8ureaucracy and |ts Character|st|cs

1he Lerm bureaucracy ls derlved from Lhe LaLln Lerm 'bureau' meanlng an offlce or a desk and
Lhe Creek sufflx 'kraLla' denoLlng 'power of' 1he Lerm was colned by lrench economlsL !ean
Claude Marle vlncenL de Cournay 1he lmporLanL concepLual lnnovaLlon made by hlm was Lhe
ldenLlflcaLlon of a group of rulers and meLhod of governlng 1he Lerm was known as 'burokraLlc'
ln Cermany where lL was deflned as 1he auLhorlLy or power whlch varlous governmenL
deparLmenLs and Lhelr branches arrogaLe Lo Lhemselves over fellow clLlzens"
8ureaucracy means 'desk governmenL' 1he dlcLlonary deflnes bureaucracy as a sysLem of
governmenL ln whlch most of the important decisions are made by state officials rather than by
elected representatives. Another definition is that it is " a system of hierarchical organization of
officials appointed to carry out certain public objectives. J S Mill used the term to denote the
professional governors of the government in a society. Laski defined bureaucracy as the rule of
officials in a government. Mosca described it as one class of ruling elites whose rule is absolute.
As is evident, the term Bureaucracy is widely used with many different meanings; for some it is
a positive concept while for others it is negative. The term is used in many different forms :
1. s a form of CovernmenL s already menLloned some scholars deflne 8ureaucracy as
a form of CovernmenL rlsLoLle for example deflned 3 Lypes of consLlLuLlon namely
klngshlp rlsLocracy and ollLy and sald LhaL each had lLs own devlaLlons or corrupLed
forms 8ureaucracy ln such a classlflcaLlon would be a devlaLlon of rlsLocracy
2. s a form of CrganlsaLlon Some scholars llke flffner Weber eLc used 8ureaucracy ln
Lhls sense flffner belleved LhaL 8ureaucracy ls Lhe sysLemaLlc organlzaLlon of Lasks
and lndlvlduals lnLo a paLLern whlch can mosL effecLlvely achleve Lhe ends of collecLlve
efforL" Weber ldenLlfled cerLaln characLerlsLlcs of bureaucracy llke dlvlslon of work
hlerarchy lmpersonal relaLlons eLc
3. s a raLlonal sysLem of worklng eLer 8lau belleves LhaL bureaucracy maxlmlzes
efflclency ln admlnlsLraLlon Max Weber has observed LhaL Lhe purely bureaucraLlc
Lype of admlnlsLraLlve organlzaLlon ls from a purely Lechnlcal polnL of vlew capable of
aLLalnlng Lhe hlghesL degree of efflclency and ls ln Lhls sense formally Lhe mosL raLlonal
known means of carrylng ouL lmperaLlve conLrol over human belngs"
Many oLhers have also used bureaucracy Lo as a 8lg CovernmenL (le an organlzaLlon deslgned
Lo accompllsh large scale admlnlsLraLlve Lasks) an ldeal consLrucL an allmenL of organlzaLlon
eLc 1o some lL ls efflclency Lo oLhers lnefflclency 1o some lL ls synonymous wlLh clvll
servlces whlle for oLhers lL ls a body of offlclals n acLual governmenL of offlclals Loday
would almosL cerLalnly be consldered as lnevlLably organlzed ln dlsLlncL offlces worklng Lo a
code of rules and Lhus marred by a hlgh degree of red Laplsm Such a sysLem would represenL
bureaucracy par excellence
MorsLeln Marx a rofessor of Classlcs aL Lhe unlverslLy of Callfornla has ldenLlfled 4 Lypes of
bureaucracles vlz
1 Cuardlan 8ureaucracy 1hls Lype of bureaucracy regards lLself as a cusLodlan of publlc
lnLeresL buL ls lndependenL of and unresponslve Lo Lhe publlc oplnlon lL ls efflclenL
compeLenL and rlghLeous and aL Lhe same Llme auLhorlLarlan laLo's concepL of Lhe
phllosopher klng ls a Lyplcal example
2 CasLe 8ureaucracy lL ls generally found ln ollgarchlcal pollLlcal sysLems under such a
