Bureaucracy and Organizational Behavior

Study Notes

Bureaucracy as a social organization requires employees to fulfill roles while fostering ingroup feelings to safeguard against outside influence.
Warren G. Bennis argues that traditional bureaucracy, as defined by Weber, must evolve to stay relevant in modern society, advocating for a new bureaucratic model.
Key elements for promotion within bureaucratic structures include seniority and merit, which exist to enhance morale and ensure competence.

Six significant forces demand organizations adapt to contemporary realities:
- Acceleration of change necessitating rapid organizational adjustments.
- Growing technological sophistication accelerating change further.
- The existing government structure presents challenges for public administrators to adapt to public administration's evolving role while still operating within a static framework.

Public administration is responsible for implementing state policies while regulating how private property is acquired, owned, and enjoyed for the common good.
The organization must align its goals with the broader socio-cultural context to ensure it functions effectively as part of society.
Effective public administration coordinates collective efforts toward achieving public policy objectives, requiring responsiveness to the needs of the nation and individuals.

Administration is an organizational process focused on achieving objectives and internal efficiency, characterized by routine decision-making and maintaining the status quo.
It is applicable across various sectors, including public and private entities, large organizations, and small groups.
Coordination in administration is crucial for aligning diverse social energies toward unified actions, thereby ensuring collective effectiveness.

Administration differs from government; the former refers to the processes and structures managing group efforts, while the latter encompasses all institutions through which state authority is exercised.