Kathrine Miller's textbook Organizational Communication: Approaches and Process is the primary text for the class and begins with a chapter on classic approaches to organizational theory. When it comes to classic approaches to organizations it is difficult to get more classic than the bureaucracy.
We all just love a bureaucracy, why else would be associate them with such fun things as red tape, standing in line, uncaring bureaucrats, inefficiency, and waste. While there is a downside to bureaucracy there is also an upside. Max Weber wrote about both the good and bad found in bureaucracy. Karl Marx commented on the origins of bureaucracy found in religion and government.
To get a basic understanding of bureaucracy the article in the Wikipedia offers a starting place. Take note of the fact that I say starting place. While our concept of what is an authoritative source is undergoing change due to blogs and wikis that does not make the Wikipedia an authoritative source for purpose of scholarship. For any papers written for this class I expect primary sources whenever possible. The Wikipedia is so far from a primary source that you shouldn't even think about using it for written assignments except under very unusual circumstances. You should check with me to determine if I agree you situation constitutes an unusual circumstance. Compare the entry above on bureaucracy from the Wikipedia with an entry on bureaucracy from Encyclopaedia Britannica. note: this may require you to sign up for a free trial.
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