...to Max Weber, legal rational authority is the most rational type of authority. In this understanding, key concepts to the task at hand will be defined and discussed; after which a brief background of Weber and the three types of authority will be given. The essay will then proceed to show how legal rational authority is the most rational type of authority by highlighting its advantages and disadvantages then comparing it with the other forms of authority and then a fitting conclusion will be given at the end. The term legal is defined as means based on or required by law, the term rational means based on or in accordance with reason or logic and the term Authority refers to the power or right to give orders and enforce obedience (Collins, 2011). Thus Max Weber defined legal rational authority as the type of authority which rests on the grounds of a belief in legality of normative rules and the right of those elevated to authority under such rules to issue command (Basu, 1994). Legal rational authority is the type of authority that rests on legally established impersonal order, rule of law and not humans (LeMay, 2002). Legal rational authority has also been defined as authorities found in organizations were rules are applied judicially and in accordance with ascertainable principles valid for all members in the organization (Prasad, 1991). Weber (1864-1920) was a German sociologist, who laid emphasis on the three types of authority thus traditional authority, charismatic...
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...According to Weber, authority is power accepted as legitimate by those subjected to it. These three forms of authority are said to appear in a "hierarchical development order". States progress from charismatic authority, to traditional authority, and finally reach the state of rational-legal authority which is characteristic of a modern liberal democracy. However in this paper, we will try to agree with Max Weber’s statement that, legal – rational authority is the most rational type of authority, while giving reasons to our argument. In English, the word 'authority' can be used to mean power given by the state (in the form of Members of Parliament, Judges, Police Officers, etc.) or by academic knowledge of an area (someone can be an authority on a subject). The word "Authority" with capital "A”, refers to the governing body upon which such authority (with lower case "a") is vested ( Arendt, 1961: 53). However, authority is often used interchangeably in governments with the term "power". However, their meanings differ. Authority refers to a claim of legitimacy, the justification and right to exercise power (Spencer, 1970: 258). For example, while a mob has the power to punish a criminal, for example by lynching, people who believe in the rule of law consider that only a court of law to have the authority to order capital punishment. Max Weber, in his sociological and philosophical work, identified and distinguished three types of legitimate domination that have sometimes been rendered...
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...LEGAL AUTHORITY Lynette Ann Simmons Introduction to Legal Analysis and Writing PA 205-0731-1008-01 August 5, 2013 Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397 (1989) PA 205: Introduction to Legal Analysis and Writing, Unit one, Assignment 1). The case study references section 42.09 (a) (3) of the Texas Penal Code. The statute prohibits the desecration of a venerable object. 2). Legislative 3).The passage discusses the court case that involved State V. Johnson (Gregory Lee Johnson). 4). The three courts that heard this case: 1). Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (most authority) 2). Texas Court of Appeals 3). Dallas County Criminal Court (least authority) 5).Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397 (1989) 6). The Texas statute was struck down since the Supreme Court ruled it was inconsistent with the First Amendment. 7). Statutory laws are laws passed by sending a bill by passing it through a legislative body. Statutes are created when original court cases are heard and ruled upon. Case law is created by rulings that are a result of examining statutes. Case law can either uphold the original statute or strike it down. Case law turns out to be an interpretation, or a “second look” at statutes, determining whether or not they uphold the U.S. Constitution. Statutes can be either struck...
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...Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.......................................................................................... 1 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 1 2. BUREAUCRACY AND RATIONAL-LEGAL AUTHORITY......................... 2 3. CORNERSTONES OF BUREAUCRACY ......................................................... 4 4. DYSFUNCTIONS OF BUREAUCRACY ........................................................... 5 5. RELEVANCE FOR COTEMPORARY ORGANISATIONS .......................... 6 6. CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................... 7 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................. 9 Executive Summary The label “Bureaucracy” today is not quite what any organization wants to have written on their flags. Everyone has their own experiences and feelings associated with this term and in most cases it has a negative connotation. A quick view through current media will confirm this. However bureaucracy, as conceived by Max Weber originally, was regarded as progress and something that can improve efficiency and stability within an organization. Organizations can draw upon the pioneering work of Max Weber even today. While displaying certain dysfunctions that are directly linked to strict bureaucracies...
