ETYM Bureau + Greek kratein to be strong, to govern, krateros strength: cf. French bureaucratie.
Nonelective government officials; SYN. bureaucratism.
Government by permanent officials; officialdom.
Organization whose structure and operations are governed to a high degree by written rules and a hierarchy of offices; in its broadest sense, all forms of administration, and in its narrowest, rule by officials.
The early civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, and India were organized hierarchically, thus forming the bureaucratic tradition of government. The German sociologist Max Weber saw the growth of bureaucracy in industrial societies as an inevitable reflection of the underlying shift from traditional authority to a rational and legal system of organization and control. In Weber's view, bureaucracy established a relation between legally enstated authorities and their subordinate officials. This relationship is characterized by defined rights and duties prescribed in written regulations.
Contemporary writers have highlighted the problems of bureaucracy, such as its inflexibility and rigid adherence to rules, so that today the term is often used as a criticism rather than its original neutral sense.
In a rapidly changing business environment, organizations that can be less bureaucratic and more flexible will often gain a competitive edge. However, too little bureaucracy can lead to chaos, with employees working at cross purposes and their activities not being focused on clear objectives.