Max Weber

Introduction of Max Webber:

M ax Webber was born in April 21, 1864 at Erfurt, Prussia (Germany). He was German sociologist and political economist who profoundly influenced social theory, social research and discipline of sociology itself. Webber is often cited with Emile Durkheim and Karl Marx as one of the three principle architects of Modern Social Science. Max Webber was a sociologist and political economist known for describing the protestant ethic and for helping to found the German Democratic Party after First World War. Max Webber’s occupation was Educator, Philosopher, Scholar, Journalist, Sociologist, and Academic Author. Webber was son of a wealthy liberal politician and Calvinist mother. Webber left home to enroll at university of Heidelberg as law student in 1982. After a year of military service he transferred to university of Berlin at the same time with his studies, he worked as junior barrister.
In 1986 Webber passed the examination for Referendar (Comparable to the bar association examination in British and American legal systems). Throughout the late 1880’s Webber continued his study of law and history. He earned his law doctorate in 1889 by writing a dissertation on legal history. Webber joins the University of Berlin’s faculty, lecturing and consulting for government. Webber with his wife moved to Freiburg in1894. Where Webber was appointed as professor of economics at university, before accepting the same position at university of Heidelberg in 1896. He returned scholarship in 1903 and wrote the protestant Ethic and Spirit of capitalism. Webber argued against Germany’s First World War goals.
He died on 14 June, 1920 in Munich (Germany) in age of 56.
Major Contribution:
Webber was one of the 20th century writers “arguing with the ghost of Marx”.
There are four major themes in his study of society. 1) Religion and class as the key dynamic factors that influence society.
He agreed with Marx that ‘class’ as ‘political economic power’ was a major factor in the historical development of ‘modern society’. However he disagreed that ‘class’ was the only institution that dominated the development of modern society. Webber believed the cultural factors, especially religion was also important. However, Webber didn’t argue that religion was the cause of capitalism fitted together and developed in interaction with each other. So did not argue that religion created capitalism. 2) Class and Inequality: Class, Status and Power: i. Whilst he also agreed with Marx that ownership of capital or labor separated the two major classes of society, he also argued that social inequality in modern society was more complicated than this. ii. He argues that difference in the amount of social power or status differences (that is the amount of admiration or respect we have) are also important aspects o inequality in modern societies. iii. He argues with Marx too about political power. Webber believed that modern society was dominated, not only by owners of capital, but also by those with political power. He includes here elected politicians but also (and especially) people who have bureaucratic power. He sees bureaucracy as the major of power in modern society. 3) Bureaucracy and Rationality:
He argued that modern society is distinguished from pre modernism by the way we think, feel and operate in the world. For Webber the key contrast is that we privilege rational thinking above traditional thinking. Bureaucracies are the most important social institutions creating modern society because they are predominantly based on rationality. ‘What works more effectively’ not ‘how did our fathers do it’ is the major guide for modern organizations in Education, Health, Politics and business. 4) The importance of ‘meaning’ and ‘action’:
Sociologist should study not just the objective aspects of society i.e. ‘what we do’ but should address the meaning of behavior ‘why we act’. He puts ‘behavior’ and ‘meaning’ together in his concept of ‘Action Research’.
In conclusion: Webber argues that ‘Rationalism’ rather than ‘Capitalism’ is the key to interpreting modernity. However he sees both advantages and disadvantages in Rational Modern Societies.

