06/01/2023
Question: Impersonal management, a distinctive feature of Weber's bureaucracy, develops over time into indifference, especially with regard to the weaker sections of society. Discuss critically.
Answer
■ Impersonal management is management conducted through authoritative authority and a system of pre-defined rules rather than personal involvement, feelings and emotions.
■ It forms the most important part of Weber's bureaucracy (which seeks to maximize efficiency).
need for impersonal management
● To ensure equality in treatment of people without any discrimination or hatred.
● To ensure equity and fairness in the functioning of the bureaucracy.
● To create institutional memory/precedents to shape future decision making process.
● Under the legal framework for decision making by logical factors instead of personal factors.
Problems of impersonal theory
It has been argued by some thinkers that Weber's bureaucracy suffers from an inevitable failure in a complex environment (as seen in developing countries) due to indiscriminate and rigid adherence to rules. This indiscriminate and rigid adherence to rules gives rise to 'blind rationality'. Equal treatment of 'unequals' creates more inequality.
In diverse developing societies, there is a need to provide flexibility/autonomy in the functioning of the administrative system.
Weber's bureaucracy operates in a structure in which adequate importance is not given to human feelings, satisfaction, needs and values.
Because of this, the employees do not develop a sense of belongingness towards the organization and they also become indifferent to the needs of the people, which are expected to be fulfilled by the organization.
● Excessive reliance on rules not only ignores the need for dynamism in the system but also hinders initiatives and at the same time stunts the development of employees.
The problem becomes more challenging in the context of treatment of weaker sections as they are unable to present their demands effectively due to the following reasons-
●Lack of awareness and sufficient strength to demand their rights.
● Indifference of government officials.
● Absence of strong expression or pressure group.
●Possibly ignorance of new rules, tools and technologies.
Therefore bureaucracy needs 'systemic rationality' with dynamism on a case-by-case basis.
way forward
The functioning of the bureaucracy should be sensitive to the citizens while being flexible enough to be adapted in the context of dealing with the weaker sections.
■ Substitution of principle based irrational 'Equality' by rational 'Impartiality'.....This principle has been adopted by the Indian Constitution in the form of "Equal Protection of Law" and affirmative action for weaker sections.
Bureaucracy should act as agent of change and should be able to do some “discretionary work” according to the circumstances i.e. they should be ready to introduce some innovative measures instead of creating delay and obstruction in the name of rules
