For further analysis of delegation and empowerment, we need to understand the concept of power itself. In bureaucracies, work is simply done by following preset procedures. Leadership doesn't usually have to impose power, in fact power is granted to employees to choose the best available choice (decision-making) cohering with the rules and regulations. Most discussions on power often incorporate the five categories of the social power identified by the psychologists John French and Bertram Raven (1959). These five classic types of power include reward, coercive, legitimate, referent, and expert. Reward, a source of power is based on a person's ability to control resources and reward others; while the target of this power must appreciate these rewards. Coercive power is as the name suggests, related to fear. The person with coercive power has the ability to inflict punishment on another or threaten to warn them of an undesirable outcome. The legitimate power source originates from the internalized values of the opponent that give a legitimate right to the agent to influence them. The referent power comes from the desire on part of the opponent, to identify with the agent's wielding power. They desire to identify with the powerful person, regardless of the outcomes. The expert power is based on the point to which others attribute knowledge and expertise to the power holder. Experts are perceived to have knowledge or understanding only in certain specialized areas.
A debate on Power would essentially include the basis and sources of power. The basis of powers is the attributes, skills or simply the source of power that allows a senior official to influence the behavior of his subordinates. In a typical bureaucracy, the source of power is very often the position power or the legitimate power. "Progressive" bureaucracies are usually defined by the power of expertise. And, the most common power-base is persuasion which is applied over a subordinate. In cases of opportunity, the power usually becomes coercive or persuasive in nature.
Bureaucracy Concerns
According to Weber (1976), the attributes of modern bureaucracy include its "impersonality, concentration of the means of administration, a leveling effect on social and economic differences and implementation of a system of authority that is practically indestructible." Some concerns with regards to bureaucracy were identified by Weber as:
The historical and administrative reasons for the process of bureaucratization (especially in the Western civilization)
The impact of the rule of law upon the functioning of bureaucratic organizations
The typical personal orientation and occupational position of a bureaucratic officials as a status group
The most important attributes and consequences of bureaucracy in the modern world." (Wikipedia)
Components of an Organization
After having scrutinized the bureaucratic power structure and its efficacy, we need to establish a modus operandi for its implementation into human service organizations. First of all we have to assess the areas requiring an overhaul. Any organization is normally composed of following pragmatic facets (Tapscott, 1993).
Structure (hierarchical or networked)
Scope (internal or external)
Resource focus (capital or human)
State (static or dynamic)
Personal Focus (managers or professionals)
Key Drivers (reward or commitment)
Direction (management commands or self-management)
Basis of action (control or empowerment to act)
Individual motivation (satisfy superiors or achieve team goals)
Learning (specific skills or broader competencies)
Basis for compensation (position in hierarchy or accomplishment)
Relationships (competitive or cooperative)
Employee attitude (detachment or identification)
Dominant requirements (sound management or leadership)
Restructuring and Reengineering
Bureaucracy as discussed at length is a form of organization characterized by a rational, goal-directed hierarchy, impersonal decision making, formal controls, and subdivision into managerial positions and specialization of labor. Bureaucratic organizations are tall consisting of hierarchies with many levels of management. In a tall structure, people become relatively confined to their own area of specialization. Bureaucracies are driven by a top-down or command and control approach in which managers provide considerable direction and have considerable control over others. Other...
However owners of this people were highly prohibited to mistreat them as it was against the customary law of the community to do so. The following is the list of the title given to different people in Lao community depending on their job and duty performed in the community. Huu muang (transl. "ear of the muang") - head of foreign affairs, diplomat Taa muang (transl. "eye of the muang") - scholar, wise
UK Mental Health Policy Mental healthcare service delivery in the UK has been subjected to a series of significant imperative policy in the last few decades, and number of people suffering from mental illness is on the increase. Recent statistics reveal that one out of four people in the UK has been diagnosed of mental problem. (Mental Health Foundation, 2013, Singleton, Bumpstead, O'Brien et al. Meltzer 2001). Although, mental disorders are
, 2010). The model includes several mediator (e.g., knowledge exchange) and moderator variables (e.g., self-leadership competencies of actors) that explain why and when this approach is effective and looks at leadership in more of a comprehensive way than focusing on one individual. Such perspectives have suggested that when employees become involved in the decision making processes then this can strengthen leadership. Transactional Leadership Transactional leadership is the leadership model that represents what
In the contemporary business environment, businesses are learned to satisfy their customers, however, they are also required to satisfy their employees. For instance, the Fedex has discovered that there is a statistical correlation between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction. A decline in employee satisfaction leads to a decline in customer satisfaction. It has also been discovered across different industries that employee satisfaction assists in increasing customer satisfaction as well as
Immigration In recent years the issue of immigration has sparked a great deal of discussion. Although America is a nation of immigrants, there is also a deep-rooted belief that people should immigrate to America through the proper legal mechanisms. The purpose of this discussion is to investigate how the agency that governs immigration in the United States functions in its role. The research will focus on several facets of immigration including
The religious organization has other-worldly goals, but must adapt to the demands of this world in order to survive. There are generally two kinds of responses to this problem -- the church response and the sect response. The church response is to adapt at the expense of the goals and the sect response is value-rational-to maximize goal commitment at the expense of adaptation (Satow, 1975). EXAMPLE NATURAL -- Management NEED
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now