Lecture Notes on the Behaviour of Rational Institutions

The Behavior of Rational Bureaucracies
The practical application of Weberian rational principals produces problematic outcomes

Documentation:

• Supposed to ensure that bureaucracies make consistent and fair decisions

• However, it can lead to delays which cause frustration

• There is too much paperwork



Division of labor:

• Hierarchal relations between officials in order to establish a line of accountability

• However, hierarchal layers can be used to excess

• Unnecessary positions actually delay the process of bureaucracies

• The fixation on hierarchal division of labor adds no value and is redundant

• Only the officials benefits, not citizens

• Rule governed conduct can actually induce conformity (which stifles creativity)



Conduct:

• The tendency to look to rules and proceeds to guide their conduct

• However, without these rules, bureaucrats are unable to engage with citizens on a “human” level

• This means that bureaucrats may not be able to engage compassionately with citizens

• Building a career in the bureaucracy can be problematic over time (over-reliance on seniority)



Robert Merton’s View on the Weberian Rational Principal

• The Weberian Rational Principals do not consider the dysfunctional effects of their

criteria/principals

• The technical-instrumental value of rational criteria belied its tendency to socially condition

officials to function in problematics ways