Topic > Max Weber on bureaucracy - 3091

Weber believed that bureaucracy created stable, predictable actions and results because it allowed organizations to work rationally, like a machine, and helped explain the fact that humans had only one limited intelligence. Although Weber discussed the perfect model of organization, bureaucracy allows even imperfect organizations to function more reliably and predictably because its structure controls the behavior of individuals. One aspect of bureaucracy is that it creates a fixed division of labor. The advantage of the fixed division of labor is that it allows humans to specialize in what they do since they can learn from their experiences and gain deeper knowledge about the subject. When individuals consistently work with similar environmental uncertainties, they gain a better understanding of how to deal with those uncertainties. They often use their experiences to deal with the situation in ways that have worked for them before. Additionally, when there are assigned tasks, it is easier to hold specific individuals accountable for their tasks. This allows the organization to quickly find who caused a certain problem and fix it. Accountability makes people more likely to work in the best interests of the organization, as they know there could be repercussions if they don't. People will use techniques they have previous experience with and know work to avoid making mistakes and be held accountable. And therefore they will work stably and predictably. When people within an organization work in a stable and predictable manner, the organization is likely to function in the same way. Responsibility also helps to solve problems and get quickly... middle of the paper... the firm as an adaptive institution." Pp 117-134 in A Behavioral Theory of the Firm. London: Blackwell, 1992 [1963]. Freeland, Robert F. “IV. 6 Aspects of Bureaucracy-Weber.” University of Wisconsin-Madison. Lecture. Alvin Gouldner. Excerpts from Patterns of Industrial Bureaucracy, 1967, pp. 20; 23-53; 84-108.Charles Perrow. Excerpt from "The Neo-Weberian Model: Decision Making, Conflict and Technology". bureaucracy?" from Complex Organizations, New York: McGraw-Hill, 1986, pp. 1976 [1945]. : free press.