Session 16: Bureaucracies – Good or Bad?

Bureaucracy is a governmental body which makes important decisions. There are split views on bureaucracy; some view it as good whereas others view it in a negative light.

There are different theories of bureaucracy – John Stuart Mill called this sort of government a means to bring the experienced and skilled together, however, he believed that representative government is better. Max Weber, a German sociologist, carried out a lot of research on the topic and concluded that it is efficient and rational. Like John Stuart, Max too saw a negative side and stated that it threatens freedom and autonomy.

“Some third person decides your fate: this is the whole essence of bureaucracy.” ― Kollontai Alexandra

So where does bureaucracy fit in today’s world? Just because this system of government has some advantages, should we turn a blind eye to all the disadvantages? A lot of people believe that times have changed drastically; therefore, bureaucracy is a concept that is redundant now. In this modern age bureaucracy would just reduce morale. Some of the top businesses in the world, such as Apple and Amazon do not follow traditional styles – they owe their success to radical management systems.