what is a bureaucracy in sociology
bureaucracy. (noun) “[A] formal organization characterized by a hierarchy of authority, a clear division of labor, explicit rules, and impersonality ” (OpenStax College 2012).Example: The department of motor vehicles or city hall.Audio Pronunciation: (bu·reauc·ra·cy).sage Notes: 1  Plural: bureaucracies. 2  Commonly, bureaucracy connotes hierarchical structures in a negative light due to the absence of individual freedom of initiative and the overuse of delegation. 3  A (noun) bureaucrat works in a (adjective) bureaucratic organization.
The German sociologist Max Weber was the first to formally study bureaucracy and his works led to the popularization of this term.. 1  In his 1922 essay Bureaucracy,[1], published in his magnum opus Economy and Society, Weber described many ideal-typical forms of public administration, government, and business.