Bureaucratization of My Life - Essay Example

The Bureaucratization Of My Life
Bureaucracy has many advantages when applied to large organizations since it organizes the system of an institution or business. On a personal level, I have continually experienced the benefits of a bureaucratic system through my experience here at Prince George Community College as a student. However, the bureaucracy has also its weaknesses even though Weber asserts that it is an "ideal or pure " form of organization. This paper would be stating the advantages and disadvantages of bureaucracy based on my personal experience here at PGCC.
One of the characteristics of bureaucracy is the division of labor. It was designed so that people are specialized in their performing their tasks. In the school's case, only the Registrar is knowledgeable about school records and academic requirements; thus, the admission officer cannot make any academic decisions on admissions without the Registrar's comment about student's records. In a way, this is very beneficial because we know that people assigned to do their jobs are focused on a specific task. Because of this, students have trust in the integrity an credibility of their school records.
A disadvantage of division of labor is that may take some time to get information since the Registrar can be overwhelmed by many records that have to be evaluated. Also, if that person is not around, the admissions officer would not be able to help students with their requests. Lastly, a person who is overspecialized in the performance of their duties may not be able to see the implications of their decisions on the overall organization.
The second characteristic of a bureaucratic system is written rules and regulations. These rules and regulations are part of the school policies so that students would be able to follow clearly what is expected of them. Rules also help in maintaining social order as well as provide clear-cut directions to students especially to those who are new. Students easily navigate the learning experience offered to them by the school by sticking to the written rules. The administration is aided by such written rules in the effective management of the school.
A disadvantage of this characteristic is that rules are quite rigid. Students are people too and their overwhelming academic requirements put pressure on their lives. Some deadlines cannot be met so professors must understand the situation. There are also rules that were written a long time ago which does not fit a dynamic learning environment anymore. Although is a school is a bureaucratic system, it must also be the leader in innovation and change since it leads society towards the future through the learning process.
The third characteristic is Impersonality. A bureaucratic system is objective and people assigned to do their duties are impersonal in their attitude. Weber thought this was good so that people can easily perform their routine and stick to the tasks being performed. The school staff assists students regardless if they are academic performers or not. There is no discrimination as the school staff perform their duties by rendering service to all students regardless of race, creed, color or even financial status.
Unfortunately, impersonality and objectivity have its drawbacks. What I am pointing out is that since a bureaucratic system is impersonal and objective ( Weber, 1947) the situation of an individual is overlooked since the rules have to be followed. Regardless if one has been sick and cannot submit on time, the student can be given a failing grade despite the circumstances. In conclusion, bureaucracy is practiced inside PGCC and it has its advantages; however, it also has its disadvantages since a school system is not a perfect organization.
Weber, Max. ( 1947) The theory of social and economic organization, ed. And trans, by A. M. Henderson and Talcott Parsons (New York: Free Press,1947, pp. 329-333). Read More