Milissa Jordan
Weber describes seven major characteristics of the idea-typical bureaucracy. After understanding these characteristics, I thought about where I work and how it could be considered a bureaucracy. I work at Old Navy on State Street downtown and it fits every characteristic Weber gave.
Starting with the first one which states an organization of offices is bound by rules. This means an office, in this case the store, abides by rules and company policies. At Old Navy, we must show ID and sign in upon arrival to start your shift. Also, we are not allowed to chew gum while servicing customers. These are just a few rules every employee has to obey or there are consequences.
The second characteristic is offices have special tasks. Every employee is assigned a floor and is either assisting customers with the items we sell or they are checking people out at the registers. Managers may do these same tasks, but they also are in charge and make sure things are completed before the end of their shift.
Weber’s third characteristic is that offices are hierarchal. Sales associated and cashiers do what the managers ask of them or tell them. It is rare for a manager to ask an employee to do a certain job, pertaining to the job description, and the employee does not obey because eventually this could mean unemployment for the associate.
The fourth characteristic that offices carry special qualifications also holds true at Old Navy. Most of the managers have either a bachelor’s degree or higher, and or years of managing experience. There are also things employees must learn. For example, Old Navy trained us heavily on good customer service skills and being able to sell the product and also be knowledgeable about different styles of clothing offered.
Staff does not own office or supplies is the fifth characteristic of a bureaucracy. No one owns the building where Old Navy resides. In fact, the reason they moved to another location was because the lease was up. This further drives home the point that they do not own the building. We also do not own any of the clothing in the store or the mobile POS’s, which are iPods used to ring up customers so they can make their purchase quickly and be on their way. If we happen to take anything from the work place, be it an article of clothing or a pen, it would be against the rules and could lead to termination of your position.
Weber states the sixth characteristic as the incumbent is not allowed to appropriate the position. In layman’s terms this just means that the employees are replaceable. This is very true for Old Navy. My job as an associate is very easy and does not require a whole lot, so it is very easy to bring in just about anyone and train them on Old Navy’s policies and work ethic. This makes every employee, including managers, replaceable in this bureaucracy.
And last, Weber states that administrative acts, decisions and rules are formulated and recorded. When I was first hired, I received a handbook of the company’s policies and rules. I was expected to know these and refer back to it if I had questions. We also get evaluated on our performance by the managers and every one of them is documented.
Weber describes seven major characteristics of the idea-typical bureaucracy. After understanding these characteristics, I thought about where I work and how it could be considered a bureaucracy. I work at Old Navy on State Street downtown and it fits every characteristic Weber gave.
Starting with the first one which states an organization of offices is bound by rules. This means an office, in this case the store, abides by rules and company policies. At Old Navy, we must show ID and sign in upon arrival to start your shift. Also, we are not allowed to chew gum while servicing customers. These are just a few rules every employee has to obey or there are consequences.
The second characteristic is offices have special tasks. Every employee is assigned a floor and is either assisting customers with the items we sell or they are checking people out at the registers. Managers may do these same tasks, but they also are in charge and make sure things are completed before the end of their shift.
Weber’s third characteristic is that offices are hierarchal. Sales associated and cashiers do what the managers ask of them or tell them. It is rare for a manager to ask an employee to do a certain job, pertaining to the job description, and the employee does not obey because eventually this could mean unemployment for the associate.
The fourth characteristic that offices carry special qualifications also holds true at Old Navy. Most of the managers have either a bachelor’s degree or higher, and or years of managing experience. There are also things employees must learn. For example, Old Navy trained us heavily on good customer service skills and being able to sell the product and also be knowledgeable about different styles of clothing offered.
Staff does not own office or supplies is the fifth characteristic of a bureaucracy. No one owns the building where Old Navy resides. In fact, the reason they moved to another location was because the lease was up. This further drives home the point that they do not own the building. We also do not own any of the clothing in the store or the mobile POS’s, which are iPods used to ring up customers so they can make their purchase quickly and be on their way. If we happen to take anything from the work place, be it an article of clothing or a pen, it would be against the rules and could lead to termination of your position.
Weber states the sixth characteristic as the incumbent is not allowed to appropriate the position. In layman’s terms this just means that the employees are replaceable. This is very true for Old Navy. My job as an associate is very easy and does not require a whole lot, so it is very easy to bring in just about anyone and train them on Old Navy’s policies and work ethic. This makes every employee, including managers, replaceable in this bureaucracy.
And last, Weber states that administrative acts, decisions and rules are formulated and recorded. When I was first hired, I received a handbook of the company’s policies and rules. I was expected to know these and refer back to it if I had questions. We also get evaluated on our performance by the managers and every one of them is documented.