In a paper consisting of 10 pages a critical examination of Weber's contention of bureaucracy being 'necessary, unavoidable, and unstoppable' is presented in terms of bureaucratic organizational structure and alternative possibilities.
Name of Research Paper File: JL5_JLbureauc.rtf
Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
In order to analyse Webers view of bureaucratic organisations, it is useful to look at the historical and economic perspective in which bureaucracies can be placed, and the extent to
which they are considered to be a necessary foundation to a successful organisation. Webers assertion that bureaucracy is necessary, unavoidable and unstoppable implies, for instance, that this form of organisation
is not only the only valid model but also one which is unlikely to be challenged or superseded by other organisational structures.
The modern connotations of the term bureaucracy tend to be negative, in that
it is associated with inefficiency, self-interest and red tape: however, the theories developed by Weber describe a particular type of organisation which focuses on the division of labour, rationality, and
the formalisation of processes within the organisation, along with a high level of accountability.
Those who participate in a bureaucracy progress through the organisation according to established formal procedures, rather than on the dictates of a superior in
the organisation or because of other connections which are not related to these formal processes. Webers work looked not only at the way in which bureaucracies are structured, but also
at the cultural and economic factors which affect the evolution of bureaucracies.
He associated the rise of capitalism with the Protestant work ethic of the 1600s, and identified three paradigms of authority, the most preferable being legal-rational, which