Is Bureaucracy Inevitable? The Chinese Experience
- 1 October 1984
- journal article
- research article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Organization Studies
- Vol. 5 (4) , 289-306
- https://doi.org/10.1177/017084068400500401
Abstract
Is bureaucracy inevitable? Can an organization exist without a specialized division of labour and multiple rules, and escape the problems associated with bureaucracy? The present paper discusses the Chinese experience in 'eliminating' bureaucracy throughout history, particularly in the Cultural Revolution. The consequences of this attempt and its aftermath suggest that bureaucratic rules and specialization are inevitable, and that we should try to improve rather than eliminate bureaucracy.Keywords
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