APPRAISAL & CRITICISM ON WEBER’S VIEW ON BUREAUCRACY

Appraisal:

Max Weber was the first administrative thinker to have given considerable thought on Bureaucracy. Weber essentially believed in inevitability of Bureaucracy in a modern state. Weber threw light not on ‘ideal Bureaucracy’ but highlighted on, ‘ideal type of Bureaucracy’. An efficient Bureaucracy is a precondition of economic development.

Max Weber knew that state alone possesses power, authority & legitimacy. To him, Bureaucracy has power & authority. Bureaucrats are power elites. It consists of superiors, technical experts having knowledge & experience.

Max Weber viewed Bureaucracy from organizational point of view. However he also described the qualities necessary for Bureaucrats. His advocacy for, ‘impersonal approach’ has relevance even today. In a corporate world of today, Weber’s ideas are still considered valid.

Criticism

Though noteworthy, Weber’s idea of Bureaucracy has been criticized on certain grounds. The first point of criticism is that Weber laid too much importance on Bureaucracy. In fact, Weber himself had not given a proper definition of Bureaucracy. It was, later on, regarded as a part of social science.

Weber gave more importance to organizational aspect of Bureaucracy. He did not consider the political social contexts, in which Bureaucracy operates. Bureaucracy cannot function independently without having consideration for social & political forces.

Weber associated power, authority & legitimacy with state / Bureaucracy. However, in a Democratic state, Bureaucracy comes under the direct control of Executive. Weber underestimated the role of legislatures, elected representatives, in exercising control over Bureaucracy.

In the era of privatization, Liberalization & globalization, Govt. Bureaucracy, as advocated by Weber, has less significance, rather than the times, when Weber wrote on Bureaucracy.

LET US SUM UP

The name of Max Weber, as a German sociologist, is remembered for his note worth. Contribution on –

a) Power, Authority legitimacy

b) Types of authority

c) Organizational view point of Bureaucracy

d) Legal rational authority

e) Impersonal approach of Bureaucrats. No writings on Bureaucracy could be completed without a reference of weberian views on Bureaucracy.

While summing up, keep the following points in mind

i) Max Weber understood the power, authority & legitimacy of state.

ii) He classified authority in three types.

iii) Max Weber viewed Bureaucracy as power elite.

iv) He described Legal rational authority & had subscribed a model of legal rational authority.

v) His Theory of Bureaucracy is based upon the structure / organization.

vi) Hierarchy, Rules, appointed officers, technical knowledge of officials, specialization, Generalists & Specialists & impersonal approach of Bureaucrats, are some of the basic principles of his Theory of Bureaucracy.

vii) Max Weber has also discussed some of the qualities essential for Bureaucrats. He made a clear cut distinction between officials working in their official capacity & officials in their private affairs. The Bureaucrats should perform defined duties & should not misuse power.