Define Bureaucracy. Explain different models of bureaucracy

A bureaucracy is a way of administratively organizing large numbers of people who need to work together. Organizations in the public and private sector, including universities and governments, rely on bureaucracies to function. The term bureaucracy literally means “rule by desks or offices,” a definition that highlights the often impersonal character of bureaucracies. Even though bureaucracies sometimes seem inefficient or wasteful, setting up a bureaucracy helps ensure that thousands of people work together in compatible ways by defining everyone’s roles within a hierarchy.

Models of Bureaucracy

Scholars have proposed three different models to explain how bureaucracies function, summarized in the following chart.

Weberian Model

According to the Weberian model, created by German sociologist Max Weber, a bureaucracy always displays the following characteristics:

·         Hierarchy: A bureaucracy is set up with clear chains of command so that everyone has a boss. At the top of the organization is a chief who oversees the entire bureaucracy. Power flows downward.

·         Specialization: Bureaucrats specialize in one area of the issue their agency covers. This allows efficiency because the specialist does what he or she knows best, then passes the matter along to another specialist.

·         Division of labor: Each task is broken down into smaller tasks, and different people work on different parts of the task.

·         Standard operating procedure (SOP): Also called formalized rules, SOP informs workers about how to handle tasks and situations. Everybody always follows the same procedures to increase efficiency and predictability so that the organization will produce similar results in similar circumstances. SOP can sometimes make bureaucracy move slowly because new procedures must be developed as circumstances change.

Acquisitive Model

The acquisitive model can be distinguished by the following characteristics:

·         Expansion: Leaders of bureaucracies always seek to expand the size and budget of their agency.

·         Turf wars: Bureaucrats defend their responsibilities, resources, and jurisdiction from potential competitors. Even though government bureaucracies do not work for profit, agency heads still jockey for power and try to outdo one another.

Turf Wars: Federal bureaucracies often engage in turf wars, fights over which agency has the power to perform certain tasks. For example, the Central Intelligence Agency is the leading intelligence organization, but it faces competition from the National Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and intelligence agencies within each of the armed forces, as well as an intelligence operation at the State Department. At times, the fighting between agencies hampers policy implementation and wastes money.

Monopolistic Model

Proponents of the monopolistic model believe that bureaucracies can be distinguished by two characteristics:

1.    Monopoly: Federal bureaucracies face no real competition and therefore act like any other monopolies.

2.    Inefficiency: Bureaucracies use their resources inefficiently because they do not have to compete.