2. Rational organisational design and bureaucracy Flashcards
Max Weber
A sociologist who observed the increasing dominance of bureaucracy within society, noting both technical achievement but also negative impacts on people
Henri Fayol
Known for outlining a rational, structured approach to bureaucratic organisational design and administration
Bureaucracy
Official aspects of an organisation such as the hierarchical structure, rules, procedures and paperwork. A sense of impersonal control
Rational organisational design
As championed by Fayol, the design of bureaucratic features in the most technically efficient way to achieve goals, logical and systematic
Iron cage of bureaucracy
Weber’s critique of bureaucracy, suggesting it leads to monotonous dull routines and traps people in routines and procedures
Direct control
Face to face control of workers by a manager or owner
Impersonal control
Control that is not face to face, e.g. through rules and procedures
Span of control
The number of workers controlled by a manager at any one particular level in a hierarchy
Vertical differentiation
The process whereby a hierarchy creates a number of different layers of management
Horizontal differentiation
The process whereby different parts of the hierarchy are groups according to criteria e.g. the service or product provided
Classical management school
A set of theories of management which draws upon rational methods of managing and organising, advocated ‘one best way’ of management
Rational- legal authority
Max Weber. The power that is legitimated by rules and procedures associated with an office rather than by traditional means
Formal rationality
Technically efficient means of achieving goals without thinking of the human or ethical consequences
Substantive rationality
Rationality from a human and ethical perspective
Disenchantment
Max Weber. A loss of magical elements in society, suggests some of the dehumanising effects of bureaucracy