In Praise of Bureaucracy - Essay Example

Lecturer: Introduction Bureaucracy is a system of government whereby organizational departments are managed by career officials following rigid procedures in a hierarchical distribution of authority. Many organizations apply bureaucratic structures to enhance information flow and effective running of business. Democracy on the other hand is a system of government whereby people are the ultimate holders of power and they bestow it directly or indirectly to leaders through free elections. Even when people have different opinions regarding who to be given the power, democracy requires that the majority have their way. Bureaucracy and democracy are independent in their application to governance but are closely interconnected in a distinctive way. They operate alongside each other but in different directions, with democracy being associated with values such as equality, involvement and independence while bureaucracy supports hierarchy, division of labour and objectivity. This paper discusses why bureaucracy’s relationship to democracy is conflicted. Relationship between Bureaucracy and Democracy Managerial excellence and participation in governance are significant backgrounds of public perception with regards to bureaucracy and democracy. The people’s view of the accomplishments of the public sector influences their democratic ideals for instance confidence in government and its agencies as well as their effective participation in public affairs. Managerial excellence is influenced by human resource characteristics and is interpreted differently by stakeholders among them the public who are the major clients of the government. Bureaucracy is focused on attaining managerial excellence in the public domain to enhance the accomplishments of democratically elected governments (DuGay, 2000). In this view, the two concepts have a strong interplay because the power to elect governments is vested in the people while on the other hand the elected government needs to establish an efficient bureaucratic system to offer services to the public. It requires effective and competent decisions and leadership qualities for the goals of a bureaucratic system to be realised. This includes maintaining high quality workforce established through meritocracy and professionalism. Managers in the bureaucratic system must promote the ideals of the elected government that represents the people. The public expects transparency and accountability in government that is reflected by its employees. Employees are also expected to maintain innovativeness and creativity to effectively solve problems affecting the public. Nevertheless, procedures and organizational hierarchy have to be adhered to in the bureaucratic system (Bridgman, 2007). The public perception of democracy on the other hand conflicts the goals of government bureaucracy as people expect unrestricted participation in the government that they have elected. Democracy calls for public participation in decision making especially with regards to public affairs. Employee participation in decision making is considered in democratic systems to motivate people for improved performance, accomplishment of objectives and organizational competitiveness. Attainment of public sector goals is also considered to be linked to the level of citizen participation in the decision making process (Giddens, 1971). Bureaucracy is viewed negatively by the proponents of democracy as a strategy to prevent the public from seeking transparency and accountability in government. Nevertheless, it is the duty of government to listen to the views of the public and integrate them in the policy making and implementation process and to create awareness of policy decisions. Extreme levels of public participation in the name of democracy in political, administrative and policy making processes may generate conflicts and hence the need for a functioning bureaucracy. Moreover, people’s confidence in government may still decline even when they are allowed to participate in decision making (Ritzer, 2000). A functionally successful bureaucracy has a positive influence on the democratic assertiveness and conduct including trust and confidence in the government, public employees’ motivation and the overall involvement of individuals in public affairs. According to DuGay, (2000), the success of bureaucracy in terms of managerial quality, client satisfaction and effective public participation may be received in the public domain as trust and confidence in the government through a spill over effect that demonstrates the presence of a successful democracy. In other words, when people elect leaders, they form expectations with regards to the new system. This is accomplished through their democratic rights to elect those perceived to represent democracy. If the bureaucracy that develops in the new government succeeds in satisfying these expectations, democracy is considered to be successful and vice versa (Giddens, 1971). The interplay between bureaucracy and democracy is such that the success of each depends on the other. It is necessary to have a highly performing bureaucratic system that combines talents, skills and strategic management to accomplish the goals of the public sector while on the other hand maintaining a successful democracy that is characterised by significant trust in the government by citizens as well as properly coordinated citizen participation in managing public affairs. This can be achieved through a version similar to representative democracy in the bureaucratic system whereby representative groups from the public are engaged in the public administration