Lecture 6 - Bureaucracy and Authority Flashcards
1
Q
What was Weber’s theory of bureaucracy?
A
- structural arrangement that emphasised rationality and efficiency
- He proposed an ‘ideal type’, not a model.
2
Q
What are some characteristics of bureaucracy?
A
- Division of Labour
- Hiearachy of authority
- Formalisation
- Seperation of organisational and personal lives
3
Q
What is meant by hierachy?
A
- ‘chain of command’
- refers to managers’ roles in decisions
- and employees duty to comply
4
Q
Define power
A
- probability that an actor within a social relationship will have the capacity to carry out his will despite resistance
5
Q
What are the 3 types of authority
A
- Rational legal authority
- Traditional authority
- Charismatic authority
6
Q
What are they key elements of rational legal authority?
A
- Rules and regulations are formalised
- impersonal, apply to everyone (FAIRNESS)
- they ensure systematic and predictable relations
7
Q
What are some advantages of bureaucracy?
A
- clear and explicit goals
- authority and responsibility defined clearly
- fariness
- efficiency
8
Q
What are some disadvantages of bureaucracy?
A
- Over centralised and controlled
- Top heavy
- Can bureaucracies innovate?
9
Q
What were Weber’s concerns on bureaucracy?
A
- people can become ‘cogs in a machine’
- it creats an ‘iron cage’ of bondage
