The main difference between hierarchy and bureaucracy is that hierarchy is a system in which people or things are placed at various ranks or levels according to their relative status or importance, while bureaucracy is a complex organization with multi-layered systems and processes.
Hierarchy and bureaucracy are related in the sense that bureaucracy has a complex and multi-layered hierarchy. In fact, it’s this complex hierarchy that makes decision-making slow in bureaucracy, making it inefficient.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is Hierarchy
– Definition, Features
2. What is Bureaucracy
– Definition, Features
3. Relationship Between Hierarchy and Bureaucracy
– Outline of Common features
4. Difference Between Hierarchy and Bureaucracy
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Hierarchy, Bureaucracy
What is a Hierarchy
A hierarchy is a system in which people or things are placed at various ranks or levels according to their relative status or importance. Most organizational structures have hierarchical organizations, where every entity is subordinate to another entity except the entity at the top. Furthermore, the top-level of a hierarchy typically consists of a single person or group of people with power, with subsequent levels of power under them. Most businesses, organized religions, military organizations, governments, as well as criminal enterprises follow this model of a hierarchy. For example, if we look at the organization of the Catholic Church, the Pope occupies the top level, with Cardinals directly below them, then Archbishops, and so on. Moreover, we usually visualize hierarchies as pyramids or tree diagrams.
Figure 1: Hierarchy of a Simple Military Organization
In such structures, the highest-ranking people are at the top of the diagram, and there are only a few of them. The base of the diagram, on the other hand, can include thousands of people with no subordinates. Members of hierarchical organizational structures generally only communicate with their immediate superiors and with their immediate subordinates. This also limits the flow of information within the organization. In addition, too many levels in a hierarchy can cause slow decision-making and work overlap, while too few levels can cause overwork and ambiguity.
What is Bureaucracy
Bureaucracy is a complex organization with multi-layered systems and processes. In other words, bureaucracy has a complex hierarchy. The systems and processes in a bureaucracy make the decision-making process slow. But at the same time, they help to maintain uniformity and control within the organization. Moreover, bureaucracies can make systems formal and rigid. Organizations in both the private and public sectors rely on bureaucracies for their function. In fact, governments and large institutes like universities and even hospitals rely on bureaucracy.
Figure 2: Bureaucracy in Government
Generally, we often use the term bureaucracy in a negative sense and associate it with arbitrariness, redundancy, and inefficiency.
Relationship Between Hierarchy and Bureaucracy
- Bureaucracy has a complex and multi-layered hierarchy.
- However, it’s this complex hierarchy that makes decision-making slow in bureaucracy, making it inefficient.
Difference Between Hierarchy and Bureaucracy
Definition
A hierarchy is a system in which people or things are placed at various ranks or levels according to their relative status or importance, while bureaucracy is a complex organization with multi-layered systems and processes.
Nature
Hierarchy is the structure of a bureaucracy, whereas bureaucracy is a complex organization with multi-layered systems and processes.
Conclusion
The main difference between hierarchy and bureaucracy is that hierarchy is a system in which people or things are placed at various ranks or levels according to their relative status or importance, while bureaucracy is a complex organization with multi-layered systems and processes.
Reference:
1. Banton, Caroline. “What Is a Bureaucracy?” Investopedia, 10 May 2022.
2. “Hierarchical Organization.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Mar. 2022.
3. “What Is a Bureaucracy?” Sparknotes, SparkNote.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Organizational chart” By Toto Baggins (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Mofkw Organizational Structure ENG” By Mofkw – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
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