Bureaucracies have several characteristics that include having a particular hierarchy of authority, explicit rules, impersonality, and division of labour. The hierarchy of authority involves the idea that there exist individuals or offices that have relatively higher power than others where the lower individuals or offices are answerable to their superiors. In a bureaucracy, every individual has a specific task to perform, and this leads to what is referred to as the division of labour. The occurrence of rules explains how rules are outlined and standardized for operation. The fourth characteristic alludes to the fact that bureaucracies have the aspect of impersonality which involves an alienation of personal expressions from professional situations.
Some characteristics such as division of labour, the hierarchy of authority, and the existence of rules are important in ensuring that organizations perform their duties in an orderly fashion. All these aspects together increase efficiency, ensure that all people are served equally, and also create equal opportunities for everyone. However, in some instance, the bureaucratic has been proven to hinder the organizational operation, development, and change. The over adherence to the rules and the principle of labour can play a crucial role in leaving the organization behind regarding development. Also, once an organization or a system has employed the bureaucratic style, it can be difficult to adopt change.
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There is an instance where I bypassed an organization hierarchy of authority because I felt that it was time wasting and above all stressful. I wanted to get my identification card replaced, and I was required to follow several preliminary procedures with the junior staffs before finally reporting my case to the person in charge of the matter. However, I found this process stressful and decided to approach the person in charge of the matter who finally assisted me. It was a successful path, but if adopted by everyone it can lead to disorganization and chaos.
