The terms bureaucrat and bureaucracy have negative connotations. They bring to mind long, difficult forms; standing in long lines; and encounters with inflexible and unsympathetic clerks. The simplest requests are tangled in red tape, the paperwork that slows down accomplishment of an otherwise simple task. Despite this popular perception, bureaucracy is necessary for big governmental agencies to operate. Show
All bureaucracies share similar characteristics, including specialization, hierarchical organization, and formal rules. In the best circumstances, these characteristics allow a bureaucracy to function smoothly. Specialization Workers in a bureaucracy perform specialized tasks that call for training and expertise. Trained personnel can accomplish their jobs efficiently. The downside of specialization is that bureaucrats often cannot (or refuse to) "work out of class" — that is, take on a task that is outside the scope of their job description. Hierarchical organization The structure of a bureaucracy is called a hierarchy, a succession of tiers from the most menial worker in the organization to the highest executive. Each level has clearly defined authority and responsibilities. Formal rules Bureaucracies function under formal rules. These instructions state how all tasks in the organization, or in a particular tier of the hierarchy, are to be performed. The rules are often called standard operating procedures (SOP) and are formalized in procedures manuals. By following the rules, bureaucrats waste no time in making appropriate decisions. There are contradictions in the operation of a bureaucracy, however. The narrow focus on special expertise may blind a bureaucrat to a flaw in the performance of a task. Compounding the problem may be the bureaucrat's inability to recognize the problem if it occurs in an area outside the bureaucrat's expertise. The hierarchical structure also prevents a democratic approach to problem-solving. Lower-level staff find it difficult to question the decisions of supervisors, and executives and managers may be unaware that a problem exists several rungs down the organizational ladder. Browse our library of free, high-quality articles, templates, and tutorials. Technical KnowledgeAccess our extensive knowledge base of articles and self-study guides to master corporate finance. Advance Your CareerWe’ve compiled these resources with the sole purpose of helping you advance your career. In our career guides section, you’ll find our interactive career map which provides a detailed overview of the various jobs in corporate finance — including how to get hired, how much money you can earn, and what the long term path is. In our technical knowledge section, you’ll have access to hundreds of articles and self-study guides on important finance topics that will enhance your financial analysis skills. The Excel toolkit combined with the templates section will arm you with industry-leading best practices to produce world-class financial modeling. Finally, you’ll want to explore our full online course offering to get certified and move up the ladder! Home
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> hierarchy of authority Definition of Hierarchy of Authority(noun) A clear chain of command found in organizations. Hierarchy of Authority PronunciationPronunciation Usage Guide Syllabification: hi·er·ar·chy of au·thor·i·ty Audio Pronunciation Phonetic Spelling
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ReferenceConnell, R. W. 1987. Gender and Power: Society, the Person, and Sexual Politics. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. Works ConsultedGriffiths, Heather, Nathan Keirns, Eric Strayer, Susan Cody-Rydzewski, Gail Scaramuzzo, Tommy Sadler, Sally Vyain, Jeff Bry, Faye Jones. 2016. Introduction to Sociology 2e. Houston, TX: OpenStax. Oxford University Press. (N.d.) Oxford Dictionaries. (https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/). Wikipedia contributors. (N.d.) Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. (https://en.wikipedia.org/). Cite the Definition of Hierarchy of AuthorityASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition) Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “hierarchy of authority.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved October 5, 2022 (https://sociologydictionary.org/hierarchy-of-authority/). APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition) hierarchy of authority. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/hierarchy-of-authority/ Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition) Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “hierarchy of authority.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed October 5, 2022. https://sociologydictionary.org/hierarchy-of-authority/. MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition) “hierarchy of authority.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 5 Oct. 2022. <https://sociologydictionary.org/hierarchy-of-authority/>. What is the hierarchy of authority?hierarchy, in the social sciences, a ranking of positions of authority, often associated with a chain of command and control. The term is derived from the Greek words hieros (“sacred”) and archein (“rule” or “order”). In modern societies, hierarchical organizations pervade all aspects of life.
Is hierarchy of authority a characteristic of bureaucracy?Bureaucracies. Bureaucracy is an organizational model characterized by a hierarchy of authority, a clear division of labor, explicit rules and procedures, and impersonality in personnel matters.
How does a hierarchy of authority work?Hierarchy is a way to structure an organization using different levels of authority and a vertical link, or chain of command, between superior and subordinate levels of the organization. Higher levels control lower levels of the hierarchy. You can think of an organizational hierarchy as a pyramid.
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