Bureaucracies: Defining Two Different Types Of Societies

Many societies are dependent on organizations. These organizations include the government, educational systems and the companies that produce for consumers. Contemporary changes can cause issues for organizations, and globalization threatens the stability of many societies. Max Weber studied these organizations, specifically bureaucracies. These are highly rational and efficient organizations composed of many different positions. Each person holds a specific role and must meet the requirements for their assigned position. These offices are ranked in a vertical hierarchy and everything is owned by the company, not individuals. In addition, all matters of importance are documented in writing. Although bureaucracies were intended to be highly rational, at times it can be the opposite. There is a lot of “red tape”, or the rules, those in bureaucracies have to follow to ensure the company isn’t harmed. This includes unnecessary forms to be filled out and the wasting of client’s time. In addition, many interactions at work are never put down in writing. Another down fall is known as the Peter Principle. This describes the phenomena that workers who do …show more content…
The first is gemeinschaft societies. These are face-to-face relations and include families, friends, and small towns. These societies are small, close and intimate interaction is valued. The other type of society is gesellschaft societies and these are impersonal, relationships with minimal social interaction. A lot of times, people will enter into these relationships because they want to gain something from it, rather than for social contact. In the real world, societies are a mix of the two and with the increase in globalization, it is possible to have one big global society. Globalization, however, is a major reason for the increased risk in the world today and the development of a risk