sysLem only a person belonglng Lo hlgher casLes can become a publlc offlclal lor
example ln anclenL lndla only 8rahmlns and kshaLrlyas could become hlgher offlclals
3 aLronage 8ureaucracy lL ls also called 'spolls sysLem' under such a sysLem Lhe
proLeges of pollLlclans are appolnLed Lo hlgher offlces 1he spolls sysLem has been
prevalenL ln Lhe uS and also ln Lhe uk Llll Lhe mlddle of Lhe 19
Lh
cenLury
4 MerlL 8ureaucracy lL ls based on Lhe concepL of recrulLlng besL man for Lhe [ob based
on merlL [udged by ob[ecLlve sLandards SelecLlon ls done mosLly by compeLlLlve exams
8ureaucracy as a concepL as well as a sLrucLural arrangemenL has been boLh pralsed as well
as admonlshed lL has been [usLlfled as well as rldlculed 1here are 3 schools of LhoughL bro
adly speaklng regardlng bureaucracy
Cne group led by Max Weber lays emphasls on Lhe lndlspensablllLy of bureaucracy and
descrlbes lL Lhe mosL efflclenL sLrucLure posslble
1he name of Max Weber ls synonymous wlLh bureaucracy Pe was Lhe flrsL soclal sclenLlsL
Lo make a sysLemaLlc sLudy of bureaucracy and lLs characLerlsLlcs lL needs Lo be polnLed
ouL however LhaL Weber never deflned bureaucracy Pe only descrlbed lLs characLerlsLlcs
Pe caLegorlzed bureaucracy lnLo (l) paLrlmonlal and (ll) legalraLlonal
1he characLerlsLlcs of legalraLlonal bureaucracy as envlsaged by Weber are
1 Cfflclal buslness ls conducLed conLlnuously
2 n admlnlsLraLlve agency works accordlng Lo sLlpulaLed rules 1here are 3 lnLerrelaLed
aLLrlbuLes (l) lmpersonallzaLlon (ll) auLhorlLy commensuraLe wlLh responslblllLy and (lll)
means of compulslon aL Lhe dlsposal of Lhe offlclal are sLrlcLly llmlLed
3 1here ls a welldeflned hlerarchy of auLhorlLy and lower offlclals have a rlghL Lo appeal
4 Cfflclals are accounLable for use of offlclal resources
3 Cfflclals cannoL approprlaLe Lhe offlces
6 WrlLLen documenLs form Lhe basls of admlnlsLraLlon
1hls legalraLlon b reaucracy accordlng Lo Weber ls superlor Lo all oLher sysLems Pe goes
on Lo add LhaL people who have been once ruled by bureaucracy can never Lhlnk of any
oLher sysLem and Lhls makes lL permanenL and lndlspensable
1he maln elemenLs ln Weberlan model are
1 lmpersonal Crder 1he lssuance of Lhe commands by Lhe bureaucraLs and Lhelr
obedlence by Lhe subordlnaLes should be orlenLed by lmpersonal orders
2 8ules 1he offlclal buslness should be conducLed accordlng Lo rules 1hese rules may be
Lechnlcal rules 1helr appllcaLlon requlres speclallzed Lralnlng s already sLaLed MerLon
has severely crlLlclzed Lhe sLrlcL adherence Lo rules
3 Sphere of CompeLence 1hls lncludes a sphere of obllgaLlons Lowards duLles
commensuraLe auLhorlLy and clearly deflned means of compulslon
4 Plerarchy Lach lower offlce ls under Lhe conLrol and supervlslon of a hlgher one
Weber asslgns greaL lmporLance Lo hlerarchy ln Lhe organlzaLlon of offlces as well as Lhe
sLaff mannlng Lhem
3 ersonal and ubllc ends Weber compleLely separaLes Lhe admlnlsLraLlve sLaff from Lhe
ownershlp of Lhe offlces 1hls ls a necessary check so as Lo prevenL Lhe bureaucraLs from
mlsuslng Lhelr poslLlon
6 WrlLLen documenLs ln Weberlan bureaucracy all admlnlsLraLlve acLs are recorded ln
wrlLlng even lf oral orders may be Lhe general rule
1he mosL commendable aspecL of Weberlan model ls lLs emphasls on Lechnlcally quallfled
admlnlsLraLors 1he oLher sallenL feaLures LhaL deserve a menLlon are flxed salarles full
Llme occupaLlon of Lhe offlce prospecLs for furLher promoLlon and sLrlcL dlsclpllne and