BUREAUCRACY:
A
bureaucracy is an organization of non-elected officials of a governmental or organization who implement the rules, laws, and functions of their institution, and may be characterized by officials and red tape.
WEBRIAN BUREAUCRACY:
The Weberian bureaucracy has its origin in the works by Max Weber (1864-1920), who was a notable German sociologist, political economist and administrative scholar, who had contributed immensely to the study of bureaucracy and administrative discourses and literatures, during the mid 1800s and early 1900s, and his works are still popular, even today. Max Weber belongs to the Scientific School of Thought, who among others, discussed intensely on subject-matters, such as, specialization of job-scope, merit system, uniform principles, structure and hierarchy, to name a few. Among the scholars of his contemporaries are, Frederick Taylor (1856-1915), Henri Fayol (1841-1925), Elton Mayo (1880-1949), and later scholars, such as, Herbert Simon (1916-2001), Dwight Waldo (1913-2000), and others.
“Bureaucratic administration means fundamentally domination through knowledge”
Weber described many ideal types of public administration and government in his magnum opus Economy and Society (1922). His critical study of the bureaucratization of society became one of the most enduring parts of his work. It was Weber who began the studies of bureaucracy and whose works led to the popularization of this term. As the most efficient and rational way of organizing, bureaucratization for Weber was the key part of the rational-legal authority, and furthermore, he saw it as the key process in the ongoing rationalization of the Western society.
Weber listed several preconditions for the emergence of the bureaucracy. The growth in space and population being administered and the growth in complexity of the administrative tasks being carried out and the existence of a monetary economy resulted in a need for a more efficient administrative system. Development of communication and transportation technologies made more efficient administration possible but also in popular demand, and democratization and rationalization of culture resulted in demands that the new system treats everybody equally.
Weber's ideal bureaucracy is characterized by hierarchical organization, delineated lines of authority in a fixed area of activity, action taken on the basis of and recorded in written rules, bureaucratic officials need expert training, rules are implemented by neutral officials, and career advancement depends on technical qualifications judged by organization, not individuals.
The decisive reason for the advance of bureaucratic organization has always been its purely technical superiority over any other form of organization
While recognizing bureaucracy as the most efficient form of organization, and even indispensable for the modern state, Weber also saw it as a threat to individual freedoms, and the ongoing bureaucratization in which increasing rationalization of human life traps individuals in the "iron cage" of bureaucratic, rule-based, rational control. In order to counteract bureaucrats, the system needs entrepreneurs and politicians.

THE TRUE MEANING OF BUREAUCRACY:
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines bureaucracy as “a system of administration marked by officials, red tape, and proliferation.” You have, no doubt, heard or read other, even less flattering definitions and/or opinions of bureaucracy, particularly associated with national or local governments over loaded with middle management underachievers and endless rules and regulations. Unfortunately, many of the criticisms are fairly accurate.

The history of the term does it no favors either. The word originally became popularized in France shortly before the Revolution. Its positive connotations took a larger beating when the famous socialist, Karl Marx, embraced the theory as a beneficial method of governance and structure. Marx even theorized that bureaucracy was prevalent in most religions of the world.

The creation of rules for every possible action in the workplace, a strict hierarchy of management, and the objective of eliminating the ability of employees to think for them has consistently made bureaucratic organizations the target of valid criticism. An operating structure, as inflexible as a bureaucracy implies, seldom works efficiently in a living, breathing, evolving, and goal-driven company.

While it can be argued that the objective description of a bureaucracy is one that defines high levels of organization, structure, and chains of command (no attribute of which is inherently negative), just compare the performance of companies and governments using this structure to those that do not. In most cases, the bureaucratic organizations will rank lower than the non-bureaucratic entities in most operating and performance areas.

Characteristics of Bureaucracy:
A
Bureaucracy is a component of formal organization that uses rules and hierarchical ranking to achieve efficiency.
Rows of desks staffed, endless lines and forms, complex language and frustrating encounters with red tape. All these things have made bureaucracy a dirty word and easy target in political campaigns.
There are certain characteristics of bureaucracy which enter almost in every occupation in an industrial society.

