Bureaucracy The Links between Bureaucratic Characteristics and Bureaucratic

Bureaucracy The Links between Bureaucratic Characteristics and Bureaucratic Dysfunctions

Trained Incapacity • Trained incapacity occurs when bureaucrats may be unable to see beyond the special requirements of their own jobs to get the “big picture” of what is best for the organization as a whole. • Specialization + Trained Experts = Trained Incapacity • One good example of this occurred during the Cuban Missile Crisis when military officials advocated a military response over a diplomatic response.

Dual System of Authority • At most levels of bureaucracy, professionals are supervised by someone with no specialized knowledge of that profession, leading to conflict between the hierarchical authority of the superior and the expert authority of the subordinate. • Trained Experts + Hierarchy = Dual System of Authority • When a naval blockade was chosen as a response to the Cuban Missile Crisis, Secretary of Defense Mc. Namara was required to order the Chief of Naval Operations that it was not a typical blockade while the officer insisted in instituting the blockade “the Navy’s way. ”

The Rigidity Cycle • Efficient organizations require that personnel are flexible with rules when certain situations arise because organizations cannot predefine all rules that are necessary for organizational success. • Hierarchy + Rules = The Rigidity Cycle • An individual may ignore a problem outside of his or her jurisdiction because rules do not specify whether that individual should respond to the situation.

Goal Displacement • Goal displacement occurs when the rigidity cycle starts to give greater emphasis on the rules rather than the purposes of the organization. • One example of this frequently occurs when police departments focus on the number of arrests or crimes solved than the broader objective of public safety or justice.