Weber’s Bureaucratic Model – Its Critique and Post-Weberian Developments | Public Administration Optional for UPSC (Notes) PDF Download

Weber’s Bureaucratic Model

Max Weber was a German sociologist who is credited with laying down the first proper theory of bureaucracy. Bureaucracy was first coined by a French economist Vincent DeGourney in 1745 which literally means 'desk rule'. Weber is considered as one of the most important thinkers and contributors to administrative theory as his model of bureaucracy brought along a paradigm shift in the field.
Bureaucracy refers to a hierarchical organisation in which functions and powers are divided as per formal rules and regulations. Weber states that bureaucracy is the most efficient form of organisation and is purely official and rational.His theory was a response to the questions posed by the Industrial capitalist economy that required an efficient administration for their functions.Though bureaucracy was in practice since 186 century b.c through the mode of public exams for recruitment Weber was the first to attempt the systematic understanding of Bureaucracy.
Weber stressed that Bureaucracy was legitimate authority. And according to him the components of authority are:

1. An individual or a body of individuals who rule.
2. An individual or a body of individuals who are ruled
3. The will of the rulers to influence conduct of the ruled
4. Evidence of the influence of the rulers in terms of the objective degree of command and
5. Direct or indirect evidence of that influence in terms of subjective acceptance with which the rule obeyed the command.

All these parts are to be in perfect tandem to each other if the authority is to be considered legitimate and successful.
Weber also categorised people in organisation and how they behave:

1. Those who are accustomed to obey commands
2. Those who are personally interested in seeking the existing domination continue
3. Those who participate in that domination
4. Those who hold themselves in readiness for the exercise of functions.

After discussing the various parts that make up authority and make it seem legitimate to be followed above, Weber has gone on to classify Authority in its various ideal/pure forms which is based on its claim to legitimacy and how the above mentioned components/parts of authority remain the same but adapt and work in tandem under different forms of authority. He starts from the type of authority in ancient times to medieval times and the modern times.

Types of Authority - Weber

1. Charismatic Authority: It is based on following a leader who has personal charismatic qualities that attract people. In this type of authority society no legal rules govern administration. Followers obey the leader's orders primarily because they perceive him as having super-human qualities.
2. Raditional Authority: It depends on the acceptance of the sanctity of immemorial trdition and it is the most universal and primitive type of authority structure. Its administrative staff may consist of two patterns: patrimonial and feudal. in the patrimonial patten the officials of administration are personal servants of the ruler and they owe him traditional loyalty. in the second one that is feudal pattern the officials have greater autonomy with their own sources of income but even they owe the ruler traditional loyalty. Nepotism is rampant.
3. Legal-Rational Authority: Here,the bureaucracy forms the core of the administrative system. It is called 'rational' because in it the means are clearly designed to achieve certain specific ends. It is called 'legal' because authority is exercised by means of system of rules and procedures that are already established before hand. This is what is being practiced in the modern society today in government organisations and bureaucracy and Weber considered it the most sensible and efficient form of authority.

Max Weber's Elements/Basics of Bureaucracy

Max Weber listed out some basic features of bureaucracy ,especially the Legal Rational Type. They are:

• Impersonal order - Officials remain unattached and are only concerned with their job without becoming personally involved.
• Rules - Officials are bound by rules and these rules regulate the office conduct. Rules become more important at times than the goal of theo rganisation leading to red tapism.
• Sphere Of competence - It involves circle of obligation to perform functions which is systematic division of labour/work.
• Hierarchy - There is a hierarchy system and the lower ones are working under the upper management.
• Separation of personal and public ends - Officials cannot use their official position for personal gains.
• Written documents - All actions are recorded in writing to make the administration accountable to people and provide for future a ready reference as and when asked for.
• Monocratic type - Certain functions performed by bureaucracy cannot be performed by others.
• Selection by merit
• Fixed remuneration of officials.
• The official is subject to discipline and control while performing tasks.
• Office remains forever,officials change. office is important not the person occupying it.
• Required position and authority is allocated to a designation so that its incumbent can discharge his duties smoothly and people follow his orders.
• Allocation of activities of the organisation needed to fulfil its goals.

Limits on Bureaucracy

Max Weber has also suggested ways to curb bureaucracy from becoming a giant and arbitrary power. Those are:

• Collegiality: A group of people to be considered before taking any major decision and only on securing majority can it be implemented. Its disadvantages are that at times it is misused and speed of decison and responsibilities are held back.
• Separation of powers: Like at first the CAG had responsibility of both accounting and audit that made him a monopoly and transparency as well as efficiency was subverted. thus, accounting was given to another body and now CAG only performs Auditing function. thus, both the bodies keep a check on each other and the government collectively.
• Amateur administration: From time to time amateurs should be taken in.
• Direct Democracy: Office of the bureaucracy is permanent and guided by the legislative assembly and also answerable to them directly instead of the minister in charge being accountable to Lok Sabha for his ministry's bureaucrats.
• Representation: In the democratic form of govt. the authority of the state/bureaucracy will be elected by representative of the people.

