Session V: BUREAUCRACY

Peter M. Blau (1918-2002) Bureaucracy is a type of organization designed

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
 To know the importance of the Bureaucracy in the Philippine setting.
 To know the lapses of implementation of Bureaucracy in the Philippines.
 To know the Characteristics of Bureaucracy
 To understand the Characteristics of Philippine Bureaucracy
 To trace the Evolution of Philippine Bureaucracy
to accomplish large-scale administrative tasks by systematically coordinating
the work of many individuals.
Marshall E. Dimock (1903-1991)- “Is reflected in certain specific forms of
organizational behavior: hierarchy, subdivision, specialization, fixed way of
doing things, and professionalization.”

I. BASIC CONCEPTS OF BUREAUCRACY Socorro S. Espiritu (Filipino Sociologist)- “The bureaucratic structures in
The word “Bureaucracy” is derived from the French word “bureau” which institutions are not necessarily confined to political organizations. They tend
means office and the Greek word “kratos” which also means power or to develop wherever it is necessary to coordinate the activities of many
strength. people. Bureaucracy offers both an efficient mechanism for reaching
institutional goals and the danger of allowing the mechanism to appear more
Definition of Bureaucracy: important than the service it is supposed to perform.”
 Bureaucracy refers to a specialized system and processes designed to
maintain uniformity and controls within an organization. Bureaucratic Hierarchy,
processes are most common in large organizations or governments.  Authority and its flow
 Subordination
 “Such a system offers the governed the possibility of appealing the
 It is the collective organizational structure, procedures, protocols, and set decision of a lower office to its higher authority”
of regulations in place to manage activity, usually in large organizations
and government. It is represented by standardized procedure (rule- Division of Labor
following) that guides the execution of most or all processes within the  Specialization
body; formal division of powers; hierarchy; and relationships, intended to  Separation of roles and duties
anticipate needs and improve efficiency.  “’higher’ authority [is not] authorized to take over the business of the
‘lower’”
 A system of government in which most of the important decisions are made Consistency
by state officials rather than by elected representatives.
 Rules regulate all matters “abstractly.”
 i.e. no one is special
 A system of administration based upon organization into bureaus, division  Management
of labor, hierarchy of authority; designed to dispose of a large body of work  Duties
in a routine manner.  The “Governed”

Qualification
Max Weber (1864-1920) - A German sociologist, He developed the
 Training and qualification is the number one requisite.
bureaucratic model of organization which is the most
 How to manage
rational means of carrying out imperative control over human beings.  How to carry out duties
 He propounded the bureaucratic theory of organization and management  Knowledge of the rules
it has influenced a modern thinking lot in these areas.
 The most efficient form of governance, which is could be used most Professional–Private Separation
effective for complex organization-business, government, and military.  The bureau is separate from the “private domicile of the official”
  resources 2. Management by rules
 time  Controlling by rules allows decisions made at high levels to be
executed consistently by all lower levels.
Devotion to Purpose
 Devotion is to your work and role, not to person above you.
 “[official] is not considered the personal servant of a ruler” 3. Organization by functional specialty
 Work is to be done by specialists, and people are organized into units
Advancement / Seniority based on the type of work they do or skills they have.
 The unspoken agreement...
1. you hang around 4. An "up-focused" or "in-focused" mission
2. you climb the ladder  If the mission is described as "up-focused," then the organization's
3. you get taken care of Salary and Pension
purpose is to serve the stockholders, the board, or whatever agency
empowered it. If the mission is to serve the organization itself, and
those within it, e.g., to produce high profits, to gain market share, or
II. Development of Bureaucratic Organizations
to produce a cash stream, then the mission is described as "in-
focused."
Max Weber - Experience tends universally to show that the purely
bureaucratic type of administrative organization – that is, the monocratic
5. Purposely impersonal
variety point of view, capable of attaining the highest degree of efficiency and
The idea is to treat all employees equally and customers equally, and not
is in this sense formally the most rational known means of carrying out
be influenced by individual differences.
imperative control over human beings. It is superior to any other form in
precision, in stability, in the stringency of its discipline, and in its reliability. It
6. Employment based on technical qualifications
thus makes possible a particularly high degree of calculability of results for the
It is must that those who desire to work in government should be
heads of the organization and for those acting in relation to it. It is finally
screened carefullu in order to avoid any liability in the process.
superior both in intensive efficiency and in the scope of its operation, and is
formally capable of application to all kinds of administrative tasks.

