined toward public service are more likely to be highly motivated to serve their community.
Reference
Cochrane, G. (2018). Max Weber’s vision for bureaucracy. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan.