Rational-legal authority - Wikipedia

Rational-legal authority is a form of leadership in which the authority of an organization or a ruling regime is largely tied to legal rationality, ... Rational-legalauthority FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia Jumptonavigation Jumptosearch Thisarticleneedsadditionalcitationsforverification.Pleasehelpimprovethisarticlebyaddingcitationstoreliablesources.Unsourcedmaterialmaybechallengedandremoved.Findsources: "Rational-legalauthority" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(September2020)(Learnhowandwhentoremovethistemplatemessage) Rational-legalauthority(alsoknownasrationalauthority,legalauthority,rationaldomination,legaldomination,orbureaucraticauthority)isaformofleadershipinwhichtheauthorityofanorganizationorarulingregimeislargelytiedtolegalrationality,legallegitimacyandbureaucracy.Themajorityofthemodernstatesofthetwentiethandtwenty-firstcenturiesarerational-legalauthorities,accordingtothosewhousethisformofclassification. ScholarssuchasMaxWeberandCharlesPerrowcharacterizedtherational-legalbureaucracyasthemostefficientformofadministration.[1][2] Contents 1Rational-legalauthority 2Legalrationalityandlegitimateauthority 3MaxWeber'stheory:typeofauthority 3.11.Traditionalauthority:traditionalgrounds 3.22.Rational-legalauthority:rationalgrounds 3.33.Charismaticauthority:charismaticgrounds 4Emergenceofthemodernstate 5Modernstate 6Rational-legalleaders 7Seealso 8References 9Furtherreading 10Externallinks Rational-legalauthority[edit] Insociology,theconceptofrational-legaldominationcomesfromMaxWeber'stripartiteclassificationofauthority(oneofseveralclassificationsofgovernmentusedbysociologists);theothertwoformsbeingtraditionalauthorityandcharismaticauthority.Allofthosethreedominationtypesrepresentanexampleofhisidealtypeconcept.Webernotedthatinhistorythoseidealtypesofdominationarealwaysfoundincombinations. Intraditionalauthority,thelegitimacyoftheauthoritycomesfromtradition.Charismaticauthorityislegitimizedbythepersonalityandleadershipqualitiesoftherulingindividual.Finally,rational-legalauthorityderivesitspowersfromthesystemofbureaucracyandlegality. Legalrationalityandlegitimateauthority[edit] Underrational-legalauthority,legitimacyisseenascomingfromalegalorderandthelawsthathavebeenenactedinit(seealsonaturallawandlegalpositivism). Weberdefinedlegalorderasasystemwheretherulesareenactedandobeyedaslegitimatebecausetheyareinlinewithotherlawsonhowtheycanbeenactedandhowtheyshouldbeobeyed.Further,theyareenforcedbyagovernmentthatmonopolizestheirenactmentandthelegitimateuseofphysicalforce. Ifsociety,asawhole,approvestheexerciseofthepowerinacertainway,thenthepowerisconsidered"legitimateauthority". MaxWeber'stheory:typeofauthority[edit] MaxWeberbrokedownlegitimateauthorityintothreedifferenttypesofsocieties:TraditionalAuthority,Rational-legalAuthority,andCharismaticAuthority.Eachoftheseauthoritieshavetheirownuniquecomplexsocietiesthathaveevolvedfromsimpledefinitions. 1.Traditionalauthority:traditionalgrounds[edit] Isthetypeofpowerthathasbeenaroundlonger,itisthetypeofpowerthatistraditionallyrootedinbeliefsandthepracticesofsociety.Thisauthorityislikedbymanyindividualsbecauseoftwomainreasons:theinheritanceofpastgenerationsandreligiousnessthatthesocietieshave. Traditionalauthorityisbasedonatraditionorcustomthatisfollowedbythetraditionalleaders.Intraditionalauthority,statusisakeyconcept.Therearenorequirementstoservingasatraditionalleaderbuttherearenosalaries.Theconsequencestotraditionalauthorityarediscouragementofeducationandrationalcalculation. Traditionalauthorityconsistsofadominantprofile,onewhoembodiestraditionandrule.Thistypeofleadershipexemplifiesthepowertoconstructorder. 