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...convicted of multiple counts of sexual abuse of children. Sandusky would victimize his victims through his charity organization, The Second Mile. The Second Mile was a charity designed to help disadvantage boys from dysfunctional and broken homes but instead Sandusky had other plans. How rare and valuable can good leadership be in a Beuarcracy? Why didn’t leadership at Penn State take action for Sandusky’s behaviors? Using Max Weber’s Beauracracy Theory in this paper I will discuss organization behavior and what could have or should have been done to avoid the situation. How rare and valuable can leadership be in a Beuaracracy? Based off of Max Weber, he believed that a B was a type of administrative structure developed through rational-legal authority. Weber felt that the most important problem was not inefficiency or mismanagement but the increased power of, officials. (quote) His main view of a B was the system based on discipline. A Buearactic organization can be considered rational and that leads to efficiency. Efficiency in an organization comes through rationality and predictability of behavior. (quote) In a higher B such as a form of government everyone knows the consequences for his or her actions, which actually becomes action that is undertaken. Although B is good to have, there are also advantages and disadvantages within an...
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...SUBJECT: - SOCIOLOGY TITLE OF THE PROJECT: - POWER AND AUTHORITY RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: - The researcher will have a doctrinal approach towards the Project. Information for the Project will be collected from Books, Journals and Internet. ACKNOWLEDGMENT This Project couldn’t have been successfully completed without the support and guidance of our Sociology Professor, M. Lakshmipati Raju Sir and we would like to express our immense gratitude to him for his constant support and motivation that has encouraged us to come up with this project. Lastly, we would like to thank our classmates for their whole hearted support at all times during the course of the Project. Thanking You Rahul Kr. Dubey CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………..4 2. WHAT IS POWER?.......................................................................................................5 A. THE EMERGENCE OF POWER…………………………………………6 B. THE DIVISION OF POWER……………………………………………..9 3. WHAT IS AUTHORITY…...…………………………………………………………9 A. POLITICAL AUTHORITY……...………………………………………11 4. THE DEMOCRATIC CONCEPTION OF POLITICAL AUTHORITY………..….15 5. THE RELATIONSHIP AND DISTINCTION BETWEEN POWER AND AUTHORITY…………………..............................................
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...Organization conflict resolution Lecture 6 Date: 2 December 2013 1 Learning Objectives 1. 2. 3. 4. Understand the nature and sources of organizational conflict Know the mechanisms to obtain power, influence decision making and resolve conflict Identify sources of organizational power and tactics for playing politics Evaluate the costs and benefits of organizational politics 2 What is Organizational Conflict? • • • • Stakeholders compete for the resources that an organization produces. Shareholders want dividends, employees want raises. An organization must manage both cooperation and competition among stakeholders to grow and survive. All stakeholders have a common goal of organizational survival, but not all goals are identical. 3 What is Organizational Conflict? • The clash that occurs when the goaldirected behavior of one group blocks or hinders the goals of another Some conflict can actually improve organizational effectiveness – Can overcome inertia and lead to learning and change • 4 Cooperation and Competition Among Stakeholders 5 What is Organizational Conflict? • Beyond a certain point, conflict becomes a cause for organizational decline – Conflict leads to inability to reach consensus and indecision – Too much time spent on bargaining rather than acting rapidly to resolve problems • On balance, organizations should be open to conflict and recognize its value 6 Relationship Between Conflict and Organizational Effectiveness ...
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...AUTHORITY, DELEGATION AND DECENTRALISATION What is an authority? Authority is the cement of organisation structure in which various units of organisation are integrated. Without authority a manager cesses to be a manager. It is the authority that gives managers power to act. Authority is glue that holds organisation together. It is impossible to have an organisation unless some persons have the authority to command action of others. The word Authority is derived from the Latin word “auctoritas” meaning invention, advice, opinion, influence, or command. In English, the word 'authority' connotes power given by the state or by academic knowledge of an area (someone can be an authority on a subject) Weber defined domination (authority) as the chance of commands being obeyed by a specifiable group of people. Legitimate authority is that which is recognized as legitimate and justified by both the ruler and the ruled. Authority sometimes refers to;- 1) The Institutionalized and legal power inherent in a particular job, function, or position that is meant to enable its holder to successfully carry out his or her responsibilities. 2) An agency or body created by a government to perform a specific function, such as environment management, power generation, or tax collection is an authority. 3) Judgment of a court or judicial opinion quoted in support of a legal argument. In management field, the concept authority can be defined as:- 1. The right to guide and direct the actions...
