Session 16: Bureaucracy

Bureaucracy today is an administrative system governing large institutions. Many negative connotations have been attached with the bureaucratic systems, they are considered to be inflexible, inefficient and gives power in the hands of few individuals. Despite all the critics to bureaucracy it does have a lot of advantages attached to it. A bureaucratic system ensures a clear run from top to bottom of any organization, the authorities are defined to whom everyone answers, these authorities are also responsible for the actions of their subordinates and need to keep a check and balance of everything that happens in the organization. A bureaucratic system can be simple and efficient if well organized and the power which comes with it is not exploited. A clear span of control and responsibilities should be defined, there should be a distinction between line functions and staff functions and everyone should be held liable for their mistakes despite their positions. Only when these three rules are applied in reality in any bureaucratic system then it can work with most efficiency.