Bureaucratic Structures and Hierarchies

Legal rationalism and division of labor

The need for efficient order led to the development of bureaucracy as a rational-legal system of institutional structure.

Originally conceived as an agent to save organizations from chaos, bureaucracy is governed by formal rules and procedures that clearly define the responsibilities of each position.

A distinctive element is the division of labor, which specifies precisely the activities and duties of each role within the chain of command.

This model emphasizes that technical competence and the exercise of knowledge-based control are the features that give rationality to the entity.

In a well-functioning bureaucracy, each member possesses the necessary expertise for his or her position and is aware of how his or her work fits into the overall vision of the institution.

The use of organizational charts to define positions

The formal structure of an organization is visualized through organizational charts, which act as a "photograph" of the entity and allow the public to understand its size and responsibilities.

There are general organization charts that show the strategic (board of directors), managerial and middle management levels, making it possible to identify who makes decisions and who executes them.

On the other hand, the specific organizational charts detail the heads and operational positions of each department, delimiting the vertical lines of hierarchy and the horizontal lines of cooperation.

The correct definition of the job position within these graphic representations is vital for the professionalization of the company, since each box describes the functions and responsibilities that generate value and dynamize the institutional activity.

Summary

Bureaucracy emerged as a rational-legal system designed to save organizations from chaos. It is governed by formal rules and procedures that clearly define assigned responsibilities.

This model emphasizes division of labor and technical competence as features of rationality. Each member must possess the necessary expertise for his or her position within the chain.

The structure is visualized by means of organizational charts that delimit vertical lines of hierarchy and horizontal lines of cooperation. This makes it possible to identify who makes the decisions and who executes the tasks.