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...Definitional activity (covering Power, Authority, and Legitimacy) There is no universally accepted view of power. Some authors have defined power as domination over others (Hobbes, 1651) while others defined it as a passage to achieve goals (Parsons, 1963). Some look to where power lies to define power from where power lies in the hands of many, this can be seen as Pluralism (Dahl, 1957) to where power lies in the hands of a few, this can be seen as Elitism (Pareto, 1935) but essentially it is the ability to do something For example, in the UK system, there are many accounts of both Elitism and Pluralism but realistically, we live in an Elitist state. The definition of authority is based on the power or right to act in a particular way and to influence others. To excise authority, consent is needed. Some may argue that there are three types of authority: charismatic authority, traditional authority and rational-legal authority (Weber, 1958). It can be argued that authority is used to excise social control (McLaughlin, 2008) and even that we, as humans, need authority in order to live (Seligman, 2003). An example of authority in the UK system could be the Prime Minister, as he has the power to “give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience” (Collins English Dictionary, 2009). The definition of legitimacy has many forms and shapes but some may argue that it derives from something that is right and proper. “Legitimacy has both a normative and a sociological meaning” (Keohane...
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...SUBJECT NAME: Public Administration Question: According to max Weber, legal rational authority is the most rational type of authority. Do you agree with this statement? Give reasons for your answer. The aim of essay is to discuss legal rational authority commonly known as bureacracy. It high lights why legal rational authority is the best way of authority for any professional run organization. The essay also highlights some of the problems of legal rational authority and the solutions that can make it more flexible in communication and decision making Legal rational authority according to Webber was the most rational and most stable of authority. Formal rules and regulations legitimize this authority. People obey orders of the ruler not because they are loyal but because rules and laws stipulate so and must be obeyed Legal rational authority also known as the bureaucratic authority is the form of leadership in which the authority of an organization or ruling regime is largely tied to legal laws. Legitimacy is seen as coming from legal order, meaning the authority follows and obeys the laws that have been enacted and enforced by government. Rationality means the basis by which sound decisions are made by proper reasoning instead of acting on intuition or influence Legal rational authority is the best type of authority reason being unlike these other types of authority, legal rational authority is management based on a formal structure with set rules and regulations which makes...
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...Journal of Business Ethics (2008) 77:431–449 DOI 10.1007/s10551-007-9358-8 Ó Springer 2007 The Dark Side of Authority: Antecedents, Mechanisms, and Outcomes of Organizational Corruption Ruth V. Aguilera Abhijeet K. Vadera ABSTRACT. Corruption poisons corporations in America and around the world, and has devastating consequences for the entire social fabric. In this article, we focus on organizational corruption, described as the abuse of authority for personal benefit, and draw on Weber’s three ideal-types of legitimate authority to develop a theoretical model to better understand the antecedents of different types of organizational corruption. Specifically, we examine the types of business misconduct that organizational leaders are likely to engage in, contingent on their legitimate authority, motives, and justifications. We conclude by suggesting managerial implications of our theoretical model and propose directions for future research. KEY WORDS: authority, bureaucracy, corruption, opportunity, motivation, justification, types of organizational corruption, weber, white-collar crime The issue of corruption has been gaining increasing importance in today’s world. The World Bank has singled out corruption as the largest obstacle to economic and social development, and in our search of the word ‘corruption’ in article headings in The Wall Street Journal in 2004, the word appeared 496 times. Much evidence also suggests that corruption is as ancient as disloyalty and...