hierarchy with a voice that is recognised as the representation of the public views (Fournier & Grey, 1996). According to Bridgman (2007), the foundation of bureaucracy is the notion that values are subjectively unique and hence are not open to debate or changes thereby disregarding the importance of morality. Social matters are professionalized through bureaucracy rather than being reflected on a moral perspective. Organizational goals are the considered to be the ends that must be accomplished by means of human relationships. These relationships must be manipulated to enhance effective accomplishment of tasks, contrary to democratic expectations whereby people are considered to have a right to think creatively and independently to achieve the intended goals without manipulation. Moreover, bureaucracy promotes a change in the manner that people view human relations by ensuring that every person fits within the structure thereby depersonalizing its relationship between it and its clients. Even though individuals in a bureaucratic system have the capacity to innovate, they are not as free to do so as they would in a democratic system (Ritzer, 2000). Bureaucratic reasoning is viewed as a hindrance to democratic reforms in the public sector. Democracy demands elimination of philosophies that encourage hierarchies in social organizations as well as complete division of labour. Decision making is significantly prejudiced in bureaucratic systems whereby the thoughts of the lowest people in the hierarchy are given little or no consideration. Internal democracy cannot be accomplished in the public sector due to the extensive hierarchies that often change in to contests of power whereby those at the top of the hierarchy struggle to remain there at all costs regardless of client satisfaction. Democratic ideologies promote reciprocity in the public and support power sharing with regards to decision making whereas bureaucratic reasoning is opposed to challenges that may threaten the maintenance of power (Ray, 1999). The hierarchical system tends to develop dependency of the lower levels to the top levels in the hierarchy. It is therefore common for important information failing to reach everyone in the organization as required in democracy. Any changes initiated from the bottom may not be integrated in the system no matter how prudent they may be. Professionalization of positions in a bureaucratic system ensures unequal power distribution (Bridgman, 2007). Contrary to the democratic values of equality in accessing public resources and equal representation in public affairs, bureaucracy tends to promote equality in a different way that conflicts the existence of democracy. For example, the bureaucracy in public service positions requires certain competences acquired through training and past work experience thereby restricting other people with the capacity to serve but fail to possess these skills. Bureaucracy therefore ends up with trained elites at the top that mainly apply their characteristic professional ethics and specialization to make decisions that affect a population with wide ranging background. Such professionals do not develop broadmindedness and problem solving skills due to the fact that their freedom is restricted by the bureaucratic structure. Problem solving is viewed in a technical perspective that shuns democratic approaches that are likely to promote flexibility in the bureaucratic system. Bureaucracy promotes public’s best interest through ensuring stability of the system and maintaining the status quo. This allows predictability and consistency whereby changes can only occur in line with the system (Fournier & Grey, 1996). Communication in bureaucracy is fundamentally instructive and in a top down style that does not encourage dialogue on issues. Every person in a bureaucratic system understands his/her jurisdiction and the actions that can be undertaken within one’s scope thereby threatening democratic principles. Nevertheless, democracy and bureaucracy are necessary when effectively integrated for the public’s best interest (Ray, 1999). Conclusion Modern bureaucracy is based on managerial excellence and participation in governance that are necessary in the accomplishment of successful governance. Public perception of bureaucracy conflicts governments’ intentions of bureaucratic systems. Proponents of democracy view bureaucracy as a strategy that suppresses active public participation. Successful bureaucracy generates positive public perception with regards to their trust and confidence in the government. There is a strong interdependence in the success of bureaucracy or democracy. Bureaucracy professionalizes social matters instead of them being reflected upon in a moral perspective. Democracy seeks to promote equality and elimination of hierarchies. Democracy on the other hand safeguards public interest through maintenance of stability in the system. References Bridgman, T. 2007, “Freedom and autonomy in the university enterprise”, Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 20, 4, pp.478 - 490 DuGay, P. 2000. In Praise of Bureaucracy, London: Sage Publishers. Print. Fournier, V. and Grey, C. 1996. “Too Much, Too Little, and Too Often: a critique of du Gay’s analysis of enterprise”, Organization, 6, 1, pp107-28. Giddens, A. 1971. Capitalism and Modern Social Theory: An Analysis of the Writings of Marx, Durkheim. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Print. Ritzer, G.. 2000. The McDonaldization of Society, 5th Revised edition. London: Sage Publications. Print. Ray, L. 1999. Theorising Classical Sociology, Buckingham: Open University Press. Print. Read More