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Synonyms

Administrative apparatus; Machine bureaucracy; Organizational structure; Rigid engine

Definition

The “bureaucratic machine” is an organizational structure that is rigidly designed to control, efficiency, and economic effectiveness in distributing public goods and services.

The term “bureaucratic machine” largely operates on the procedures and standardization of the work processes in organizations (Lunenburg 2012; Rauch and Evans 2000). It is a complex decision-making tool in public organizations, which seeks to control and protect the public interest by providing little room for personal discretion. The bureaucratic machine has common characteristics in all forms of organizations although it is more prevalent in government institutions.

The term denotes Weberian sense, strict compliance to rules, regulations, procedures, and guidelines in executing public service delivery. The Weberian view similarly connotes a rule-bound system designed to ensure that public office holders...

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Correspondence to Juliana Abagsonema Abane .

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Abane, J.A., Sakolsatayotorn, P., Asamoa, E.Y. (2020). The Bureaucratic Machine. In: Farazmand, A. (eds) Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_645-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_645-1

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