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The Bureaucratic Mind

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The Bureaucratic Mind! Aparna V! M2014HRM008, MA (HRM & LR)! TISS, Mumbai!

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The Bureaucratic Mind!

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Bureaucracy can be defined as a system of administration founded on policies, procedures and, often, a rigid hierarchical structure. In the context of human psyche, this essay argues that the human mind has a tendency to be inherently and naturally bureaucratic in numerous ways. A few parallels are drawn as a demonstration of this argument.!

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Highly Structured Mind An infant’s mind is free from any rigid structures of identity. Over a period of time, many such constructs evolve with which the infant identifies itself. A few of these basic constructs include the notion of ‘self ’ and ‘other’, ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, the concept of gender, and the notion of a family. As a child grows, several other constructs including that of nationality, caste, and religion are built into the human mind. A growing person might begin to associate herself with such notions, thus fortifying the structures in their mind. The world at large is perceived through the sieve of such structures. Once absorbed, it requires a conscious and sustained effort to unlearn the structures.! Further, there is a tendency to adhere to formal time-tested methods to achieve certain ends rather than being informal and adventurous. It can be observed that the human mind tends to align itself better with the rest of society over time. For instance, people who may have once harboured radical, left-wing political ideas may find themselves increasingly in agreement with right-wing ideas over the years, in contrast with their own previously held political affiliations. This rise of conservatism with ageing (Cornelis et al., 2008) can be

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attributed to a tendency to stick to tried-and-tested formal methods when compared with informal and radical methods.! This can be associated with a bureaucratic structure. Defined processes and structures are characteristic of bureaucracies. Human mind relies on several such welldefined constructs to navigate through the world.!

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Well Constructed Power Hierarchy The human mind is inclined towards authority. With age, a person seeks to wield greater control and assert more power over others. In interactions with others, people rank themselves against others to evaluate their abilities (Festinger, 1954) or to improve selfesteem when compared with someone perceived as a less fortunate or less able individual, or seek motivation when compared with someone in a more favourable position (Taylor et al., 1989). Placing oneself as "above" or "beneath" another person defines the interpersonal relationship with that person. Nonetheless, this system of ranking oneself against others in interpersonal relationships based on age, intellect, physical beauty, income or any other parameter, is illustrative of the inbuilt ideas of the power structure in the human mind.! This is another similarity between bureaucracies and the human mind. In essence, vertical power linkages are embedded into the human mind.!

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Rigidity One of the reasons why mental agility is highly valued in society is because of its perceived loss with time. Keeping the mind flexible is an effort in itself, one that requires an openness to new ideas and willingness to adapt. Seen through the lens of experience, the world seems to make more sense when the policies and methods acquired over the years are applied to it. The admired ability of children to adapt to changes in their lives can be attributed to their greater mental flexibility, owing to fewer years of being in a bureaucratic state of mind. The natural human tendency to acquire and stick to certain ethics and morals is also a form of increasing rigidity, because it stems from the notions of "right" and "wrong" that are defined and redefined over the years. As with a bureaucratic organisation, changing the policies and opinions of a person may not be an easy task. The rigidity of the human mind throttles and hinders the pace of adaptation of new habits and behaviour.! The human mind is bound by numerous “rules” and “limitations.” These could be rules imposed by the society, nature, or by the mind itself. However, every decision that the mind deliberates involve rules. Interestingly, the magnitude and complexity of these limitations and considerations increases with the refinement of the human mind in question. A savage is less likely to deliberate on the impact of certain actions than a scholar.!

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Rationality Rationality is a prized possession of the mind. People seek logic, rationality and objective truth in the general world, trying to formulate the processes of the world in their minds. In the scramble to comprehend the world and apply reasoning to its functioning, the

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possibility that there may be multiple truths may not be in agreement with the formulations of the mind. That subjectivity may be hindering one's understanding of the world is also seldom considered or understood, other than as an abstract concept.! Besides, within the mind, there is a keen focus on specialising in some particular field. The human mind tends to engage with subjects that the mind finds interesting or profitable.!

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In light of these arguments, it can be argued that Max Weber's theory that bureaucracy in organisations is a rational and indispensable aspect of the modern world (Swedberg & Agevall, 2004) is a manifestation of the natural human inclination towards bureaucracy.


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References! Cornelis, I et al. (2008, December 10). Age Differences in Conservatism: Evidence on the Mediating Effects of Personality and Cognitive Style. Wiley Periodicals, Volume 77, Issue 1, 51-88.! Festinger. (1954). A Theory of Social Comparison Processes, Sage Publications.! Tayor et al. (1989, October). Social comparison activity under threat: Downward evaluation and upward contacts. Psychological Review, Volume 96(4).! Swedberg, Agevall. (2005). The Max Weber Dictionary: Key Words and Central Concepts, Stanford University Press.

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