Max Weber's Vision for Bureaucracy

This volume examines Max Weber's pre-World War I thinking about bureaucracy. It suggests that Weber's vision shares common components with the highly efficient Prussian General Staff military bureaucracy developed by Clausewitz and Helmuth von Moltke. Weber did not believe that Germany's other major institutions, the Civil Service, industry, or the army could deliver world class performances since he believed that they pursued narrow, selfish interests. However, following Weber's death in 1920, the model published by his wife Marianne contained none of the military material about which Weber had written approvingly in the early chapters of Economy and Society. Glynn Cochrane concludes that Weber's model was unlikely to include military material after the Versailles peace negotiations (in which Weber participated) outlawed the Prussian General Staff in 1919.

Will hold value for scholars and students across a range of fields including sociology, anthropology, political science, public administration, and business Traces the cultural roots of Max Weber's conceptualization of bureaucracy, presenting historically rich detail Provides an unusual perspective/lens through which to examine Max Weber's concept of bureaucracy

Autorentext
Glynn Cochrane was Professor at the Maxwell Graduate School at Syracuse University, USA, and a World Bank staff member. He is now Adjunct Faculty Member at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

Inhalt

1. Introduction.- 2. Von Moltke's Staff Bureaucracy.- 3. Risk and Scientific Expertise.- 4. Weber's Post-Versailles Bureaucracy.- 5. German Bureaucracy.- 6. Prussian Lessons in Public Health.- 7. Bureaucracy and Society.