Bureaucracy
often gives people the impression that following meaningless rules is more
important than doing a certain job effectively. However, one of the main goals of a
bureaucratic system is to increase efficiency. The primary goal of
bureaucracies is to help a government or an organization run smoothly and
efficiently. When used correctly, that system has a number of advantages, but
if its potential drawbacks are ignored, or not properly assessed and managed, it can also cause additional problems.
The
main features of the bureaucratic system are:
·
emphasis on procedural regularity in ensuring organizational efficiency,
·
a clearly defined hierarchical system of accountability and responsibility,
·
professional-sectoral separation of operations,
·
division of labor and responsibilities,
·
formal rules or standard operating procedures, their continuity and legal basis
The
benefit of bureaucracy to society is that it creates a mechanism that increases
accountability through clearly defined laws and rules, which in turn derive
from the general interest of the society or organization in question. When
problems arise, they are resolved quickly before they can have any impact on
the subsequent process. It also assumes more favorable conditions for equality,
since, being dependent on certain laws, certain relationships or employee preferences
cannot affect the outcome of the main decision or process. The bureaucratic
system clearly distinguishes the functions and responsibilities of employees,
also promoting teamwork. By clearly defining who is responsible for what, the
bureaucratic system also makes expectations from employees clearer.
However,
the duality of bureaucratic systems lies precisely in the fact that the
above-mentioned features can have a positive impact on the management process, but
they can also negatively affect the effectiveness of that process. Some of
these problems may include, for example, the presence of too many, complex and
intricate rules and procedures that must be followed in order to get something
done, or the emergence of conflict situations when the goals or interests of
two or more departments do not coincide.
Additional
rules can create additional work, such as filling out additional forms or
conducting additional assessments. Such a process can slow down the work process
and affect overall efficiency. The quality of work can also suffer as employees
are required to act within the framework of laws or rules set by the
organization. That means that they are often unable to make their own decisions
arising from a specific situation.
One
of the main disadvantages is that the bureaucratic system reduces employees’
ability to respond quickly to changing situations. That is because bureaucracy
separates work functions so clearly, and these functions are so dependent on
each other that any change can imply a change for other functions as well,
which can lead to certain contradictions in functions and delays in work. And
if some changing situations are ongoing, then constant interventions become
inevitable, otherwise the existing rules may become useless and inappropriate
in the emerging conditions. The absence or delay of necessary changes can make
the work process extremely inefficient.
Though,
despite a number of shortcomings of the bureaucratic system and the many
complaints arising from it, it is difficult to find any other system that could
provide a model that would also include all the advantages of the bureaucratic
system. In the case of effective organization and management of the work
process, the advantages of the bureaucratic system can increase the benefits of
that system and reduce its disadvantages, in particular, obstacles to work
efficiency. Meanwhile, in the case of poor management, the problems and harms
caused by the bureaucratic system can outweigh the expected benefits or the efficiency.
Related Topics:
What Factors Are Important in Managing an Organization Effectively
Why Teamwork is Important and How to Improve It