Characteristic of Ideals types
of Bureaucracy
Weber identifies bureaucracy as the most and
efficient form of the organization devised by man. Bureaucracy is rational in
that it involves control based on knowledge; it has clearly defined spheres of competence;
it operates according to analyzable rules, and has calculability in its
operations.
Bureaucracy is efficient because of its precision,
speed, consistency, availability of records, continuity, and possibility of
secrecy, unity, and rigorous coordination, and minimization of interpersonal
friction, personnel costs, and material costs.
Weber analyzed bureaucracy not empirically but as an
“ideal type” derived from the most characteristic bureaucratic features of all
known organizations. He defined the main characteristic of this ideal type of
bureaucracy: