bureaucracy 1

This one's a bit long, but there's a lot to go through and it didn't seem like a good idea to cut it up.

This video contains the characteristic points of bureaucracy as described by Max Weber in his original writing.

Bureaucracy: an organizational system found in modern societies (and according to Max Weber, characteristic of modernity) marked by certain characteristics. Weber originally argued that the key characteristics of bureaucracy include:
1. Specific jurisdictional areas: specialization and a high division of labor, each office or worker in a bureaucracy has a specific, and often highly specialized set of tasks and area of responsibility.
2. Structured hierarchy: with specific roles, rules for conduct, and procedures associated with each level in the system. Power resides in the position, not in the individual.
3. Record keeping: all work is closely associated with written records, and record keeping constitutes a primary area of activity within the bureaucracy.
4. Training: specialized training and skills are strictly associated with each level of power and position through the organization.
5. Professionalization and career orientation: bureaucracies differ from other, historical forms of organization in that they require "the full working capacity of" workers. Work in a bureaucracy is a full time occupation and a life long career and occupies the majority of a person's time.
6. General rules: conduct within a bureaucratic organization is governed by general rules that are stable, learnable, and applicable to all, regardless of position.

See also 'bureaucracy 2' -    • bureaucracy 2