BUREAUCRATIZATION
ISSUES IN CARIBBEAN DEVELOPMENT
INDICATORS OF DEVELOPMENT
What is Bureaucratization?
This is a concept in sociology and political science
referring to the way that the administrative
execution and enforcement of legal rules are
socially organized.
A bureaucracy is a cadre of professionals organized
in a pyramidal hierarchy all functioning under the
same rules and procedures.
It is a form of authority using structures and sets of
regulation in place to control activity.
Bureaucratic Rules Bureaucratic Performance
Socio-Economic Development
The quality of bureaucratic rules is essential for
understanding how bureaucratic performance
relates to developmental outcomes. The current
assumptions may be summarized above.
Sociological Understanding of Bureaucracy
Weber’s Model- Weber’s interest in bureaucracy
derived from his interest in understanding why
human beings were responsive or obedient to the
directions of others. He argued that not all obedience
or compliance could be regarded as coercion but
rather, if the exercise of power were regarded as
legitimate then the appropriate response would be
compliance. Weber referred to the legitimate
exercise of power as authority.
Weber described three types of legitimate authority:
Charismatic Authority(a belief that the person possesses
unique leadership qualities e.g., the acceptance of Christ’s
authority)
Traditional Authority (King/Queen)
Rational Legal Authority (power is legitimated on the
basis of rationality-i.e. the demonstrative relevance of
directions and orders to the achievement of a group’s
shared goals or values)
Weber’s Model Cont’d
The link between Weber’s ideas on the basis of
authority and bureaucracy arises from his elaboration
of the idea of rational-legal authority “with
employment of a bureaucratic administrative staff”.
Weber argued that the effectiveness of rational-legal
authority in issuing commands relevant to the
attainment of the collectivity’s goals, depends on the
coexistence of certain procedural and structural
elements of organization, those of which constitutes a
bureaucracy. In Weber’s view the bureaucracy was the most
efficient form of organization that human beings have invented.
Elements of Bureaucratization
Weber identified the basic elements of bureaucracy:
The Division of labour
Qualification for appointment
Written rights and responsibilities
Hierarchical order of authority
The nature of interpersonal commitment
Issues Relating to Development
The main argument, articulated most clearly in Evans and Rauch
(1999), is that .replacing patronage systems for state officials by a
professional bureaucracy is a necessary (though not sufficient)
condition for a state to be developmental.
The extent to which officials follow rules (accountability and
transparency).
Clear rules relating to how decisions are made and how civil
servants conduct themselves are important for performance and
efficiency.
The risk of misuse of public office and poor decisions is seen as
higher, the less clear rules are. Rules are also important for holding
officials accountable. Audits, ombudsman institutions, anti-
corruption commissions, public censure or courts are mechanisms
that have been used to hold civil servants accountable.
Policy issues in society are typically complex and
multi-dimensional requiring the insights of civil
servants with professional and specialized
competence. (influence).
Structuring the policy formulation and
implementation process such that government
operations can benefit from the advice of
professionals is seen to be an important issue
affecting bureaucratic performance.
Better bureaucratic performance is associated with
greater power and autonomy of agencies to
formulate policies, good career opportunities in the
public sector and good pay of public servants.
(meritocracy)
Countries with a merit-based bureaucracy perform
better, have lower corruption and higher efficiency in
their service delivery, and provide a better
framework for the private sector.
Structural concepts central to bureaucrac
Structural concepts central to bureaucracy are:
A well-defined division of administrative labour
among persons and offices.
A personnel system with consistent patterns of
recruitment and stable linear careers.
A hierarchy among offices , that the authority and
status are different.
Formal and Informal networks that connect
organizational actors to one another.
Examples of Bureaucracy
Government
Armed Forces
Corporations
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs)
Hospitals
Courts
Ministries
Social Clubs
Sports Leagues
Professionals and Academic Institutions
Factors that affect Effectiveness of Bureaucracy
Size: This includes the employment of an extremely large
workforce, income generation levels , and a wide range of
cliental services.
Variety of skills and knowledge: this involves large
organizations who have human resources at their disposal
with a variety of professional,technical,mamagerial and
administrative skills
Communication link: agencies act as a communication link
between political elites, public servants and the general
public.
Factors that Prohibit the effectiveness of Bureaucracy
Change in demands: agencies that were initially established
to deal with. For example simple system tax collection and law
and order maintenance. However new, more complex
demands are constantly being made as the developmental
paradigms shifts at the local, regional and international levels.
Income as opposed to output orientation: includes
employees of the public services and other state bureaucracies
tend to be more concerned about increases in their income.
Shifts in bureaucracies power: public servants are faced
with the recurring problems of dispensing with programmes
and policies when governments change.
Advantages of Bureaucracy
Hierarchical authority enables effective decision making and effective
coordination.
Bureaucratization results in more efficiency than inefficiency.
Clear status distinctions and related rights and responsibilities
Management by rules promises control and consistency
Clarity in communication.
Specialization of sub-units promises accountability, control and
expertise.
Disdvantages of Bureaucracy
Disdvantages of Bureaucracy
Multiplication of administrative functions
Vertical structure
Many levels of Management
Much paper work and routine (redtape)
Impersonal officials working to a fixed routine without
necessarily exercising intelligent judgment