Characteristics of Philippine Bureaucracy:

Aquilino Pimentel Jr.
 The Father of the Local Government Code
Vulnerability to nepotism.
 RA 7160 or Local Government Code 1991
Favoring of relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs. Members
 Proponent of Federalism in current Administration
of family groups by consanguinity, by affinity, and by ritual kinship (or
 “By federalizing our country, I believe we will speed up not only the
compadrazgo ) give top priority to family loyalty. Within such groupings, all of
modernization of the Republic, but its development as well,”
them feel that they are under obligation to help each other in a variety of ways.
III. Six Characteristics of Bureaucracy:
Perpetuation of the spoils system.
1. A formal hierarchical structure
The passage of Civil Service Law (C.A. No. 177, as amended by R.A. 144)
 Each level controls the level below and is controlled by the level
has set up, besides classified service, unclassified and temporary positions which
above. A formal hierarchy is the basis of central planning and
have become convenient instruments for the practice of nepotism, of patronage,
centralized decision making.
and of influence peddling (promote an idea or view persistently or widely).

Apathetic public reaction to bureaucratic misconduct.
The almost daily publications of official misconduct become a part of
“normalcy” in the mid 1950’s. The people looked upon the phenomenon as a
concomitant result of the increasing complexity of the government, a method of
political promises to the unemployed and underemployed segments of the
population.
Availability of external peaceful means of correcting bureaucracy.
Devices, such as constitutional rights and privileges – freedom of speech,
freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, civic action – have been used for
rectifying the defects and misdeeds of bureaucracy.
Survival of historical experience.
Centralized in organization, the Philippine political bureaucracy was
administered according to a civil law system which the Spanish bureaucracy
prescribed. Filipinos have used the Spanish political bureaucracy as the scapegoat
for all the weaknesses of the Philippine political bureaucracy. There are
indications, however, that the weaknesses are not to be totally and directly
attributed to the Spanish government bureaucracy.
Non special typing of bureaucrats.
Filipino bureaucrats do not comprise a clear cut social class, thus Filipino
Bureaucratic Organization consists of person with varied family background,
aspirations, educational training and work experiences.
Lack of independence from politics, often called “politization”.
Merit system was easily attacked and tampered by politicians because of
the absence of “class consciousness” and of a feeling of unity on the part of the
Filipino bureaucrats.
Essential instruments of social change.
Philippine Bureaucracy’s function in nation- building will be as big, as
complicated, and as demanding as the function of the whole society itself, in spite
of its weaknesses, it will have to be a tool for innovations.
Evolution of Philippine Bureaucracy:
Important Phases in the Evolution of the Bureaucracy in the Philippines:
A. The Pre-Spanish period - a period of cultural inadequacy, during which the
social and economic foundations for bureaucratic organization and bureaucratic
action had not been developed.
B. The Spanish Regime - centralized the political life of the numerous native
communities in the archipelago.
• Introduced a system of public revenues and public expenditures
• Introduced a social institution: the bureaucracy
C. The Philippine Revolution of 1896 - an attempt by the leaders of the
Filipinos to practice the principles of government which the Spanish regime
consistently professed but could not execute.
D. The American Regime - continued what the Philippine Revolution started.
Thorough reorganization of the bureaucracy was in fact easily accomplished.
• there was much room for innovation
• for the first time, the principle that public office was a public trust was
practiced
E. Japanese Wartime Occupation - conditions during this time disrupted and
corrupted the bureaucracy.
F. The Philippine Republic, 1946-1972
• A strong president, a bicameral legislature and an independent judiciary
comprised the tripartite democratic structure ordained by the Philippine
Constitution of 1935, and carried over into the new Philippine Republic of
1946.
• The US continued to intervene in Philippine affairs. The bureaucracy
assumed the major responsibility for these programs; the civil service continued
to regard itself as an arsenal of means and not the articulator of values.
• The Philippine civil service could be characterized as highly trained and
professionalized even though it continued to be inefficient and ineffective.