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COMPARATIVE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION MPA503

BUREAUCRACY

LECTURE 09

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SUMMARY/RECAP

• FIRST MINNOWBROOK CONFERENCE(1968)EQUITY,ETHICS,HUMAN RELATIONS

ACCOUNTABILITYSECOND MINNOWBROOK

CONFERENCE(1988)• LEADERSHIP,LEGAL PERSPECTIVE,

TECHNOLOGY • NEW PUBLIC MANAGEMENT• MARKET TO REGULATE THREE E s• IMPACT

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DEFINITION

• A WELL DEFINED DIVISION OF ADMINISTRATIVE LABOR AMONG PERSONS AND OFFICES

• A PERSONNEL SYSTEM WITH CONSISTENT PATTERNS OF RECRUITMENT AND STABLE LINEAR CAREERS

• A HIERARCHY AMONG OFFICES SUCH THAT THE AUTHORITY AND STATUS ARE DIFFERENTIALLY DISTRIBUTED AMONG ACTORS

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ORIGIN

• EARLY 18th CENTURY TO REFER TO A WRITING DESK/OFFICE

• A SCRIBE IN THE SUMERIAN ERA WAS POWERFUL SINCE HE COULD WRITE AND KEEP RECORDS FOR THE KINGS

• IN PERSIAN EMPIRE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT WAS DIVIDED INTO PROVINCES LED BY SATRAPS/ROYAL SECRETARIES

• DURING CHINESE QIN DYNASTY CONFUCIUS SET UP MERIT BASED SYSTEM OF MANDARINS

• MODERN BUREAUCRACIES FOLLOWED THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

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COMPULSIONS

• A FORMAL STATE APPARATUS• STATE FORMULATES AND IMPLEMENTS

LAWS• IT LEVIES TAXES• IT KEEPS CONFLICTS UNDER CONTROL• IT ORGANISES DEFENCE/FOREIGN

RELATIONS• REGULATES TRADE

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KARL MARXS THEORY• BUREAUCRACY CONTROLS AND COORDINATES

THE PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH AND APPROPRIATES PART OF IT

• BUREAUCRACY IS A COST TO SOCIETY TOLERATED SINCE IT MAINTAINS SOCIAL ORDER

• IF STATE OWNS MEANS OF PRODUCTION BUREAUCRACY MAY BECOME VERY POWERFUL RESULTING IN BUREAUCRATIC COLLECTIVISM

• WORKERS SELF MANAGEMENT MAY RENDER BUREAUCRACY REDUNDANT

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KARL MARX

• BUREAUCRACY CAN BE TRACED BACK TO SOCIAL DIVISION AND IT TRIES TO MAINTAIN GULF BETWEEN CIVIL SOCIETY AND STATE

• EXPLOITIVE IN NATURE• PRESERVES STATUS QUO• ACCUMULATES POWER FOR ITSELF• BUREAUCRACY ALIENATES ITSELF FROM

MASSES

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MAX WEBERWEBERS ANALYSIS OF BUREAUCRACY• THE HISTORICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE

REASONS FOR THE PROCESS OF BUREAUCRATIZATION

• THE IMPACT OF RULE OF LAW UPON FUNCTIONING OF BUREAUCRATIC ORGANISATIONS

• TYPICAL PERSONAL ORIENTATION AND OCCUPATIONAL OF BUREAUCRATIC OFFICIALS

• MOST IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTES AND CONSEQUENCES OF BUREAUCRACY

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MAX WEBERS THEORY

• CLASSIC OR IDEAL BUREAUCRACY• LEGAL RATIONAL AUTHORITY• IMPLIES A SET OF RULES AND

ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURES WHICH CLOSELY CONTROL THE ACTION OF EMPLOYEES OF THE ORGANISATION.IN RETURN THE BUREAUCRATS SHARE THE BELIEF OF ADHERING TO THE ORGANISATIONS REQUIREMENT

