MANAGING COMMUNICATION

MANAGING COMMUNICATION

Introduction

Post-bureaucracy refers to management approach that incorporates informal inter-personal relationships by reducing chain of command and formal relationships. It pays attention to the subordinate’s decisions and their opinions leaving them to feel free to show their technical skills and exercise their competence without any limits. Therefore, post-bureaucracy brings the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship among the workers. It’s characterized by hybridity and provides insights into the intrinsic difficulties that are involved in the refurbishment of the large complex organization. As such, the organizational structure a firm chooses is important as it dictates the way individuals interact and how power and control are shared within an organization.

The basic principles of post-bureaucracy are acting strategically by being open to new developments and expecting helpful changes. It reflects an understanding which is trying to remove the distance between workers and their working environment and hence appreciating the flexibility, providing an open system and more effective use of social capital. The fundamental factors post-bureaucracy is the dynamic use of information and shining out of information-based power relationships (Annosi et al 2018).

The contemporary literature on bureaucracy and various forms of post-bureaucratic organizations, it is said that the conventional view of bureaucracy has gradually lost its traditional ideologies and continues to evolve with new methods. It has not been compatible with the more recent and clear images of society, market operations and the world of business (Van et al 2018). As such, post-bureaucracy is not merely a matter of new reform or a minor change in the management style, but a change in the values that governs bureaucracy in society and the relationship among various organs of the government dealings. The core features of post-bureaucratic are things like; Competition analysis, entrepreneurial approach, digitalization of firm processes, networking activities, focusing on leadership layers, etc.

Weber argues that bureaucracy grows because of societal needs like provision of education, health, collection of taxes, social services, and others, and therefore work has to be specialized to achieve the things desired by the society. In this perception, Stillman (2000) quotes Weber and says that “the proper way for bureaucratization on administration has always been in the development of administrative tasks”. The key features of the ideal type of bureaucracy that Weber presents are a division of labor according to technical expertise, the hierarchal order existing, written documents, the full working capacity of the officials, and application of impersonal rules. However, these components of bureaucracy may not, every time assist organizations to reach an ideal work or attain efficient performance but also help in achieving the society needs, Smith, and Haddad (2015).

Work within bureaucracy is divided rationally into group and can be undertaken by individuals or groups of individuals diligently. The hierarchical order is appropriate for separating superiors from subordinates whereas impersonal rules are meant to ensure that bureaucrats are governed by prescribed patterns composed by legal regulations and rules (Williams, 2017). The rules main intention is to facilitate a proper control of subordinates by their superiors, thus limiting the chances of arbitrariness and personal favorism that may be present.

Therefore, one can argue that Weber believes that organizational goals can be achieved if there is a science of administration which is able to separate facts from the values.

Moreover, Weber also believes that bureaucracy is the most rational and efficient organizational structure that has been developed by man. Weber’s bureaucracy “is rational in that it involves control based on knowledge, it has clearly defined spheres of competence, it operates according to intellectually analyzable rules, and it has calculability in its operations.” In the same line, Weber’s “bureaucracy is efficient because it entails precision, consistency of activities, availability of records, rigorous coordination, and ability to minimize interpersonal friction, material costs and personal costs “Individuals interact in networks or groups which carry expectations, rules, norms, and ideals (Rose, 2017).

Post-bureaucratic practices in leadership are extensions and adaptations of bureaucratic lead. Prior democratic ideas and bureaucratic methods have been merged to form the current modern leadership practices (Teo, Josserand & Clegg 2006), which are continuously changing and distancing themselves from the traditional bureaucratic leadership styles. It does away with the subordinate hierarchical layers that are present in an organization. Though there is still ahead of the organization, he/she doesn’t supervise a small group of specialists who each oversee a group of subspecialists and so down through the other layers (Johnson & Szamosi, 2018). Instead, organization leaders oversee people who are not grouped into the permanent specialized department. When a problem that needs to be addressed in a firm arises, the person at the top assembles people from various disciplines who may not become a permanent team.  There is a lot of informal communication and coordination that goes on within a firm under post-bureaucracy management, and so we can say that in post bureaucracy there is a well-functioning bureaucracy.

According to Innocenti  Sammarra, and Profili (2017 ), if a rapid change is needed like reacting to a sudden dramatic mission changes, marketing situations, environment operations or any other sector then a post-bureaucracy gives flexibility and innovation. For example, the tech industry has managed to stay at the top position in the market under the post-bureaucracy management approach. Therefore, works well in some situations than other management approaches.

Another aspect of post-bureaucracy is empowering the human labor of a firm giving all the workers a chance to take the initiative. They give workers principles of guiding action through entrusting them with action freedom instead of enforcing them with inflexible rules and regulations that make them feel excluded in decision making (Penz et al 2017). In a flat organization, it’s not clear how this aspect is accomplished, but the absence of strict rules and the hierarchical structure is assumed to bring this aspect in. Employees in a bureaucracy take the initiative and bring about necessary innovation in a firm.

Conclusion

In conclusion, post-bureaucracy has brought into place modern management approaches that have enabled better firm structures, practices, and processes. Has helped government agencies and large organizations to work effectively and better structural features. When post-bureaucratic approaches are employed, they give an opportunity for direct creativeness and innovations, includes employees in their decision-making and motivates them to use their personal qualities to work forward organizations missions.