2.Rational-legalauthority:rationalgrounds[edit] Acquiredfromlawandisconstructedfromtherelianceofsociety'srulesandlaws.Thistypeofauthorityhastheconfidencetoleavetherightofleaderstoundertakethedecisionsandsetthepolicy.Rational-legalauthorityisthebasisofmoderndemocracies.Examplesofthistypeofauthority:officialselectedbyvoters,rulesthatareintheconstitution,orpoliciesthatarewritteninaformaldocument. Rational-legalauthorityisbuiltonastructureofbureaucracy.Inarational-legalauthorityoneascendsintheircareerpathsthroughpromotionandtheyeventuallyretire.Someofthebenefitsofrational-legalauthorityaretransportation,large-scaleindustry,masscommunicationandanincomeeconomy.Otheroutcomesofrational-legalauthorityaretendenciestowardsequalopportunityandapromotionofeducation. Rational-legalauthorityrequiresalogicalandsystematicapproachtoleadership.Weber'srationalleadershipprevailsindecisionmaking. Finally,LegalRationalAuthorityderivesitspowerfromthesystemofbureaucracyandlegality. 3.Charismaticauthority:charismaticgrounds[edit] Comesfromindividualsandtheirpersonalqualitiesthattheyhavetooffer.Certainindividualsareinfluentialtootherswiththeiruniquequalitieswhichhelpthemgainfollowers.The"charismatic"individualsexercisepowerandauthorityoverawholesocietyorevenaspecificgroupofwithinabiggersociety.Theexerciseoftheirpoweroftheseindividualsareeitherforgoodorbad.Examplesofthesecharismaticleaderscanrangefrom:JoanofArctoAdolfHitlerorMartinLutherkingJrtoJesusChrist. Charismaticauthorityhasnoclearstructure.Itisbasedone'sindividualinfluence.Oneischosentobestaffbytheircharismaticcharacteristics.Someoneunderacharismaticauthoritylivesundergiftsnotsalary.Aslongassomeonehasinfluencetheywillbealegitimatepower. Incharismaticauthority,confidenceisthedrivingforceforleadership.Withcharismaticauthorityleadershiphastheabilitytoconnectdistinctgroupsandleadthemtothefinishline. Emergenceofthemodernstate[edit] Weberwrotethatthemodernstatebasedonrational-legalauthorityemergedfromthepatrimonialandfeudalstruggleforpower(seetraditionalauthority)uniquelyintheOccidentalcivilization.TheprerequisitesforthemodernWesternstateare: Monopolizationbycentralauthorityofthemeansofadministrationandcontrolbasedonacentralizedandstablesystemoftaxationanduseofphysicalforce Monopolizationoflegislative Organisationofanofficialdom,dependentuponthecentralauthority Weberarguedthatsomeofthoseattributeshaveexistedinvarioustimeorplaces,buttogethertheyexistedonlyinOccidentalcivilization.Theconditionsthatfavouredthiswere Emergenceofrational-legalrationality(variousstatusgroupsintheOccidentpromotedthatemergence) Emergenceofmodernofficialdom(bureaucracy),whichrequired Developmentofthemoneyeconomy,whereofficialsarecompensatedinmoneyinsteadofkind(usuallylandgrants) Quantitativeandqualitativeexpansionofadministrativetasks Centralizationandincreasedefficiencyofadministration. Weber'sbeliefthatrational-legalauthoritydidnotexistinImperialChinahasbeenheavilycriticized,anddoesnothavemanysupportersintheearly21stcentury. Modernstate[edit] AccordingtoMaxWeber,amodernstateexistswhereapoliticalcommunityhas: Anadministrativeandlegalorderthathasbeencreatedandcanbechangedbylegislationthatalsodeterminesitsrole Bindingauthorityovercitizensandactionsinitsjurisdiction Therighttolegitimatelyusethephysicalforceinitsjurisdiction