Is Webers Concept of Instrumental Rationality Useful Today - Essay Example

Is Weber’s concept of instrumental (or formal) rationality useful today? The concept of instrumental rationality that was developed by Max Weber is one which has been discussed for a century and as a result has led to a situation where it still has some relevance to the world today. It is essential to note that instrumental rationality is a concept that seeks to show that the ends of actions are often defined by the practical results, meaning that actions have to be looked at as resulting in multiple ends which should be weighed against each other in order to ensure that both the intended and unintended consequences are measured. The concept of instrumental rationality is still useful in the contemporary world because it allows for individuals to make rational decisions whose aim is to ensure that there the intended results are achieved. The world today is evolving in such a way that there has developed a situation that in almost every action, especially within the organisational perspective, has to be conducted using due process. The development of strict guidelines on how individuals in organisations have to conduct themselves has created a situation where it is rare for leaders to take on arbitrary action because to do so might mean an end to their careers. According to Weber, the traditional forms of authority are being supplanted by a new form of authority based on rational-legality (Grey 2005, p.22). In the past, most authority in society derived from either the charisma of leaders or from the origins of individuals and this in such a way that individuals often inherited their positions rather than earn them. The result was that individuals came to be respected by their followers because they hailed from powerful families or were highly charismatic leaders who could be relied upon to ensure that they fulfilled the expectations of their subordinates while at the same time ensure that the latter fulfilled the leaders’ expectations of them. The world in the twenty first century has embraced a new form of authority where it has become essential for leaders to follow strictly enforced rules which cannot be violated through irrational actions (Mayo 1923b, p.421). Following Weber’s concept of instrumental rationality, authority in the contemporary world has come to be vested in the office instead of the individual, and this in such a way that in an organisational context, individuals end up being loyal to the office of the Chief Executive rather than to the individual occupying the office. Managerial skills have become essential as a measure of success for and individual holding an office of authority within an organisation and it is through this criterion that managers are judged (Bendix 1956, p.287). Success in the contemporary world is no longer based on a manager’s superiority but in the manner through which he is able to deal with the different issues that come about within an organisation on a daily basis. Managers have to get specialised training before taking up their positions; a scenario that is quite different from the one where individuals often got their positions through their personal connections. According to Weber’s theory of bureaucracy, organisations tend to have a highly bureaucratic structure which is designed to ensure their efficient functioning (Wrong 1970, p.141). This is especially the case where there is a hierarchical structure which places individuals in levels of responsibility. In this way, each level of the hierarchy has its own everyday jobs and these are formalised in such a way that all people within an establishment take action in agreement to their stations and are answerable to superiors. Individuals in the bureaucratic setting are expected to be impersonal in the performance of their jobs and this means that they have to be rational at all times; measuring the possible results of their decisions before making them (O’Connor 1999, p.226; Mayo 1923a, 117). All decisions that individuals within such organisations take as well as those of their subordinates makes the former answerable to their immediate superiors. Moreover, the bureaucracy within an organisation contains specialised staff whose task is to ensure that the diverse tasks that ensure smooth operations are accomplished (Merton 1940, p.561). This is a situation that is still prevalent in the modern world where the bureaucratic system has come to dominate organisations. However, the specialisation of staff has created a situation where it is essential for organisations to provide their employees with the necessary training to ensure that they are able to perform their tasks as efficiently as possible. Organisations, despite their bureaucratic nature, have come to give priority to the welfare of their employees and this has been in such a manner that a work environment that is comfortable for them has been created (Mayo 1988, p.99). The creation of a favourable workplace environment has involved an increase in pay, the creation of efficient reward systems, the introduction of teamwork as well as the improvement of working hours. It has been recognised that the treatment of workers is what determines how they perform; making it essential that catering for the welfare of workers has become a part of basic organisational operations. Weber’s concept of instrumental rationality still has relevance in the contemporary organisational context as a result of the way through which workers have been empowered. The empowerment of employees in many organisations has been considered to be an active step towards fostering innovation in a highly competitive business environment where lack of innovation means that organisations might end up collapsing. The development of human resources to cater for the interests of workers has gone a long way in making sure that the problems that the latter face in the workplace are voiced and addressed so that workers can be able to increase their productivity (Bruce and Nyland, 2011, p.386). Therefore, actions that have been taken towards workers are rational decisions taken by management to ensure that it results in an increase in their productivity which in turn translates to achievement of organisational goals. In line with Weber’s instrumental rationality, the bureaucratic system in public administration has in recent year’s undergone tremendous changes which have come about as a result of a need to achieve greater efficiency. This has led to a situation where there is the bureaucratic system has come to only take actions that are justified and are at the least cost to the organisation as possible. Some public administrative functions have been handed over to the private sector in a bid to improve service delivery; bringing about the concept of network governance (Du Gray and Morgan, 2013, p.2). An argument for network governance that has been raised by those who support is states that it enhances the practice of democracy through the provision of means through which the various stakeholders of the society can be able to make deliberations, decisions and the execution of public policies. Networking in public administration has in recent decades led to the creation of very powerful agencies whose main function has been to ensure the better provision of services by the government. The increasing power of these agencies has ensured that administrative units are able to uphold their duties to protect the citizens from being abused by powerful institutions in the private sector. The bureaucratic system that has dominated the world for many centuries has in recent years shown signs of coming to an end. This is mainly as a result of a result of the manner through which governments in the world today are trying to change the means of service delivery so that it does not have to go through a largely inefficient bureaucratic system. Through networking, it has become possible for governments to bypass bureaucracy and work directly with the private sector in such a way that services are not only delivered in a more efficient way, but also cost effectively. In accordance with Weber’s instrumental rationality concept, bureaucracy in the modern world has become obsolete as a result of the manner through which it is structured. Bureaucracies are structures in a pyramid hierarchical command structure, developed during the industrial revolution, which make decision making difficult and ensures that there is little efficiency in governance (Bennis 1966, p.19). However, the contemporary world has come to develop its own means of functioning where the private sector is increasingly taking on the role played by bureaucracy. In conclusion, the discussion above has shown that Weber’s concept of instrumental rationality is still useful today. A reason for this is that the world today is evolving in such a way that there has developed a situation that in almost every action, especially within the organisational perspective, has to be conducted using due process. In addition, the world in the twenty first century has embraced a new form of authority where it has become essential for leaders to follow strictly enforced rules which cannot be violated through irrational actions. Moreover, according to Weber’s theory of bureaucracy, organisations tend to have a highly bureaucratic structure which is designed to ensure their efficient functioning. The bureaucracy within an organisation contains specialised staff whose task is to ensure that the diverse tasks that ensure smooth operations are accomplished. In line with Weber’s instrumental rationality, the bureaucratic system in public administration has in recent years undergone tremendous changes which have come about as a result of a need to achieve greater efficiency. Finally, the bureaucratic system that has dominated the world for many centuries has in recent years shown signs of coming to an end. References Bendix, R., 1956. 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