Modern Bureaucracies

Paper Summary:

The author of this paper examines the Roman Catholic Church as a bureaucracy based on Max Weber's theory that modern bureaucracies evolved as a result of the Protestant revolution. The author examines the Roman Catholic church in the light of his own experiences as a Roman Catholic and attempts to show that the church, even though existing long before the Protestant revolution, has all the characteristics of modern bureaucracies.

From the Paper:

"But informally, doing volunteer work, people often do multiple jobs, based not in descriptions but in availability and simply as to what needs to be done at any point in time. Promotion may be based on who seems most committed or has had a family member affected by the illness rather than upon experience or passing a test, and people volunteering for a walk-a-thon are not 'professionals.' This twofold structure of professionalism and voluntary association for enrichment or pleasure is also true of the International Association of Administrative Professionals and American Bowling Congress. I joined the first organization to make professional and personal contacts in my field, and the second for leisure, and while my membership and role may not be functional, rule-governed, or defined, the leadership of these organizations is bureaucratic."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Elwell, Frank. (2008). "Universal Structures of Societies." Harris: Social Materialism.Retrieved 15 Feb 2008 at http://www.faculty.rsu.edu/~felwell/Theorists/Harris/SocioMat/infra.htm
• Rollag, Keith. "Bureaucracy (Weber)." Organizational Theory. Babson College. Retrieved 15 Feb 2008 at http://faculty.babson.edu/krollag/org_site/encyclop/bureaucracy.html

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