Bureaucracy was developed to solve the problem of how to get work done by people who might not have the skills, experience, motivation or training to make wide-ranging decisions, but who could do work that was carefully prescribed and circumscribed. By limiting the scope of latitude through defined positions, rules and procedures, organizations could leverage the talents of those few at the top who had demonstrated their wisdom (or could deliver to a governing body’s specifications). The structure and traditions served to enable diverse units to coordinate their work according to allocated powers. It also allows scaling up to very large size when that is necessary. No better way to accomplish work in stable environments has ever been developed.
Author: Allan Cohen
Source: Babson Insight
Subjects: Bureaucracy, Management, Organizational Behavior
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