conLrol 1he monocraLlc bureaucraLlc organlzaLlon accordlng Lo Weber ls capable of
aLLalnlng Lhe hlghesL degree of efflclency
1he model envlsloned by Weber has also come under severe crlLlclsm CrlLlcs argue LhaL Lhls
model ls only an ldeal one and cannoL be achleved ln reallLy s menLloned MerLon ls hlghly
crlLlcal of sLrlcL adherence Lo rules and regulaLlons hllllp Selznlck polnLlng ouL Lhe
funcLlonal dlvlslons shows hoe Lhe varlous subunlLs esLabllsh Lhelr own goals whlch
confllcL wlLh Lhe overall goal of Lhe organlzaLlon 1alcoLL arsons quesLlons Lhe lnLernal
conslsLency of Lhls model eLer 8lau belleved LhaL Lhls model cannoL be applled Lo dlfferenL
places and Llmes 1he model has also been crlLlclzed as begeLLlng auLhorlLarlanlsm noL
belng adequaLely flexlble noL paylng any aLLenLlon Lo human behavlor ln Lhe organlzaLlon
eLc
1he lrench soclologlsL Mlchael Crozler ln hls book ' 1he 8ureaucraLlc henomenon' re
examlned Lhe Weberlan concepL of ldeal bureaucracy Pe concluded LhaL ln order Lo be
raLlonal and egallLarlan bureaucracles come up wlLh a seL of lmpersonal rules for every
evenL 1hls has a number of effecLs llrsLly hlerarchlcal relaLlonshlps lose Lhelr lmporLance
Secondly mosL problems are solved by people who have no dlrecL knowledge of Lhem
1hlrdly Lhe ellmlnaLlon of negoLlaLlon and bargalnlng creaLes an organlzaLlon conslsLlng of a
serles of lsolaLed sLraLa llnally Lhe lndlvlduals who come Lo conLrol Lhe zone of uncerLalnLy
geL dlsproporLlonaLely large powers 1he resulL ls Lhe creaLlon of parallel power sLrucLures
1he second school comprlslng merlcan scholars such as 8oberL MerLon eLer 8lau eLc
has Laken a reformlsL approach 1he concede cerLaln dysfuncLlonallLles assoclaLed wlLh
bureaucracy buL sLress LhaL lL can be made funcLlonal
8oberL MerLon has aLLempLed Lo descrlbe Lhe sLrucLure of bureaucracy ccordlng Lo hlm
some of Lhe characLerlsLlcs of bureaucracy are dlvlslon of work (mosLly on Lhe basls of
Lechnlcal quallflcaLlons) hlerarchy clearly deflned rules lmpersonal relaLlonshlps eLc Pe
says LhaL bureaucracy maxlmlzes vocaLlonal securlLy slnce ln Lhe absence of exLernal
dlsLurbances Lhe offlclals are expecLed Lo work llfelong 1he offlclals are glven a securlLy of
Lenure hlgh salary penslons and regularlzed promoLlon ln order Lo ensure Lhelr devoLlon
Lowards Lhelr duLles 1he chlef advanLage of bureaucracy ls Lechnlcal efflclency wlLh speclal
emphasls on speed preclslon and opLlmal reLurns 1hls sLrucLure does away wlLh
personallzed relaLlonshlps and lrraLlonal conslderaLlons 1he bureaucracy malnLalns a hlgh
level of secrecy and esplonage ls common
Pe also ouLllnes some of Lhe deflclencles LhaL Lhe bureaucracy suffers from L presenL
Lhere ls Loo much emphasls on dlsclpllne so much so LhaL lnsLead of becomlng means Lo
achleve speclflc goals lL has become an end ln lLself s a resulL Lhere may be lnsLances
where conformlLy Lo rules lnLerferes wlLh Lhe aLLalnmenL of goals 1he bureaucracy has
become rlgld and lLs ablllLy Lo ad[usL has decllned subsLanLlally lL has also developed
speclal preferences averslons and dlsllkes MerLon goes on Lo add LhaL Lhe lnadequacles ln
orlenLaLlon whlch lnvolve Lralned lncapaclLy come from sLrucLural sources 1he very
elemenLs LhaL dlrecL Lowards efflclency ln general produce lnefflclency ln parLlcular cases
1he Lhlrd group ls led by karl Marx a revoluLlonary soclologlsL and an economlsL Pls ldeas
and bellef are popularly known as Marxlsm Marx was lnfluenced Lo a cerLaln exLenL by
