By: Dzulfazli bin Md Zawawi

1. THEORY OF
BUREAUCRACY
BY DZULFAZLI BIN MD ZAWAWI

2. History about Theory of
Bureaucracy.

3. The Theory of Bureaucracy – based on
ancient bureaucracy
 Term of “bureaucracy” already
till the end mid – 1700s was
idea of organized and
consistent administrative
system.
 Development of writing (3500
BCE). It was use for document
was critical to the
administrative of this system.
 In ancient china, bureaucracy
were position within the
“graded civil services” and
competitive exam were held to
determine who held position.

4. The Theory of Bureaucracy – based on
modern bureaucracy
 By mid – 19th century,
bureaucratic form of
administrative were firmly in
place across the industrialized
world.
 Thinker like John Stuart Mill
and Karl Marx began the
theories. Max Weber was the
first to endorse bureaucracy as
a necessary feature of
modernity.

5. What does the theory of
bureaucracy was
explained it.

6. The Theory of Bureaucracy – developed by Max
Weber (1864 – 1920 ), a German professor of sociology.

7.  Max Webber was German Sociologist and political economic
(1864 – 1920). According to him, bureaucracy is the most efficient
form of organization that has a well defined line of authority and
clear and regulation which are strictly followed.
 Type of characteristics of Bureaucratic in organization:
There is high degree of division of labour and specialization.
Follow the principle of rationality, objective and consistency.
Interpersonal relation based on position and not on
personalities.
Selection and promotion is based on technical qualification.
Only bureaucratic or legal power is given important.

8.  Criticism of bureaucratic organization:
 Too much emphasis on rules and regulation. The rules and regulation are rigid and
inflexible.
 No importance is given ti informal group play an important role in all business
organization.
 Bureaucracy involves a lot of paperwork. This result in lot of wastage of time, effort and
money
 There will be unnecessary delay in decision making due to formation and rules
 Too much importance is given to the technical qualification of the employee for
promotion and transfer. Dedication and commitment of the employee is not
considered.

9. Advantage and
disadvantage of using
theory of bureaucracy.

10. The Theory of Bureaucracy – developed by Max
Weber (1864 – 1920 ), a German professor of sociology.
 Advantage of theory bureaucracy using in organization:
Specification: A bureaucratic organization provided the
advantage of specialization because every member is
assigned a specialized that to perform.
Structure: A structure of form is created by specifying the
duties and responsibilities and reporting relationship within
a command hierarchy structure sets the pace and
framework for the functioning of the organization.
Rationality: A measure of objective is ensured in advanced
the criteria for decision making in routine situation.

11.  Top level managers in bureaucratic organization
structure give a great deal of control over organization
strategy decision, which is deal for business owner with a
command and control style. Strategic decision making
time can be should in a tall organization structure since
less individual are involved in the process.
 Standardization and best practice are often highlight in
companies with tall organization structure ensuring that
work consistently efficiently and effectively.

12. The Theory of Bureaucracy – developed by Max
Weber (1864 – 1920 ), a German professor of sociology.
 Disadvantages of theory bureaucracy using in
organization:
Rigidity: rules and regulation in a bureaucracy are often
rigid and inflexible. Rigid compliance with rules and
regulation discourage initiative and creativity. It may also
provided the cause to avoid responsibility for failure.
Goal displacement: rules framed to achieve organization
objective at each level become an end to themselves.
When individual at lower pursue personal objective the
overall may be rejected
Impersonality: a bureaucratic organization stresses a
mechanical way of doing thing. Organization rules and
regulation are given priority or an individual’s needs and
emotional

13. The Theory of Bureaucracy – developed by Max
Weber (1864 – 1920 ), a German professor of sociology.
Compartmentalization of activities: jobs are divided into
categories which restrict people from performing tasks that
they are capable of performing. It also encourage
preservation of jobs when they becomes redundant.
Paperwork: bureaucracy involves excessive paperwork as
every decision must be put into writing. All document have
to be maintain in their draft and original form. This leads to
great wastage of time, stationary and space.
Empire building: people in bureaucracy tend to use their
position and resources to perpetuate self interest. Every
superior as if this number is considered a symbol of power
and prestige.

