Chapter 3: Three Early Perspectives on Organizations and Communication
Bureaucracy, p. 76- 77
Henri Fayol’s “Classical Management” talks about the five goals of classical management being “planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating, and controlling”. He also advocated for hierarchy and a strict chain of command. Out of these management theories came the idea of bureaucracy. I found it really interesting to think that something so universally disliked and thought of as a hindrance to progress could have actually been an improvement! However, it was, and it became a much more attractive alternative to particularism which was not favorable to workers.
I also found it interesting that the chapter went on to say that “the ideal bureaucracy cannot be fully realized”, mostly due to the nagging little problem of human nature…. I think that any new idea for systems must start with accepting the shortfalls of human nature (which differs culturally too), and work them into the theory.
Avaliação Parcial - Empreendedorismo
15 years ago
3 comments:
I was also surprised that a system which, modern society views as broken, was viewed positively by people such as Max Weber. I guess the security and just the sense of knowing what will occur next is what made it appealing at the time. If we juxtapose bureaucracy to the systems of the past where people were treated as the boss saw fit, we would probably understand more clearly, why bureaucracy is seen in a positive light. Further, I also agree that the negativity that is so closely associated with bureaucracies has probably more to do with how people carry out their respective tasks rather that with the elements that make up bureaucracy as described by W. Richard Scott.
I studied business administration on my undergrad course and then, I got the idea that bureaucracy was a bad system. However, after studying public administration and after being part of a government I learned that bureaucracy is not so bad. By being so complicated and slow, bureaucracy protects not only workers but also interests of the general public.
Without all those records and steps necessary in any bureaucratic process, it would be very easier for politicians or bad managers in private companies to take advantage of the organizations they manage.
For any manager the difficulty is to balance the use of bureaucracy between protecting workers and organization's interests and being fast and competitive at the same time.
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