SOCA02H3 Chapter : Brym_Ch6.docx
Document Summary
Weber argued bureaucracy is most efficient type of 2ndary group. Case of the challenger space shuttle exploded shortly after takeoff [b/c of o-rings] Idea that bureaucracies are efficient may seem very odd seen as red tape : some engineers knew but info didn"t reach nasa"s top bureaucrats. Bureaucratic inefficiencies can sometimes have tragic consequences. Why against weber"s view: when weber wrote about efficiency of burea, he was comparing w/ older organizational forms. These operated on the basis of traditional practices or charisma of their leaders: weber thought of burea could operate efficiently only in the ideal case. 2 factors underlie bureaucratic inefficiency: size & social structure: # of dyadic relationships = , n is the # of ppl. Possibility of rivalries, conflict, miscommunication as # of dyadic relationships . More level, [head division department] , more difficult communication becomes. Info may be lost, blocked, reinterpreted: heads may have vague idea abt what is happening on the ground .
