Reflection of Robert Merton's essay "Bureaucratic Structure and Personality"

The efficacy of Robert Merton’s concern in Bureaucratic Structure and Personality is as relevant today as it was then. In 1940, Merton wrote Bureaucratic Structure and Personality to illustrate the inherent dysfunctions of bureaucracy. His purpose was not to shame the field of public administration but to recognize that public administration could not be solely driven simply by measures of efficiency as adopted by scientific management because it requires employers to be cognizant of the importance of human behavior and motivation. In addition it requires public servants to balance efficiency with responsiveness without fear of taking initiative on projects that may slow down their agencies efficiency but increase the overall quality of service. At the time, the impacts of WWI, the Depression and New Deal, and WWII had dramatically increased the size, scope, and reach of government. The American public also exhibited a higher interest in government and showed more trust and expectations that government could solve societal problems (Cayer, Baker, & Weschler, 2010, p. 77).

Today, the efficacy of Merton’s article remains the same as U.S. public administrators continue to struggle to find the appropriate balance between efficiency versus responsiveness. The pathological and inherent dysfunctions of bureaucracy mainly due to the negligence of human behavior and motivation are now ever more present due to the move to reduce the size of government and increase efficiency.