BUREAUCRACY AND PUBLIC

ADMINISTRATION

OUTLINE OF TOPICS

Definition and Origins of BureaucracyStructural Features of BureaucracyPersonnel Features of BureaucracyImportance of Bureaucracy in Public

AdministrationProblems and Challenges with

Bureaucracy in Public Administration

Definition and Origins of Bureaucracy• Though various scholars have defined the concept

bureaucracy, there is no standard definition for it.

• However the concept usually refers to a particular method of how organisations are structured, how tasks are undertaken, and how personnel are engaged and managed.

Definition and Origins of Bureaucracy (Cont’d)• The first use of the term bureaucracy has been

attributed to the economist Vincent de Gournay.

• But Max Weber, a German Sociologist, is more often referred to as its founder, as a result of his systematic study of bureaucracy.

• Max Weber saw bureaucracy as an administrative body of appointed officials.

Definition and Origins of Bureaucracy (Cont’d)• According to Weber, if subordinates follow the

orders of their superiors, they are conferring legitimacy on the authority system.

• Based on this, he identified 3 types of authority:1.Charismatic Authority2.Traditional Authority3.Rational/Legal Authority

Structural Features of Bureaucracy• According to Weber, the basic features of a

bureaucratic system are as follows:1.Hierarchy2.Authority3.Impersonality4.Documentation

Personnel Features of Bureaucracy• In a typical bureaucratic organisation:Bureaucrats are appointed but not elected.

Bureaucrats are appointed based on merits.

They work within an hierarchy of offices.

The bureaucrat’s job constitutes a career.

Personnel Features of Bureaucracy (Cont’d)Bureaucrats are entitled to salaries, pays, bonuses

etc.They are available to serve any government of the

day.The official is not allowed to appropriate his or her

position for personal gain.Rules and regulations guide their behaviour.

The Importance of Bureaucracy in Public Administration• Bureaucracy is technically capable of attaining the

highest degree of efficiency.• It is superior to any other form of administration in

precision, in stability, in discipline and in reliability.• It provides an efficient means for human resource

management.• It insists on the existence of formal rules and the

separation of the assets of the bureaucrat from those of the office.

Problems and Challenges with Bureaucracy in Public Administration• These problems include the following:1.Rules can become ends in themselves.

2.The cultural determinism of bureaucracy.

3.Red-tape, cumbersome administrative procedures and resultant corruption.

Solutions to the Challenges of Bureaucracy in Public Administration• The challenges in bureaucracy can be addressed

through the following means:1.Administrative reforms.2.Cutting down unnecessary rules and regulations.3.Decentralisation.4.Continuous evolution and training of public officers.