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WEBER

• BUREAUCRACY IS BASED UPON RULES WHICH ARE ACCEPTED BY MEMBERS OF THE ORGANISATION

• BUREAUCRACY IS RELATIVELY CONTINUOUS IN ITS OPERATION

• THE SPHERES OF COMPETENCE OF BUREAUCRATIC ADMINISTRATION ARE SPECIFIED

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WEBERS LEGAL RATIONAL

• BUREAUCRACY IS BASED UPON THE IDEA OF HIERARCHY

• LEGAL RATIONAL AUTHORITY NEEDS SERVICES OF WELL TRAINED OFFICIALS

• OFFICIALS DO NOT OWN THEIR JOBS. THE JOBS BELONG TO THE ORGANISATION

• THE SUCCESSFUL AND CONTINUING OPERATION OF BUREAUCRACY IS BASED ON WRITTEN RECORDS

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WEBERS RATIONAL-LEGAL

A BUREAUCRATIC OFFICIAL• IS PERSONALLY FREE AND APPOINTED ON

THE BASIS OF CONDUCT• EXCERCISES THE AUTHORITY DELEGATED

TO HIM IN ACCORDANCE WITH IMPERSONAL RULES

• APPOINTMENT AND JOB PLACEMENT ARE DEPENDENT UPON HIS TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS

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WEBERS RATIONAL-LEGAL

• ADMINISTRATIVE WORK IS A FULL TIME OCCUPATION

• WORK IS RECORDED BY A REGULAR SALARY AND PROSPECTS OF ADVANCEMENT IN A LIFE TIME CAREER

• BUREAUCRAT ARE SUBJECT TO CONTROL AND DISCIPLINE IN THE CONDUCT OF WORK

• BUREAUCRATS ARE EXPECTED TO KNOW WHAT THEIR LEGAL POSITION IS

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ADVANTAGES

• PRECISION• SPEED• RELIABILITY• DISCIPLINE• CONTINUITY• OPERATIONAL UNIFORMITY• LESS FRICTION

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WEBER

BUREAUCRACY SIGNIFIES TWO MAIN THINGS • A TYPE OF ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANISATION

AND A FORM OF RULE OR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT.THE FIRST IS TECHHNICAL IN APPROACH,THE SECOND POLITICAL

• TECHNICALLY BUREAUCRACY IS AN IMPERMEABLE AND COMPLEX HIERARCHY WITH EMPHASIS ON PRINCIPLES OF ORGANISATION,RECRUITMENT,EDUCATION,TRAINING,CONDITIONS OF SERVICE,RULES OF BUSINESS

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WEBER• WEBER DESCRIBED THE IDEAL TYPE BUREAUCRACY

TO BE A MORE EFFICIENT AND RATIONAL FORM OF ORGANISATION THAN THE PREVIOUS ALTERNATIVES TERMED AS CHARISMATIC AND TRADITIONAL DOMINATION. BUREAUCRACY IS LEGAL DOMINATION

• RATIONAL LEGAL SYSTEM MOST STABLE SYSTEM BOTH FOR SUBORDINATES AND SUPERIORS.SUBORDINATES CAN CHALLENGE SUPERIORS BASED ON RULES

• WEBERS CONCERN WAS HOW TO CURTAIL POWER OF PERSONS IN SPECIALISED POSITIONS AND CONTROL EVER EXPANDING STATE BUREAUCRACIES

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CRITICISM• VERTICAL HIERARCHY CAN BECOME

CHAOTIC AND COUTER PRODUCTIVE• COMPETENCIES CAN BE UNCLEAR AND

USED CONTRARY TO SPIRIT OF LAW• NEPOTISM,CORRUPTION,IN FIGHTING, AND

OTHER DEGENERATIONS MAY ENSUE• OFFICIALS MAY AVOID

ACCOUNTABILITY,SEEK ANONYMITY BY AVOIDING DOCUMENTATION OR PRODUCING CONFUSING DOCUMENTATION

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LIMITATIONS

• EMPHASISED OFFICE MORE THAN THE OFFICER

• LIMITS TO RATIONALITY AFFECTING EFFICIENCY

• ABILITY TO MAKE CORRECT DECISIONS• VALUES,IDEAS AND PURPOSE

INFLUENCING DECISIONS• EXTENT OF KNOWLEDGE RELATED TO JOB• LOYALTY TO ORGANISATION

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OTHER PROBLEMS

• OVER SPECIALISATION – MYOPIC VIEW• SLOW DECISION MAKING DUE TO RIGIDITY

AND INERTIA OF PROCEDURES• PHENOMON OF GROUP THINKING RATHER

THAN CRITICAL THINKING MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO REGISTER,CHANGE OR CORRECT MISTAKES

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OTHER PROBLEMS

• DISREGARD OF DISSENTING OPINION INSPITE OF DATA

• BUREAUCRACY CREATES MORE AND MORE RULES AND PROCEDURES INCREASING IN COMPLEXITY AND DIMINISHES COORDINATION AND CREATING CONTRADICTORY RULES

• NOT ALLOWING PEOPLE TO USE COMMON SENSE AS EVERYTHING HAS TO BE STRICTLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW

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