Post- Weberian Development and Post-Weberian Views

Max Weber

Post-Weberian Development

This topic includes the views which are in negation to the Weberian views and at the same time, those views have come up with certain alternative ideas. Post-Weberian Development is not necessarily a single set of view or a single theory or a single theoretical development. It includes a group of developments which not only has negated the Weberian view but also came up with the alternative ideas.

Weberian Development refers to certain characters relating to the traditional overview of administration.

1.      Politics-Administration Dichotomy

2.      Rigid Hierarchic Structure

3.      Top Down Communication

4.      Authority by Position

5.      Mono-motivational Analysis

6.      Mechanistic Orientation

Post-Weberian Views

1.      Humanistic View- Humanistic theorists rejected the mechanistic and rigid view of the administration or management. They argued in favour of a more social-psychological view of the organization.

2.      Public Choice Perspective- They rejected the bureaucracy and said that Weberian view is monocratic, monopolistic and mono-centric. They emphasized on methodological individualism and institutional pluralism with overlapping jurisdiction.

3.      Critical Theory- This theory is developed by the German School of Thought. It is otherwise also known as the Frankfurt School of Thought. The principle proponents of this school of thought are Jurgen Habermas, Clauss Offe etc. This particular theory has been highly critical of the Weber’s bureaucracy. It rejected weber’s bureaucracy as being rigid, top-down, means oriented and thereby, based on organizational rationality. For administration to be efficient, it is required that it should be based on democratization, humanization, free flow of information, systemic rationality, Thematization etc.

4.      The paradigm of Governance-Weberian approach emphasizes on a single actor paradigm and the importance of government officials, but the paradigm of governance emphasizes on a multiple-actor approach.

5.      Normative Concerns or Discretionist View- This is also referred to as a value-laden approach. The Weberian developments are primarily instrumental in nature because it emphasizes on the use of tools and techniques with an emphasis on efficiency and economy. But, if we take into account developments like NPA or New Public Service Approach or digital era governance, all these concepts emphasize on a value-laden or welfare oriented approach. New Public Service approach has been developed by theorists like Dehadt and Denhart. The publicness of the public administration must remain intact. It must not give up its welfare orientation.

6.      Marxist Interpretation of Bureaucracy- It rejected the Weber’s positivist and universalistic view on Bureaucracy. It emphasized that the bureaucracy is an instrument in the hands of the haves to protect and promote their interests.

7.      Phenomenological Analysis- This can be considered as a part of the humanistic approach. As an approach, it rejects the Weberian view or administration considering that under the Weberian administration, every act is considered as a part of the completed act while every act within the organization is an act in progress. Every act is constructed or reconstructed through the perception of the individual or individual undertaking the action.

8.      Situational or Contingency Theory- Discussed earlier.

9.      Post-Modern Administration- Discussed earlier.