Reflection on Max Weber’s Theory of Bureaucracy

Action. I always wonder why people behave like that. Is that something special reason behind the action? After I had read the theories of Weber, I deem that I had got something ideas.

Weber believes that people’s actions are predictable and subjective. He had stated three types of rationality behind people’s action. The first one is Practical rationality which means that we achieve the goal in most expedient way. The second one is that Substantive rationality which means that our actions are guided by certain value. The third one is Formal rationality, the meaning of Formal rationality is that we also choose the expedient way but in rules or restriction. For instance, I take the KMB bus to university because taking KMB bus could enjoy two dollars return in the KMB’s machine which exists in main campus. Furthermore, please let me use fast food restaurant which is closed near us as the example, McDonald’s. When we got less money such thirty dollars and discount coupon of McDonald’s, for Practical rationality, McDonald’s is most cheap fast food restaurant which could fill up your hunger. For Substantive rationality, as I wrote, there is a value causing your action, McDonald’s social responsibility is closely related to environment protection. For Formal rationality, we would rather choose McDonald’s than Burger king because of the discount coupon of McDonald’s, it makes much cheaper, and the discount coupon is rule which guide our actions.

In addition, Weber had pointed Rationalization, the Formal rationality’s reinforcing domination, growing increasingly rationalize, the bureaucracy is ultimate example, in other words, bureaucratization is more specific saying. In rationalization, the people’s action are guided by the unambiguous rules and regulation which means that the errors may not appear so much because following rule is safety way. Also, hierarchically-organized office exists in bureaucracy system, emphasized control from top to bottom in the form of hierarchy, it is convenient to diffuse the power for the inferior subordinate heads or superior. Moreover, the rationalization would causes elimination of emotions. Besides, Weber had discussed two mutually-reinforcing force, Bureaucracy and Capitalism. Bureaucracy and capitalism stress precise calculation of efficiency and cost-effectiveness, impersonal rules and regulations, when Bureaucracy and capitalism are reinforcing each other, it would cause expediting the increasing domination of rationalization.

Not yet, Weber had talked about tensions in rationalization, red tape is the major problem that lots of critics criticize it. Because there are lots of rules and laws need to be followed by workers, it takes much more times to finish the work, in other words, it is insufficient as wasting precious time. Iron cage is also a theory Weber proposed. In details of iron cage, simply, there are few aspects like teleological efficiency, reasonable calculations and controls trap individuals in the system. And I reflected about iron cage, if anything rationalize, the subjectivity may be disappeared, people would be willing try new things anymore and there is no creation. So I deem that is why capitalism instead of bureaucracy.