1. Max Weber
“Bureaucracy”

2. Brief Life Sketch of Max Weber
(1864-1920)
 He was a German lawyer; a politician; a
historian; political economist & sociologist.
 Weber completed his doctoral dissertation on ‘A
Contribution to the History of Medieval Business
organisation.’
 Max Weber was the first administrative thinker to
study interrelationship between state & Society.
As a scholar of Law, he understood the
significance of power, authority & legitimacy.

3. Weber’s Theory of Bureaucracy
 Weber’s Bureaucracy is based upon legal-
rational authority.
 The following are the basic features of his
theory of Bureaucracy:

4. Hierarchy
 Bureaucratic
organisation
is based
upon a well-
defined
hierarchy.
 Hierarchy,
based on
authority.
Highest Office
High OfficeHigh Office
Low Office Low Office Low Office
Lowest Office Lowest Office Lowest Office Lowest Office

5. Division of Labor  Division of work,
functional
specialisation.
 Every employee
in the
organisation
has a well
defined power &
authority,based
upon
employee’s
specialisation &
expertise.
Executive
Operations
Policy &
Planning
Strategic
Planning
Policy
Development
Regional
Management
Special
Projects
Legislative
Relations
Office Staffing Maintenance

6. Consistency
 Bureaucratic
organisation
functions
within a
framework of
fixed rules &
regulations.
 Rules regulate
all matters
“abstractly.”
 i.e. no one is
special
Not Special
Not SpecialNot Special
Not Special Not Special Not Special
Not Special Not Special Not Special Not Special

7. Qualification
 The
Bureaucrats.
should be
properly &
scientifically
selected.
 This enables
efficiency of
Bureaucracy.
PhD
Master’sMaster’s
Bachelor’s Bachelor’s Bachelor’s
Associate’s Associate’s Associate’s Associate’s

8.  Such a Bureaucratic organisation specifies the
duties & responsibilities of Bureaucrats.
Authority implies responsibility.
 Every Bureaucratic organisation functions with a
specific procedure, laid down by the
organisation. This procedure is laid down for
performing their functions.
 One of the unique features, suggested by
Weber, is the impersonal approach of an
employee, in the organisation. Every employee
should function withimpersonal approach, while
performing duties.