This article highlights on meaning of bureaucratic leadership, its characteristics, advantages and disadvantages as well as its difference from autocratic leadership.
.jpeg) |
| Image by Bureaucratic Leadership (Explained in 3 Minutes) - 3 Minute Psychology |
What is bureaucratic leadership?
Bureaucratic leadership a type of leadership that follows hierarchical structure whereby leaders lead by following the rules and procedures of an organization. It involves clearly defined roles, responsibility and expectations to each members of a team. While, decision are made by the leaders and passed down to lower level members through chain of command.
You can also read: 10 Management Styles For Effective Leadership (Pros, Cons, When to use them) And Factors Influencing Management Styles
Characteristics of bureaucratic leadership
While each leadership style has its distinctive characteristics, these are the characteristics of bureaucratic leadership style.
- Rules and regulations: In bureaucratic leadership, leaders follow established rules and regulations to lead their teams.
- Specialization and division of labour: This leadership style also involves departmentalization and assignment of roles and responsibilities basing on skills and competence of the team members.
- Impersonality: It focuses much on performance of an organization rather than individual's contribution.
- Formal hierarchy structure: It has a chain of command whereas responsibilities, roles and expectations are clearly defined for each level of authority.
- Efficiency: It focuses on maximizing productivity and efficiency by setting clear rules, procedures and responsibilities.
- Centralized Decision-Making: Decisions are made by leader and passed down to lower employees through chain of command.
- Impartiality: Involves equal treatment to all members without favouritism.
You can also read: Democratic Leadership Style: Meaning, Characteristics, Advantages And Disadvantages
Advantages of bureaucratic leadership
There are various benefits of using bureaucratic leadership style. Below are advantages of bureaucratic leadership style.
Clarity:
In bureaucratic leadership, the roles, responsibilities and expectations are clearly defined to each employee in an organization, this can reduce ambiguity.
Efficiency:
The established standard rules and procedures as well as the division of labour and specialization can lead to increase in productivity and efficiency in an organization.
Standardization:
The rules and procedures in bureaucratic leadership style ensure accomplishment of tasks in the required standards and quality.
Equal and fair treatment:
Since leaders follow rules and procedures, there is little or no chance for favouritism and discrimination.
Stability:
Since rules and procedures remain unchanged, this provide stable working environment.
You can also read: Laissez-faire Leadership Style: Meaning, Characteristics, When to use, Advantages and Disadvantages
Disadvantages of bureaucratic leadership
Below are the disadvantages of using bureaucratic leadership.
Discourages creativity:
The strict rules and regulations may discourage freedom of work that can also stifle creativity and hinder personal growth in a team.
Inflexibility:
Since rules and procedures remain constant, it is very difficult teams that uses this style to adapt to changes.
You can also read: Transformational leadership: Meaning, elements and traits of transformational leader
Bureaucratic vs autocratic leadership
In bureaucratic leadership, leaders make decisions basing on the established rules and procedures of an organization, but also there is a chain of command and levels of authority that leaders need to follow when making decisions. While, in autocratic leadership, leaders are free to make decisions on their own without being guided or limited by organization's rules and procedures.
You can also read: Transactional leadership style: meaning, characteristics, advantages and disadvantages
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg&description=Bureaucratic leadership style: meaning, characteristics, advantages and disadvantages){kind=link}
0 Comments