AnimportantattributeofWeber'sdefinitionofamodernstatewasthatitisabureaucracy. Thevastmajorityofthemodernstatesfromthe20thcenturyonwardfallundertherational-legalauthoritycategory. Rational-legalleaders[edit] Themajorityofmodernbureaucraticofficialsandpoliticalleadersrepresentthistypeofauthority. Officials: Arepersonallyfree. Serveahigherauthority. Areappointedonthebasisofconductandtheirtechnicalqualifications. Areresponsiblefortheimpartialexecutionofassignedtasks. Theirworkisafull-timeoccupation. Theirworkismethodicalandrational Theirworkisrewardedbyasalaryandprospectsofcareeradvancement. Politicians: Aresolelyresponsibleforindependentaction. Mustrecognizethatpublicactionsthatconflictwiththeirbasicpolicymustberejected. Shouldhavecharismaticappealtowinelectionsunderconditionsofuniversalsuffrage. Weberprovidedtennecessitiesaddressing:"howindividualofficialsareappointedandwork".Theadministrativestaffareunderthesupremeauthorityforlegalauthorityinabureaucraticadministrativestyle. Theyarepersonallyfreeandsubjecttoauthorityonlywithrespecttotheirimpersonalofficialobligation. Theyareorganizedinaclearlydefinedhierarchyofoffices. Eachofficehasaclearlydefinedsphereofcompetenceinthelegalsense. Theofficeisfilledbyafreecontractualrelationshiporfreeselection. Candidatesareselectedonthebasisoftechnicalqualification. Theyareremuneratedbyfixedsalariesinmoneyforthemostpart,witharighttopensions. Theofficeistreatedasthesole,oratleastprimary,occupationofincumbent. Itconstitutesacareer.Promotionsaredependentonthejudgementofsuperiors. Theofficialworksentirelyseparatedfromownershipofthemeansofadministrationandwithoutappropriationofhis/herposition. Heissubjecttostrictandsystematicdisciplineandcontrolintheconductoftheoffice. Seealso[edit] Power(socialandpolitical) References[edit] ^Gerth,H.H.;Mills,C.Wright(2014-05-01).Bureaucracy.FromMaxWeber:EssaysinSociology.pp. 208–256.doi:10.4324/9780203759240-13.ISBN 9780203759240.Retrieved2020-09-05. ^Perrow,Charles.ComplexOrganizations. Furtherreading[edit] GeraldK.Harrison(2015)."Morality,InescapableRationalAuthority,andaGod'sWishes".JournalofReligiousEthics.43(3):454–474.doi:10.1111/jore.12105.Categoricalreasons,Divinecommandtheory,Inescapablerationalauthority,Meta-ethics,RationalizedBondsofOffice Perrow,Charles(1986).Complexorganizations :acriticalessay.NewYork:RandomHouse.ISBN 978-0-07-554799-0.OCLC 12312230. Externallinks[edit] WikiquotehasquotationsrelatedtoRational-legalauthority. http://oyc.yale.edu/sociology/socy-151/lecture-20 http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/sociology-comprehensive-edition/s17-01-power-and-authority.html http://opinion.inquirer.net/85293/max-webers-3-types-of-authority http://davidboje.com/horsesense/psl/pages/bureaucracydefined2.html http://atheism.about.com/od/religiousauthority/a/types_4.htm Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rational-legal_authority&oldid=1086101901" Categories:MaxWeberSociologyoflawSociologicalterminologyAuthorityHiddencategories:ArticlesneedingadditionalreferencesfromSeptember2020Allarticlesneedingadditionalreferences Navigationmenu Personaltools NotloggedinTalkContributionsCreateaccountLogin Namespaces ArticleTalk English Views ReadEditViewhistory More Search Navigation MainpageContentsCurrenteventsRandomarticleAboutWikipediaContactusDonate Contribute HelpLearntoeditCommunityportalRecentchangesUploadfile Tools WhatlinkshereRelatedchangesUploadfileSpecialpagesPermanentlinkPageinformationCitethispageWikidataitem Print/export DownloadasPDFPrintableversion Inotherprojects Wikiquote Languages EspañolفارسیNederlands日本語Türkçe中文 Editlinks