In: Operations Management
1. Using Weber's description of a bureaucracy, what are some of the challenges or tensions between bureaucratic organizational structures within democratic systems of government? Explain.
2. How have technological developments impacted organizations in the public sector in positive ways? in negative ways? What challenges arise due to advances in technology? Do any of the ideas postulated by Taylor in The Principles of Scientific Management apply today? Justify your answer.
3. What are some of the residual elements of the "classical foundations" that are still found in contemporary public organizations? What are some of the positive and negative consequences of these residual elements for contemporary public organizations? Be specific.
1. Any Democracy is being formed by the general people, hence called as “for the people, by the people”.
As per Weber’s description of a bureaucracy, some of the relevant or practical challenges or tensions between the bureaucratic organizational structures within democratic systems of government could be as below-
Interdepartmental rivalry to score brownie point against each other- This is one of the most behavioral challenges where one department would try to outshine the other, to hog all the limelight over it. This is being done to attract the attention from chief of the democratic institution such as President or Prime minister. This attitude leads to the inter-departmental tussles where bureaucrats turn a blind eye towards general public’s needs and grievances.
Use of government money and funds for personal gains- As Government tries to propose several people friendly schemes while allocating required fund for that scheme, Bureaucrats try to use that fund for their personal use, often indulging in the corrupt practices.
2. With the advent of new technologies such as net banking and other applications, now the money is being directly transferred to the receipt’s account without the interference or help of the middleman. These schemes are turning out to be good government tools where efficient Bureaucrats can use these funds judiciously to improve the life of poor and needy people.
In today’s scenario, postulates given by Frederick Winslow Taylor on scientific management is very much applicable. His postulates advocate for devising a mechanism of any challenges through scientific means and addressing the similar challenges in future through past learning.