Orginal Discussion Post Question: Government organizations often seem more bureaucratic than for-profit organizations. Could this partly be the result of the type of control used in government? Explain.
Instructions: You are to engage (react/respond) to a minimum of at least one (1) of your peer's Forum responses. These responses should be at least 500 words each in length and at least one (1) scholarly reference. Students are encouraged to review the articles, etc. used by fellow students. Where you see an opportunity to pose a challenging question, please do so! Be sure to state what you consider are the strengths and weaknesses of their argument and why this might or might not influence you to change your own answer.
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My classmate's discussion post that needs a response:
Government by definition is an organization of bureaucratic agendas and groups. It is government that decides and sets laws and enforces those laws and policies that most other businesses must follow. The idea of a bureaucracy has its high points of course. They're most known for being apart of the local, state and federal government structure based on the overall size of each government organization. The free dictionary defines a bureaucracy as an, "Administration of a government chiefly through bureaus or departments staffed with nonelected officials" (thefreedictionary.com, 2016). Of course, any business organization can be of a bureaucratic nature as well. The free dictionary goes on to say that a bureaucracy is also, "Management or administration marked by hierarchical authority among numerous offices and by fixed procedures" (thefreedictionary.com, 2016).
Bureaucracies tend to make things extremely hard and yet well run in the government spectrum. It is essentially a well-formed business structure that has been practiced enough that it works with ease. Many apart of the informal fourth branch of government are usually non-elected and make up the bigger part of the backbone of the government spectrum. It was Max Weber who came up with the idea of what a solid and ideal bureaucratic organization would look like and run as. It is an effective idea on paper. UShistory.org writes, "According to Weber, model bureaucracies have the following characteristics:
A chain of command that is hierarchical; the top bureaucrat has ultimate control, and authority flows from the top down
A clear division of labor in which every individual has a specialized job
Clearly written, well-established formal rules that all people in the organization follow
A clearly defined set of goals that all people in the organization strive toward
Merit-based hiring and promotion; no granting of jobs to friends or family unless they are the best qualified
Job performance that is judged by productivity, or how much work an individual gets done
Weber emphasized the importance of the bureaucracy in getting things done and believed that a well-organized, rational bureaucracy is the secret behind the successful operation of modern societies" (ushistory.org, 2016).
That being said however, bureaucracies do not always work the way they appear to work on paper. In a government organization, it's easier to enforce them by nature. In a regular business, it's hard to keep up to these standards. For example, not every job has a defined set of duties to follow and maintain. Not all goals are properly laid out and given out to employees. Job performance is not always measured by the quantity of work accomplished, or just by the quality. Regular day to day businesses, in my opinion are much more disorganized and chaotic when it comes to structure. Not every business is perfect and can't be sustained for a long amount of time. It was Weber who believed that bureaucracies could be used in business however. Richard Daft writes, "Although Weber perceived bureaucracy as a threat to basic personal liberties, he also recognized it as the most efficient possible system of organizing. He predicted the triumph of bureaucracy because its ability to ensure more efficient function of organizations in both business and government settings" (Daft, 2013).
The type of control exercised in government bodies is stricter and more ridged than normal every day businesses. In everyday business, keeping a hierarchy can be difficult and keeping every task completed with strict job duties can be hard to achieve. It can provide structure that some organizations may be looking for however. According to author David Ingram, "Top-level managers in bureaucratic organizational structures exercise a great deal of control over organizational strategy decisions, which is ideal for business owners with a command and control style. Strategic decision-making time can be shorter in a tall organizational structure, since less individuals are involved in the process. Standardization and best-practices are often highlights in companies with tall organizational structures, ensuring that work is consistently completed efficiently and effectively" (Ingram, 2016).
I believe it works better in a government setting strictly because of the overall need for those departments. They do the groundwork, the overall work that is funneled up into the government structure. It could be described as a business structure, however it doesn't necessarily have the makings of a true business structure that could be here one day and gone the next. As Ingram once again writes, "Bureaucratic structures can discourage creativity and innovation throughout the organization. No matter how ingenious a business owner is, it is virtually impossible for a single individual to generate the range of strategic ideas possible in a large, interdisciplinary group. Front-line employees may receive less satisfaction from their jobs in a rigidly bureaucratic organization, increasing employee turnover rates. Organizations bound by rigid controls can also find themselves less able to adapt to changing conditions in the marketplace, industry or legal environment" (Ingram, 2016).
References:
Bureaucracy. (n.d.). Farlax. Retrieved August 01, 2016, from https://www.thefreedictionary.com/bureaucracy
Daft, Richard L. (2013). Organizational Theory & Design, 11th Ed. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning (ISBN - 13: 978-1-111-22129-4)
Ingram, D. (n.d.). What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of a Bureaucratic Organization Structure? Small Business Chronicles. Retrieved August 01, 2016, from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-disadvantages-bureaucratic-organization-structure-2761.html
The Bureaucracy: The Real Government. (n.d.). Independence Hall Association. Retrieved August 01, 2016, from https://www.ushistory.org/gov/8.asp.