lrledrlch Pegel and ln Lurn lnfluenced Max Weber somewhaL
Llke Marx Pegel also does noL deal wlLh bureaucracy as such lor boLh of Lhem Lhe real
lnLeresL was ln examlnlng Lhe naLure of Lhe sLaLe Pegel feels LhaL bureaucracy acLs as a llnk
beLween Lhe sLaLe and Lhe clvll socleLy 8ureaucracy ls Lhe unlversal esLaLe whlch sees Lo
Lhe malnLenance of Lhe general sLaLe lnLeresL and legallLy" 1he deflnlng characLerlsLlcs of
bureaucracy accordlng Lo Pegel are hlerarchy and speclallzaLlon Pe also glves an ouLllne
of Lhe regulaLory mechanlsms Pegel says LhaL Lhe bureaucracy ls sub[ecL Lo boLh lnLernal as
well as exLernal conLrol 1he lnLernal conLrol sLems from Lhe bureaucraLlc hablLs and Lhe
moLlvaLlon LhaL comes from Lhe fulflllmenL of bureaucraLlc duLles 1he exLernal conLrol
comes from above as well as from below ln Lhe form of grlevances and peLlLlons publlc
oplnlon press eLc
karl Marx conslders bureaucracy as an explolLaLlve lnsLrumenL L Lhe Llme of Moselle
dlsLrlcL famlne he had cerLaln personal experlences of Lhe malfuncLlonlng of sLaLe
admlnlsLraLlon and Lhose experlences helped shape hls concepL of bureaucracy Pe feels
LhaL ln an explolLaLlve caplLallsL socleLy bureaucracy geLs lngralned ln Lhe socleLy and acLs
as an agenL of explolLaLlon 8ureaucracy ls cenLral Lo Lhe undersLandlng of modern sLaLe
and Lhe abollLlon of Lhe sLaLe can be achleved lnsLlLuLlonally by Lhe desLrucLlon of
bureaucraLlc apparaLus
lL needs Lo be polnLed ouL LhaL alLhough Marx dld noL overlook Lhe lmporLance of
bureaucracy ln Lhe modern sLaLe he dld noL wrlLe exLenslvely on Lhe sub[ecL llke some
oLhers for example Max Weber Pe hlghllghLed some of Lhe represslve characLerlsLlcs of
bureaucracy and sald LhaL lL can be abollshed only when Lhe sLaLe becomes Lhe real
represenLaLlve of lnLeresLs of Lhe general publlc
Marx flrsL aLLacked bureaucracy ln 1843 Pe was noL very fond of Lhe 'presumpLlous
offlclousness' of governmenL offlclals and soughL Lo demonsLraLe Lhe conLradlcLlon
beLween Lhe real naLure of Lhe world and LhaL ascrlbed Lo lL ln buros Pe was more
lnLeresLed ln Lhe genesls of bureaucracy lnsLead of lLs sLrucLure he was more lnLeresLed ln
Lhe conLenL of bureaucracy ccordlng Lo Marx bureaucracy lncludes boLh Lhe sysLem of
admlnlsLraLlon as well as Lhe people ln charge of LhaL sysLem Pe felL LhaL Lhe bureaucracy ls
a parLlcularly closed socleLy wlLhln Lhe sLaLe
Marx does noL accord an organlc poslLlon Lo Lhe bureaucracy malnly because lL ls noL
dlrecLly concerned wlLh Lhe processes of producLlon Pe calls bureaucracy paraslLes
deLermlned Lo malnLaln sLaLus quo and Lhe prlvlleges of Lhe hlgher secLlons of Lhe socleLy
Pe furLher alleges LhaL an lndlvldual bureaucraL ls more concerned wlLh hls personal
ob[ecLlves raLher Lhan Lhe sLaLe ob[ecLlves 1he bureaucracy endeavours Lhe prlvaLlzaLlon of
Lhe whole clvll socleLy and ln order Lo accompllsh lLs ob[ecLlve lL malnLalns a sLaLe of
mysLerlousness ln lLs affalrs 1hls closed naLure of bureaucracy allenaLes lL from Lhe masses
lL falls Lo undersLand Lhe paraslLlc and oppresslve naLure of Lhe [ob



8eferences
1 ubllc dmlnlsLraLlon by ur 8Lladla and ur kuldeep ladla SahlLya 8hawan
ubllcaLlons llfLh revlsed edlLlon 2007 pg 412416
2 dmlnlsLraLlve 1hlnkers edlLed by u 8avlndra rasad v S rasad and SaLyanarayana
SLerllng ubllshers vL LLd 1hlrLeenLh reprlnL 2007 pg 7687276283
3 hLLp//wwwsocloslLeneL/Loplcs/LexLs/merLon_bureaucraLlc_sLrucLurephp
4 hLLp//wwwchrlsklmblecom/Courses/mls/8ureaucraLlc_CrganlsaLlonshLml