What is a Bureaucracy? What are the advantages and disadvantages for an organisation of this type of organisational structure.

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What is a Bureaucracy? What are the advantages and disadvantages for an organisation of this type of organisational structure

A bureaucracy is a type of organisational structure that is found in many large-scale organisations. It appears in both public and private organisations and is a structure that still exists in the majority of industrial organisations in the world, despite being around since the 18th century. Ideally bureaucracy is characterised by hierarchical authority relations, defined spheres of competence subject to impersonal rules, recruitment by competence, and fixed salaries. The main aims of a bureaucracy are to be rational, efficient, and professional. German sociologist, Max Weber was the most important student of bureaucracy, and he described bureaucracy as technically superior to all other forms of organization.

Weber did not give an exact definition of what bureaucracy is, but he did attempt to identify what he believed to be the main characteristics of this type of organisation. According to Weber in a bureaucracy the tasks of an organisation are allocated as official duties among various positions. Bureaucracies also have clear & explicit rules outlining exactly how employees should perform tasks. Weber stated a bureaucracy has an implied clear-cut division of