Criticism

• Unresponsive to popular demand and desires.
• Red tape or over formalism: Officials only following rules all the time and so files take longer to travel from desk to desk.
• Bureaucracy is self perpetuating: Increase of staff but no increase in work thus leading to tax payer paying more money for nothing.
• Self aggrandisement : Ministers are responsible in a democracy for their bureaucracy's functioning in their ministry.
• Departmentalism or empire building: Bureaucracy encourages the evil work of govt into a number of isolated and self dependent sections each pursuing its own needs without any adequate correlation with the rest.
• Bureaucracy loves tradition and stands for conservatism: Develops an negative psychology that breeds non-transparency and stoppage to information.

Relevance of Weber's Bureaucracy

• His ideas in spite of criticism are followed religiously in govt. and private organisations till date like selection of officers based on merit and utility of written documents,hierarchy,etc. Bureaucracy has stood the test of time and irrespective of time and place and whether socialist or capitalist one will find bureaucracy everywhere. It cannot be possible to perform some of the functions of the welfare state and development programmes without bureaucracy and people look to bureaucracy for their day-to-day requirements.
• Max Weber studied the various factors and the condition that contributed to the growth of bureaucracy in ancient as well as modern times,i.e the development of modern large scale organisations and technology and the capitalist system. His theory has helped develop a structure of bureaucracy and also infuse professionalism into it in modern times. Bureaucracy as stated by Weber was more capable of operating with greater efficiency and rationality if timely reforms are incorporated from time to time as per the time and situation to make it more relevant to the present day.

Critique of Weber's Theory of Bureaucracy

• Many renowned scholars critique bureaucracy in totality by calling it bungling, arbitrary, wasteful, rigidness and mechanical, inhuman and soulless and despotic.
• Gouldner,a scholar who tested Weber's ideal type of bureaucracy over many decades found internal contradictions that reflected tensions between claims of expertise and obedience based on discipline and called Weber's theory as a machine theory.
• Presthus also pointed out the Weberian model as a product of alien culture which is fairly inadequate for imposition in developing societies.
• Scholars stated that Weber's theory of bureaucracy was suited for developed nations as there was uniformity there and less welfare work but not for developing countries as a lot of issues brought up in these countries everyday needs human and new approach.
• Weber's over emphasis on rules and precision seems to be self defeating as the officials will be caught up in these only and not be bothered about their customers that is the people.
• Talcott Parsons state that there will always be conflict with subordination and hierarchy as the person issuing orders might not have the professional skill for the job of juniors that he is supervising and this will give rise to conflicts thus rigidity should be replaced with flexibility art times to solve this.
• Plus, Weber's bureaucratic model is said to be lacking the consideration that people running administration come from different backgrounds and have different cultures and might not view every action and decision the same way as a robot as compared to to others.
• Karl Marx considered bureaucracy as an arm and agent of the state and the ruling class or bourgeois and was exploitative in its nature. However,he could not suggest any reforms or alternative to a bureaucratic structure and could not get rid of it either.
• Thus, Max Weber's theory of bureaucracy does stand strong till today with timely reforms as it is yet to find a successor or a more viable alternative.

Pots Weberian Developments

• The critics of the Weber model said that his theories of bureaucracy heavily discounted the human aspect in theories and that it could work only in a controlled and ideal environment and was removed from reality.
• The standard structures and code of ethics which were the characteristic of the public administration studies carried out in the beginning of the last century underwent major changes after the Second World War.
• The Weberian models and the change in attitude towards the public administration had brought many welcome changes in the bureaucracy in the early half of the century. The authoritative, corrupt and unresponsive bureaucracy was made to turn around.
• As Warren Bennis the social scientist had emphatically prophesized that every age evolves its own administration and bureaucratic functions in accordance with its needs, customs and traditions and which remains relevant for them and for only that time.
• When a new age arrives, the systems, traditions, administrations and bureaucracies are recreated, realigned and reorganized to suit the changes. A very good example was Riggs approach to the Weber model, he was aware of the fact that the Weber model shall not work for the developing countries which came up after the Second World War.
• The administrative structures in the developing countries did not enjoy the autonomy assumed in the Weberian model. Also, that in developing country, the realm of the work of public administration extended much beyond mere administration and involved a lot of work in the areas of development and upliftment of the society. The Governments were now working more as the Welfare state which cannot fit within the limitations of the Weberian model.
• In the present times with the advent of technology in all realms of life, it has become a commodity which can be exchanged for tangible goods. The shrinking time and distance ensures that the information travels around the globe within seconds and the organizations both Government and private, across the globe do not live in rigid walls anymore.
• The technical and managerial skills and expertise required at various level of public administration and bureaucracy has changed manifolds. The increasing education, the internet and the social media, the globalization has ensured that everything is transparent and under spotlight for all times.
• Bureaucracy is becoming more and more efficient with lesser response time despite of being added with array of responsibilities and duties.
• The organizations are restructured to ensure greater autonomy and mobilization within organizations. The inter-departmental transactions; coordination and cooperation are being improved using technologies like ERP or Enterprise Resource Planning.
• The way the government functions in many modern democracies has also changed. The structures and roles have become flexible; the democratic administration has found its way into public institutions and organizations, the inclusion of people and their opinions and ideas etc are some of the new developments.