WHY FOR WEBER IS THE SPREAD OF BUREAUCRATIC ORGANISATION IN MODERN SOCIETY INEXERABLE
“Why for Weber, is the spread of bureaucratic organisation in modern society inexorable?” Weber was born in 1864, 20 years before Karl Marx died. ... Weber completed a series of studies on what was the best way to manage organisations from a managerial point of view. After completing his studies, Weber came up with the notion that bureaucracy was the most efficient form of organisation. He believed “the bureaucratic type of organisational structure would seem to be fixed, permanent and perhaps even necessary feature of modern society” (Marsh 2000:80). Weber believed the emergence of bureaucratic organisations linked into the emergence of a capitalist society and the emergence of rational thought. ... Weber looks at the emergence of increased business activity in order to make profits. Weber and Marx both agree that modern capitalism increases the scale of production. Weber argues capitalism is where people accumulate money, invest money, make a profit and reinvest money in other projects. ... Modern capitalists do not spend their money like aristocrats in traditional societies; they reinvest profits into production to accumulate greater wealth. ... Weber examined the emergence of capitalist societies and discovered capitalism began in Northern Europe in predominantly protestant countries. ... Weber believed that Calvinism dating from the 16th century was critical in developing the protestant ethic. ... Religious ethics explain why capitalism and ultimately bureaucracy did not take off in all countries. Weber believed capitalism was synonymous with rationalisation and the speed of calculation logically organised conduct in all areas of life, leading to the rise of bureaucratic organisations. “The spread of bureaucracy in modern capitalism is both caused and consequence of the rationalisation of action, which has penetrated into all spheres of western culture” (Giddens 1971:183). Weber’s theory of bureaucracy is linked to Weber’s general social thoughts. ... It is seen as the typical form of large scale organisation in modern societies”. ... ‘Power’, according to Weber is “The capacity to achieve one’s ends even over the opposition of others, but power is not always faced with opposition, nor is it always exercised over those who are resentful of and resilient to its imposition. ... Weber believes that historically there have been three different forms of authority, based on different types of legitimacy. ... People do not question why this is the case, and just accept it. ... “Weber argues that this type of bureaucracy will eventually change its form and become routinised or bureaucratised: it will merge with the third and final type of authority he defined – the rational-legal” (Marsh 2000:81) ‘Rational-legal authority’ is when a system of power is obeyed as it is seen as embodying principles through the law. It maintains the power balance between individuals and groups within society.