Bureaucracy Knots and Tape

Organizing a business requires the manager to set up and follow basic steps to have smooth operations and simultaneously keep relations with the public. What about the government?

Government is a much larger organization and part of utilitarian organizations such as universities, unions, farm organizations, various government agencies and bureaus to address everyday tasks that are or may be vital to issues and needs of the people. These organizations and managing officials, are expected to maintain and follow policies set down by the leadership.

Developing formal operating and administrative procedures are used to process, standardize and make efficient use of time and human resources. A social structure aka a bureaucracy, develops that is made up of a hierarchy of people with specific titles, duties, strict rules and procedures that creates a division of functions and authority. A problem that arises is that they lose touch with the realities of their organization goals and this red tape, obstructs or prevents delivery of services or public adminstration.

Statements have been voiced with a common negative image of bureaucracy, such as ;

– Government official is a person who is too self-important and preoccupied to solve problems.
– He or she, dodges responsibility by hiding behind office rules and procedures
– Problems don’t get resolved.
– The low-level official takes no responsibility
– A line of people sit waiting for answers
– Bureaucrats are insensitive to the people.

The other problem with bureaucracies is that not all people will have the interests of the organization in mind. They may enter the office hoping to learn and/or eventually gain political power or influence and enter counter-productive organizational policies. There may be more management departments than people working therefore producing slow and very little results. Control and power become goals and in the wrong hands can be damaging to the organization and leadership. Monies get spent that could be effectively used helping goals of the organization and the public, rather than in the pockets of management.

Strategies are being developed to get corporate organization goals back on track with work groups, employee and/or public participation and ownership incentives. Government offices may use oversight mechanisms such as unscheduled audits and administrative procedures against suspect bureaucrats but are they truly, using it enough? Should the public have some sort of mechanism in place?

Large organizations may be a necessary part of the national landscape whereas others may be sucking the finances out of our nation’s wealth. Annual, quarterly reviews or major overhaul of policies could also be done. Accountability refers to one taking responsibility for their actions and a quality highly valued in our leaders. What about those without the goals of serving the people?

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