Linda

Weber develops a theory of the forms of legitimate domination in society (rational, traditional and charismatic forms of domination), which roughly define the bases of the legitimacy of power/influence in a given society and condition the types of organizations to be found within each of these types of domination. He then argues that bureaucracy is the organizational form developing within the framework of the rational form of domination and proceeds to give an ideal–typical description of bureaucracy, that is, a highly formalized and hierarchical form of organization characterized by the predominance of written rules and procedures, formalized tasks, precise definitions of competence, clear lines of subordination, the explicit separation of ownership and management responsibility, and the merit principle as the only legitimate route of access to the different functions in the organization. He sees the unifying dynamics at work, pushing towards the development and generalization of bureaucratic organizations as they are both legitimate and more efficient and the roots of this greater efficiency essentially in the fact that the arbitrary imposition of power and the resulting interpersonal conflicts are limited by written rules and procedures which allow for more rational, foreseeable, and standardized execution of tasks.