Bureaucratic and Non-Bureaucratic Organisation Comparison

The Style of bureaucratic organisation has totally different structure as compare to the non-bureaucratic organisations. The bureaucratic style is preferable due to its technical style of administration. But for new, small and/or medium size organisations, no bureaucratic style is most popular.

Here are comparisons between these two:

Suitability

Bureaucratic style is more suitable for large organisation but for new small and medium size organisation the non-bureaucratic style is more suitable

Utilisation of Human resources

In the non-bureaucratic, human resources departments are more effectively and efficiently used by the organisation than bureaucratic styles.

Creativity and Innovation

As the non-bureaucratic organisations is more flexible environment so the more chances o creativity and innovation is in non-bureaucratic as compare to bureaucratic organisations. (Stamm V B: 2008),

Operational control

Bureaucratic organisations distribute control command for operations. Meanwhile in non-bureaucratic organisations, there is a centralised command of control for the operations of the organisation.

Time Saving

Bureaucratic organisations have a very long chain of command. As such, when a higher authority gives an order from top to down level, it takes more time to communicate. By contrast, direct orders from non-bureaucracies come from the higher authority to the subordinates. The goal here is to deliver a spontaneous response. Ultimately, it takes less time, allowing for devotion of more time to work.

Motivational level

The level of motivation is very high in non-bureaucratic style. This owes to the fact that direct orders come from the top level. Additionally, a higher level gives more rewards and appreciation to the subordinates directly. Alternatively, in a bureaucratic style, the top level rarely communicates directly to the subordinates. (Sapru R.K: 2006)

Structure

Non-bureaucratic structure is more volatile as compare to the bureaucratic structure.

Communication and policies and procedures

In bureaucratic there is a poor level of communication; non-bureaucracies’ level of communication and passing information from top to down is much quicker and faster. However, bureaucracies use written documents of policies and procedures. Thus, if any problem comes they can resolve it by using that policies and procedures while it is absent in non-bureaucratic organisation.

As in bureaucratic organisations there are more policies and procedures that employees follow. They feel no freedom and the work environment lacks the motivation of a non-bureaucratic organisation: where people are more motivated and more efficient to make the organisation more successful.

Preferred Organisation

As discuss earlier that the non-bureaucratic organisation style is more suitable for small and medium sized organisation while for higher or big organisations the bureaucratic style is more suitable. While I have seen that in non-bureaucratic style the flexibility of work, communication from top to down and motivational level of the employees are high so they chase easily chase the goal of the organisation. However every organisation has its own style and structure and it is not easy to decide for a particular organisation which structure is best for them.

After critical analysis I will choose non-bureaucratic style because the motivational factor involved in it is the main point for my organisation and as motivation brings innovation and creativity in the organisation.

As in 1995, Herzberg says:

“During work the different factors which motivate people and different from those which create dissatisfaction.

“The factors which are usually involved in doing the job related to job satisfier while the factors which define the job context usually relates the job dissatisfies.“

Non-Bureaucratic Advantages and Disadvantages

Every organisation has its own style and every style has its own advantages and disadvantages. So these are as follows.

Advantages of Non-Bureaucratic Organisation

Non bureaucratic organisation style is more flexible and easy to adopt the changes in any organisation. As the authority has direct communication to the subordinates so the fast communication makes the response quicker and efficient. There is no long chain of command which saves the time and efficient use of human resources at its potential.

Employees are more motivated by rewards and appreciation by the higher authorities directly which bring the innovation and creativity in any organisation as the decision and working environmental are more flexible so more quicker to adopt the global changes which keeps the employees more responsive and responsible to chase the organisational objectives.

As there is no long hierarchy so any employee can be given work without any time limit and position burden. So the employees can take their own initiatives and make decision in order to complete the task without waiting the higher authority permission.

Disadvantages of Non-Bureaucratic Organisation

The main disadvantage is that the structure is very informal there are not any hard and fast rules, policies and procedures in the written form. There is lack of standardisation so the problems arise in the organisation on the same issues cannot be solved so the workforce are involved to put their input to solve the problem.

As the centralisation of command of control make the employees to depend only on the top authority or single person to fulfil the operations or tasks of the organisation. However every new small and medium organisation will look forward to be expanding in the future so this non-bureaucratic style should be changed into the bureaucratic style in order to handle the tasks and operations of the organisation in more effective and efficient way. Due to the absence of proper procedures and policies in the written form sometimes it’s very hard for the organisation to fulfil the requirements.

Conclusion

According to me the non-bureaucratic style has some edge over the traditional bureaucratic style as it is more flexible and easy to adopt changes in this modern style of era. Although every organisation has aits own structure according to its requirements and size. Although the non-bureaucratic has some disadvantages like lack of standardisation and absence of written policies and procedures but still it is suitable for the small and medium size organisations.

However while choosing the style of an organisation it’s all depend on the nature and size and the main operations which is carried out by the organisation. At the end every non-bureaucratic is turn into bureaucratic as it grows and capture more market shares. So in the start of any new business the non-bureaucratic style is the norm. As it expands, there are more written rules, policies and procedures which employees should follow in order to:

• solve the problems and to;
• attain the major objectives and goals of any organisation.

This is a world of changes and the future is uncertain. So there should be some sort of innovation and creativity in the organisation and its workforce should be satisfied with their work level and responsibilities. Thus the main purpose is to purse the organisation’s objectives and goals whether it is bureaucratic or non-bureaucratic in style because both have their own advantages and disadvantages.