BY
Max Weber

Introduction
Max Weber’s Bureaucratic Theory
Bureaucratic Theory was developed by a German
Sociologist and political economist Max
Weber(1864-1920).
According to him, bureaucracy is the most efficient
form of organization. The organization has a well-
defined line of authority. It has clear rules and
regulations which are strictly followed.

Bureaucracy refers to a specialized system and process of
maintaining uniformity or authority within an organization.
Bureaucratic processes are most common in
Large organizations Government

Essentially, it was Weber’s contention that there are three types
of legitimate authority which are as follows:
1. Rational Legal authority:- obedience is owed to legally
established position or rank within the hierarchy of a
business, military unit, government, and so on.
2. Traditional authority:- people obey a person because he
belongs to certain class or occupies a position traditionally
recognized as possessing authority, such as royal family.
3. Charismatic authority:- Obedience is based on the
followers’ belied that a person has some special power or
appeal.

 Division of work
hierarchy of
position
Rules &
Regulations
Impersonal

There is a hierarchy of authority in the organisation. Each lower position is
under the control of a higher one. Thus, there is a unit of command,
Hierarchy of positions
There is a high degree of division of work at both the operative &
administrative levels. This leads to specialization of work.

There is impersonality of relationships among the
organisational members. The decisions are entirely guided by
rules & regulations and are totally impersonal. There is no
room for emotions & Sentiments in this type of structure.
Impersonal conduct
The Rules, regulations and procedures are laid down by the top
administration. There benefits are as under:-
•They standardize operations & decision.
•They serve as receptacles of past learning.
•They ensure equality of treatment to everybody.

The bureaucrats are neither elected nor inherited but they are
appointed through selection and the basis of selection is their
technical competence. Promotions in bureaucracies are also
based on technical qualifications & performance.
Technical competence
The personnel are employed by a contractual relationship between the
employee and employer. The tenure of service is governed by rules &
regulations of the organisation. The employees get a salary every month which
is based on the job they handle and also length of service.

The bureaucrats are neither elected nor inherited but they are
appointed through selection and the basis of selection is their
technical competence. Promotions in bureaucracies are also
based on technical qualifications & performance.
Technical competence
The personnel are employed by a contractual relationship between the
employee and employer. The tenure of service is governed by rules &
regulations of the organisation. The employees get a salary every month which
is based on the job they handle and also length of service.

The administration of a bureaucratic organization is supported by an efficient
system of record keeping. The decisions & activities of the organisation are
formally recoeded and preserved safely for future reference.

Competence
Rules & regulations
Rationality
Predictability
Efficiency
Impartiality

Competence:- there is proper delegation of authority in the
organisation. People are given tasks according to their
competence.
Rules & Regulations:- because of rules & regulations, all
actions are taken carefully. There is consistency of actions.
Rationality:- the behaviour of the employees is rational.
They take decisions as per laws, rules & regulations. They
don’t go by their whims, emotions or prejudices.
Predictability:- the behaviour of the employees is
predictable. It is known how they will react under different
situations as guidelines are already there in writing.

Efficiency:- Bureaucracy leads to efficiency in the organisation. There is
division of work leading to specialization which result in efficiency.
Impartiality:- officials are guided by the policies, rules & regulations
rather than their personal whims and faces. They are not supposed to
shower personal favours on anybody.

Rigidity in operations
Delay and Red tapism
Goal Displacement
Ineffective communication
Lack of personal touch

Bureaucratic organization is criticized because of the following
reasons :-
• Bureaucratic organization is a very rigid type of organization.
It does not give importance to human relations. It is suitable
for government organizations. It is also suitable for
organizations where change is very slow.
• Too much emphasis on rules and regulations. The rules and
regulations are rigid and inflexible.

• There will be unnecessary delay in decision-making due to
formalities and rules.
• Bureaucracy involves a lot of paper work. This results in lot
of wastage of time, effort and money.

•is a behavioral theory based on their views
that there is no “one best way” to lead an
organization, organize a cooperation or to
make a decision. Contingency theory states
that these actions are dependent
(contingent) to the internal and external
factors. Thus it states that there is no single
theory of contingency management.

THERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT
CONTINGENCIES FOR ORGANIZATIONS:
•Technology
•Suppliers and Distributers
•Customers and Competitors
•Consumer Interest Groups
•Government
•Unions

•There is no universal or one best way to
manage
•The design of an organizations and its
subsystems must fit with the environment
•Effective organizations not only have a
proper ‘fit’ with the environment but also
between its subsystems
•The needs of an organization are better satisfied
when it is properly designed and the
management style is appropriate both to the tasks
undertaken and the nature of the