Max Weber was a German sociologist that defined a bureaucracy as a rational-legal authority that operates under formal rationality. Rational-legal authority is based on rules according to principles meant to achieve the highest amount of efficiency and stability. Formal rationality is described as rationalization through laws and regulations to meet specific ends. The ideal types of a bureaucracy are as followed: office governed by rules, of a hierarchical order, with specific tasks and technical qualifications, written regulation, the understanding that works do not own the means of production, and staff can be replaced but the position stays. The importance of ideal type characteristics of bureaucracy is meant to showcase how large forms of authorities operate in small offices as to efficiently run a system. Weber emphasis that bureaucracies are “escape proof” and that once they are created they are hard to destroy (Weber 126). The thought of a bureaucracy is indestructible is both an advantage and a disadvantage because although a bureaucracy wants authority to last forever, a simple setback can cause the bureaucracy to lose control over its authority.
An example of an everyday bureaucracy is the United States Postal Service. The postal service is a rational form of authority that uses rules and regulations to efficiently deliver mail to citizens thought the country. Although the postal service is independent from the government, the government regulates policies, measures, and monetary rates of mail delivery. Also the government’s regulations upon the postal service indicate a hierarchal order within the system that allows for higher offices to structure the functions of lower offices. The Postal service also had a set of offices with employee workers that meet specific qualification to do specific tasks, like mail carriers, mail handlers, and clerks. The postal service is governed by rules that regulate worker policy and mailing procedure. Much like other types of bureaucracies, written regulations within the postal service system are documented for employed staff to follow. With this system, there is also an understanding that the means of production are not own by the workers and that positions are always present and that workers of that position can be replaced. The United States Postal Service is a bureaucracy in the sense that it’s composed of an extensive system to deliver mail in a quick, proficient manner. The postal service’s delivery schedule, mailing rates, post office stations, and Forever stamps standardize what consumers are to expect form the mailing service. All these aspects of the postal service meet Weber’s ideal type characteristics of bureaucracy.
It could be argued that, although the postal service meets the characteristics of an ideal type bureaucracy, it is not a secure, stable bureaucracy due to technological advances in communication and lack of federal direction. Since the postal service is a federal agency with financial characteristics as a business, it depends on government to set regulations. Recently the Postal Service has announced that it will no longer deliver mail on Saturdays as way to compensate for financial problems and lack of legal initiative. It has decided that limiting weekend mail delivery will benefit the consumer more than raising mailing rates. The postal service’s plan to cut back on mailing distribution demonstrates ways in which bureaucracies deal with problems. Since the government, a high level of hierarchy, can’t proposal a way to combat the postal services financial problems, the postal services has decided to act within their level of hierarchy deal with their financial troubles. This act taken by the postal service has cause different reactions from government. Although there isn’t a written regulation that states that mail must be delivered six days a week, some government officials see this Saturday mail delivery cut as lack of quality service while others see it as a common sense move.
The future of the United States Postal Service depends on how the agency and legislation will work together to resolve the financial problem without causing major harm to their workers and citizen’s views on the postal service. The current problems the postal service is face reflects on the idea that once a bureaucracy is create its hard to destroy but at the same time a single problem can cause the bureaucracy to lose control of its authority.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-usa-postalbre9150kx-20130206,0,3330848.story
An example of an everyday bureaucracy is the United States Postal Service. The postal service is a rational form of authority that uses rules and regulations to efficiently deliver mail to citizens thought the country. Although the postal service is independent from the government, the government regulates policies, measures, and monetary rates of mail delivery. Also the government’s regulations upon the postal service indicate a hierarchal order within the system that allows for higher offices to structure the functions of lower offices. The Postal service also had a set of offices with employee workers that meet specific qualification to do specific tasks, like mail carriers, mail handlers, and clerks. The postal service is governed by rules that regulate worker policy and mailing procedure. Much like other types of bureaucracies, written regulations within the postal service system are documented for employed staff to follow. With this system, there is also an understanding that the means of production are not own by the workers and that positions are always present and that workers of that position can be replaced. The United States Postal Service is a bureaucracy in the sense that it’s composed of an extensive system to deliver mail in a quick, proficient manner. The postal service’s delivery schedule, mailing rates, post office stations, and Forever stamps standardize what consumers are to expect form the mailing service. All these aspects of the postal service meet Weber’s ideal type characteristics of bureaucracy.
It could be argued that, although the postal service meets the characteristics of an ideal type bureaucracy, it is not a secure, stable bureaucracy due to technological advances in communication and lack of federal direction. Since the postal service is a federal agency with financial characteristics as a business, it depends on government to set regulations. Recently the Postal Service has announced that it will no longer deliver mail on Saturdays as way to compensate for financial problems and lack of legal initiative. It has decided that limiting weekend mail delivery will benefit the consumer more than raising mailing rates. The postal service’s plan to cut back on mailing distribution demonstrates ways in which bureaucracies deal with problems. Since the government, a high level of hierarchy, can’t proposal a way to combat the postal services financial problems, the postal services has decided to act within their level of hierarchy deal with their financial troubles. This act taken by the postal service has cause different reactions from government. Although there isn’t a written regulation that states that mail must be delivered six days a week, some government officials see this Saturday mail delivery cut as lack of quality service while others see it as a common sense move.
The future of the United States Postal Service depends on how the agency and legislation will work together to resolve the financial problem without causing major harm to their workers and citizen’s views on the postal service. The current problems the postal service is face reflects on the idea that once a bureaucracy is create its hard to destroy but at the same time a single problem can cause the bureaucracy to lose control of its authority.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-usa-postalbre9150kx-20130206,0,3330848.story