Max Weber's Theory Of Bureaucracy
Adele Myers
16148886
Public Administration PA 4021
Politics and Public Administration
How did Max Weber’s theory of bureaucracy have a major impact on the development of public administration systems? Illustrate your answer with examples.
German sociologist Max Weber (1864-1920) made a lasting contribution to organisation theory. His analysis of an ‘ideal type’ bureaucracy has been criticised and refined, but it remains the most quoted starting point for the study of large organisations, particularly in the public sector. The word ‘bureaucracy’ has many meanings, to political scientists it is a system of government by ‘bureaux’ of officials. To Weber the word refers to the structure found in modern large organisations, whether they are government departments, business firms, armies or organised religion. It is a continuous organisation of official functions bound by rules. Weber thought that bureaucratic organisation was the most rational means of deploying power in any setting (Brown and Steel, 1979, p.160). In this essay, I am going to discuss how Max Weber’s theory of bureaucracy had a major impact on the development of public administration systems.
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