The spread of bureaucracy in the modern world exemplified the process of rationalization. Weber suggested that a bureaucracy was the most efficient administrative form for the rational pursuit of organizational goals. Bureaucracies, as outlined by Weber, have the following fundamental features. There exists a precise hierarchy of authority which can be depicted as a pyramid, with a chain of command stretching from the top to the bottom. The conduct of the office holders at all levels is governed by written rules of procedure.
Officials are full-time, salaried and recruited on the basis of formal qualifications.
Each job within the hierarchy has a fixed salary attached to it. It is expected that individuals will make a career within the organization. The tasks of the officials within the organization are separate from their life outside. Studies have shown, however, that bureaucracies may not work in exactly the ways Weber described. The written rules can make workers inflexible and unable to respond to changing circumstances.