Friday, April 10, 2009

Weber's Rational Bureaucracy in Public High Schools

In this essay, I first define Weber's rational bureaucracy and then I reveal how it appears in public high schools.
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3 comments:

  1. RenaApril 10, 2009 at 3:07 PM

    Rational bureaucracy, according to Weber, is the most efficient means to pursue goals. In its most advanced form it is technically superior to any other form of organization (214), especially patrimonialism. The orientation of bureaucrats to their work as a vocation is definitive of bureaucracy. Six institutional features constitute bureaucracy: fixed official jurisdiction, hierarchy of positions, document based management, expert training, full time officials with a separation of home and work, and management through clear rules. Fixed jurisdiction means the bureaucratic organization has specific duties bounded by rules and qualified personnel (196). Among the qualified personnel there is a set hierarchy of positions in which higher officials supervise lower officials (197). These personnel, especially specialized office management, are trained as experts in their jobs (198). This is extreme specialization. The officials are also full time employees with a separation of work and home. The bureaucracy is managed by files that are kept in their original form (197). Every procedure is governed by paperwork that must be completed in order to complete the process. The bureaucratic office is managed through relatively stable and complete rules, which all the officials are aware of.
    In order to achieve rational bureaucracy a money economy, concentration of the means of administration, roman abstract law, and democracy is needed. A money economy provides revenue to pay salaried employees (204). Bureaucratic officials do not possess access to the means of administrations such as collecting taxes from serfs. Therefore, a stream of money is needed to compensate salaried officials for their full time work (204). Disposing pre-bendal tax farmers from the means of administrations allows its concentration. Roman law provides fixed abstract laws that apply consistently to each person (218-9). Democracy levels social and economic differences that eliminate privilege (224). This is needed to perform administrative functions (224). Everyone is constituted as equal before the bureaucracy; no one obtains special privileges. Democracy eliminates hierarchical order and privilege in administration that was present in patrimonialism (224-5). Bureaucratics are paid professionals not nobles or lords (225).
    Rational Bureaucracy is present in public high schools. They are run by the state, which is a bureaucratic organization, thus they follow a similar model. There is a fixed jurisdiction or a specific area over which the school has authority this is the campus and the students, staff, and faculty on the campus. The jurisdiction is bounded by rules. It possesses qualified personnel such as administrators, security guards, teachers, janitors, and counselors. In pubic high schools there is a clear hierarchy of positions. The school board and the superintendent are at the top, followed by the principal and then vice principles. Teachers have superiority over the students. Even among the students there is a hierarchy. Often higher achieving students will help or lead the lower achieving students in classroom activities. The administrators, teachers, counselors, and other staff are all trained in their specific job. Administrators, counselors, and teachers must obtain specific education to be qualified for their jobs. The security guards and janitors receive specific training from the school before they start work. There is much specialization. Most of the personnel are full time, especially the most important positions. The personnel work outside the home; therefore there is a separation of home and work.
    Furthermore; public high schools are managed through a set of rules. There are state laws, specific school rules, employee contracts, discipline codes, dress codes, and classroom rules. Many of the procedures in the school are managed based on documents and files. The school must fill out paperwork required by the state. Students have to fill out paperwork before coming to the school in the ninth grade. Teachers fill out report cards to give to students. This manages the progress of students’ education through the levels of highs school and permanently documents their achievement. Public high schools are a great example of rational bureaucracies.

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  2. KoreanKenApril 12, 2009 at 2:30 PM

    hey Rena, your way of describing rational bureaucracy in your institution is very similar to mine (military). It seems like all the six institutional features are found in your institutions, but it would have been great and more interesting how those officials, i.e. professors, are appointed, if they have a sense of tenure for life and career. Also, I see the clear separation of home and work that you mentioned above, but don't some personnel, professors in general have to also work at home in order to finish up grading tests and papers?

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  3. Justin TaApril 12, 2009 at 6:56 PM

    Rena,
    I think bureaucracy applies very well to your institution. The six institutional features of bureaucracy can be found in public schools. However, there are different types of bureaucracies at different levels. For instance, the high school itself is part of a local bureaucracy, (the district), which is separate from a higher bureaucracy (the state).

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