* Specialization and Division of Labor:
Specialized experts performs specific tasks by working at a specific task, peoples become highly skilled. The downside of division of labor is that the fragmentation of work into smaller tasks can divide workers and remove any connection they might feel to the overall objective of the bureaucracy. * Hierarchy of Authority:
Bureaucracies follow the principle of hierarchy; that is each position is under the supervision of higher authority. * Written Rules and Regulations:
As rules and regulations are important elements of bureaucracy. Through written rules and regulations bureaucracies generally offer employees clear standards for an adequate performance. Rules and regulations can overshadow the larger goals of an organization and become dysfunctional. * Impersonality:
Bureaucratic norms dictate that officials perform their duties without personal consideration of people as individual. Although this is intended to guarantee equal treatment for each person. We typically think of big government and business when we think of impersonal bureaucracies. But today even small firms have telephone system greeting callers without an electronic mean. * Employment based on Technical Qualification: Elements | Positive Consequence | Negative Consequence | | | For the Individual | For the Organization | Division of Labor | Produce efficiency in large scale corporation. | Produces trained incapacity. | Produces a narrow perspective. | Hierarchy of Authority | Clarifies who is in command. | Deprives employees of a voice in decision making. | Permits concealment of mistakes. | Written Rules and Regulations | Let workers know what is expected of them. | Stifle initiative and imagination. | | Impersonality | Reduces bias. | Contributes to feelings of alienation. | Discourage loyalty to company. | Employment based on technical qualification | Discourages favoritism. | | |
Within ideal bureaucracy, hiring is based on technical qualifications rather than on favoritism and performance is measured against specific standards.
Bureaucracy related with different fields of life * Bureaucuratic Table related with Organization
B
ureaucracy is a continuous hierarchy with each lower position under the control and supervision of a higher one and the conduct of each position governed by technical rules or norms. In order to be able to follow the complicated specifications that govern their conduct in office, officials must be extensively trained and only trained persons made eligible for appointment. Their work is impersonally evaluated and they are promoted for both seniority and merit the sequence of promotions constitutes a bureaucratic career.
Bureaucratic administration is supposed to be dominated by a spirit of formalism and impersonality without love or hate passion or enthusiasm indeed with the least possible display of the official’s personal feelings and preferences * Bureaucratic Structure and Personality
The partial incompatibility between high productivity and high moral appears with special prominence in bureaucracies and generates increasingly serious problems as more types of social activity are bureaucratically administered how to adapt to the demands of bureaucratic organization and how to defend one’s own identity against the manipulations of bureaucratic agents are problems of modern life protest movements in the industrially advanced countries often take the form of resistance of bureaucratization especially in educational, religious, health and welfare institutions 1. An effective bureaucracy demands reliability of response and strict devotion to regulations 2. This interferes with ready adaptation under special conditions not clearly envisaged by those who drew up general rules 3. Thus the very elements which conduce toward efficiency in general produce in efficiency in specific instance
The Bureaucratic Revolution
The bureaucratic type of large scale organization is a complex invention whose appearance in Western Europe paralleled the scientific revolution that began with the work of Newton Boylen.
Weber was fascinated by certain examples of large scale organization in ancient world that included bureaucratic elements especially the management of irrigation system the decisive reason for the speed transportation and communication.
The fully developed bureaucratic apparatus compares with other organization exactly as does the machine with no mechanical mode of production
Advantages and Disadvantages of Bureaucracy:
B
ureaucracy emerged as society moved into its most developed form, the state. As such, it provides the possibility for government to function effectively and efficiently, leading the larger and larger societies, with increasingly complex and diverse ways of life for its citizens. Beyond government numerous other social organizations, both in the public and private sectors have developed bureaucratic forms of leadership, which have succeeded in achieving the goals of their organizations.
Advantages:
* Standardizations of procedures create the ability to easily pass knowledge to future workers as well as facilitating better communication among colleagues. * Division of labor creates economies of scale within organization, enhancing productivity. * Impersonal relationship also leads to easier dismissal of workers, which contributes to greater efficiency. * More control over the employees with clear rules and regulations. * There is no confusion as the reporting relationship is clear and well defined. * There is standardization and everyone has to follow the same procedure. * Selection to office is by technical qualifications. * Promotion by seniority. * Better than fraud/ traditional forms where people got appointed by favoritism or bribes.
Disadvantages:
* The decision making and all the other process are very slow. * The jobs may become boring for the employees. * The communication has to go through so many levels that it gets distorted. * Too much control discourages innovation and creativity. * Becomes as an iron cage of control. * Red tape from all the rules and sign offs. * Hard to change this form. * Division of labor compartmentalize attention and response.