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...Authority, as with discipline, can have different meanings, and the meaning of “authority” is dependent upon the context in which used for. For example: * The power or enforce obedience * Delegated power * A person whose opinion is accepted because of expertise. The independent police complaints commission The IPCC was formed in 2004 as a result of the police reform act 2002. It replaced the police complaints authority as the independent body to oversee completes, against the police in 43 police services in England and wales. It currently comprises 15 commissioners, who are appointed by the home sectary for a period of 5 years, and a team of independent investigators. Each team of investigators is headed by a regional director in each of its four regions, covering England and wales. The IPCC carries out investigations into serious allegations of misconduct by serving police person. These include allegations of: * Serious or organised corruption * Against senior officers * Involving racism * Of perverting the course of justice. HM chief inspector of prisons Her majesty’s chief inspector of prisons is another independent body which reports to the sectary of state for the ministry of justice on the condition and treatment of prisoners in England and wales. Its authority is given under section 5A of the prisons act 1952 and by section 57 of the criminal justice act 1982. The inspectorate is appointed by the home salutary for a period of 5 years...
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...bases of power, the concept of authority must also be considered. These two are interconnected attributes tied to the behavior of superiors over subordinates. In their article, "Are There No Limits To Authority?", David Knights and Darren McCabe explain that "power should be understood to be a condition of social relations. Thus, it is erroneous to ask who has power. Instead, it is necessary to explore how power is exercised." In turn, the nature of how power is exercised is a workable definition for authority. In short, authority and power are intertwined, with power being the ability to do things or have others do what one has ordered while authority is the foundation on which that power is built. STYLES OF LEADERSHIP Three different styles of leadership were identified by Kurt Lewin, renowned social scientist, in 1939: authoritarian, democratic, and laissez-faire. His results indicated that the democratic style is superior to the other two styles. Attributes of each style are out-lined below • The authoritarian makes all decisions, independent of member's input. The authority figure dictates direction, leaving members in the dark about future plans. The authority figure selects which members will work collaboratively and determines solely the work tasks for the teams. This leader type is very personal in his praise and criticisms of each member, but does not actively participate with the group, unless demonstrating to the group. The authority figure is friendly and/or...
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...Leadership and the use of Power to Achieve Social Change Daniel William Chappell Dallas Baptist University Leadership and the Use of Power to Achieve Social Change Introduction The United States changed forever on November 4, 2008. Anyone watching a television on this important evening knew that everything had changed. Barak Hussein Obama had just been elected the 45th President of the United States of America, and he represented the first African American to ever win this office. To many the election was a fulfillment of Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream for social and political equality for African Americans. Still others, including the newly elected President, reached back to Lincoln. President Obama would also, invoke the founding fathers, giving credit to the social experiment that democracy is and thus hinting to the efforts of Washington and others. The days that followed the Obama election would be filled with symbolism leading to the concert on the steps of the Lincoln memorial, and the day of service, called by the President, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. the day before inauguration. The election of President Obama seemed to have brought full circle the experiment of democracy. The dreams of the founding fathers were present, the echo of Lincoln’s consequential Presidency were present, and certainly the dreams and speeches of Dr. King were front and center in this cultural moment. Yet the cultural moment represented so much more than a continuum...
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...avoid putting the competitive edge at risk and ensure the profitability of products on a long term. For the company this vision is quite important because the firm is able to direct its innovations in terms of choice of strategies and investments. The profitability of businesses within the industrial structure depends on the following forces: Competitive rivalry within the industry; Threats of new entrants; Threats of substitutes products; Bargaining power of customers; Bargaining power of suppliers. Golden Rules 6th force = Often the model is adjusted with a 6th force, the public authorities. This is important because the law and the norms can influence each of Porter’s 5 forces. Key factors for success = The key success factors of the environment have to be identified. To have a competitive advantage some strategic elements should be controlled. Threats of new entrants Public Authorities Bargaining power of suppliers Competitive rivalry within the industry Bargaining power of customers Threats of substitute products © Copyright 2008 LUXINNOVATION G.I.E., The National Agency for Innovation and Research in Luxembourg 1/2 Porter’s 5 Forces Analysis = Suppliers, Customers, New Entrants, Substitute Products, Competitors Structure of Porter’s 5 Forces Analysis The competitive rivalry within the industry The competition between firms determines the attractiveness of a sector. Companies are struggling to maintain their power. The competition changes based...
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