14. The Theory of Bureaucracy – developed by Max
Weber (1864 – 1920 ), a German professor of sociology.
Bureaucratic structure can discourage creativity and
innovation throughout the organization. No matter how
ingenious a business owner is. It is virtually impossible for a
single individual to generate the range of strategic ideas
possible in a large, interdisciplinary group.
Front line employee may receive less satisfaction from their
jobs in a rigidly bureaucratic organization increasing
employee turnover rates. Organization bound by rigid
control can also find themselves less able to adapt to
changing condition in the market places, industry or legal
environment.

15. How manager can use
these motivation theory to
motivate their employee
in an organization?

16. The Theory of Bureaucracy – developed by Max
Weber (1864 – 1920 ), a German professor of sociology.
 Principle1:
In bureaucracy, a manager’s formal authority drives
from the position he or she hold in the organization.
Authority: the power to hold people accountable for
their action and to make decision in references to the
use of organization resources.
 In today’s business model, this type of theory is not very
common. Nowadays we see more of an informal
authority approach in which there is personal expertise,
technical knowledge, moral worth and from one
individual.

17. The Theory of Bureaucracy – developed by Max
Weber (1864 – 1920 ), a German professor of sociology.
 Principle2:
In bureaucracy, people should occupy position because
of their performance not because of their social standing.
Some organization and industries are still effected by
social network in which personal contact and relation not
job related skills influence hiring and promotion decision.
 The old way of not what you know are still around in today
society but it can only get you so far. In today’s business
world what you know and education knowledge play a
very important part in moving up the cooperate latter and
bring able to maintain a managerial position requires the
utilization current on up to date technique and information.

18. The Theory of Bureaucracy – developed by Max
Weber (1864 – 1920 ), a German professor of sociology.
 Principle3:
 The extent of each position’s formal authority and task
responsibility and the relationship to other position in the
organization should be clearly specified.
 When the task and authority associated with various position in
the organization are clearly specific, manager and workers know
what is expected of them and what to expect from each other.
 Most organization should and are clearly defining task and position
responsibility. Job description should include all facts of an
employee held position. Clarification of one’s job expectation is
essential for all five business function in order to manage and
maintain a high level and measurable level of success for all
organization.

19. The Theory of Bureaucracy – developed by Max
Weber (1864 – 1920 ), a German professor of sociology.
 Principle4:
 Authority can be exercised effectively in an organization when
position are arranged hierarchically, so employee know whom
to report to and who report to them.
 Manager must create an organization hierarchy of authority that
makes it clear who repeat to whom and to whom manager’s
and workers should go if conflicts or problem arise.
 Today’s business model utilize the initiative factor in which
employee are given the ability to act on their own without direction
from a superior. This empowerment of employee relieves the stress
of consists supervision and allows supervision and managers to
concentred more on other administrative duties. The balance
between a vertical and horizontal organization structure is more
widely used in today’s business model.

20. The Theory of Bureaucracy – developed by Max
Weber (1864 – 1920 ), a German professor of sociology.
 Principle5:
 Managers must create a well defined system of rules and
standard operation system so that they can effectively control
behaviour within an organizational.
 Standard Operating Procedure ( SOPs ) are specific set of written
instruction about how to perform a certain aspect of a task.
 Most companies have SOP and require employee to learn and
follow them. We have seen how in addition to following rules and
regulation and many organization have allowed for creativity and
innovation to the common way of conducting business where it was
once said: “rules are rules and they could never be broken”.
Guidelines are needed and common sense is always important but
have an open line of communication to new ideas and thought is
essential in today’s business society.

21. The End
“Bureaucratic administration means fundamentally
domination through knowledge” – Max Weber.