Page 38 - DCOM102_DMGT101_PRINCIPLES_AND_PRACTICES_OF_MANAGEMENT

Principles and Practices of Management

Notes 7. Official Records: The administration of a bureaucratic organisation is supported by an
efficient system of record-keeping. The decisions and activities of the organisation are
formally recorded and preserved safely for future reference This is made possible by
extensive filing system. The filing system makes the organisation independent of
individuals. The official records serve as the memory of the organisation.

Notes Weber’s ideal bureaucracy has been designed to bring rationality and predictability
of behaviour in organisations. It is an administrative device that can help in achieving the
following advantages:
1. There is a proper delegation of authority in the organisation. People are given tasks
according to their competence.

2. Because of rules and regulations, all actions are taken carefully. There is consistency
of actions.
3. The behaviour of the employees is rational. They take decisions as per laws, rules
and regulations. They don’t go by their whims, emotions or prejudices.
4. The behaviour of the employees is predictable. It is known how they will react
under different situations as guidelines are already there in writing.
5. Bureaucracy leads to efficiency in the organisation. There is division of work leading
to specialization which results in efficiency.

Criticism of Bureaucracy

It is not free of flaws. It may lead to many undesirable consequences such as:

1. The rules may be followed in letter and not in spirit. Thus, instead of providing guidelines,
the rules may become source of inefficiency. The rules may be misused or misinterpreted
by the persons concerned with the implementation of rules. Red tapism and technicalism
may follow as a result.
2. Bureaucracy does not consider informal organisation and inter-personal difficulties.

3. Bureaucracy discourages innovation because every employee is supposed to act as per
rules and regulations or to the secondary goals.
4. Goal displacement may take place in a bureaucratic organisation. The bureaucrats may
give priority to rules and regulations or to the secondary goals.
5. The bureaucratic structure is tall consisting of several layers of executives. Thus,
communication from the top level to the lowest level will take a very long time.

Appraisal of Classical Theory

The fundamental objections against the classical theory are discussed below:
1. Narrow View of Organisation: The value of classical theory is limited by its narrow
concentration on the anatomy of formal organisation. In order to achieve rationality, the
classical writers ignored the human relations aspect. The interplay of individual personality,
informal groups and inter organisational conflicts in the formal organisation were neglected.
It is said that the focus of classical theory is on ‘organisation without people’.

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