BUREAUCRACY IN ACTION: DESIGN FLAWS OR OPERATOR ERRORS?

Abstract

Dr. Al Fenton, Professor of International Business at Evergreen State University, contracted to deliver a series of lectures and seminars for students and faculty at Chatham State University. The arrangements for Fenton s visit were handled by his friend Dr. Phil Jordan, Associate Dean of the Business School at Chatham and Chatham administrators. About three months after Fenton s programs were delivered at Chatham, Jordan received a call from Fenton, informing him that he had not yet been paid for the programs. Surprised and embarrassed by the news, Jordan assured him he would look into the matter and take necessary action to correct the problem.  His investigation revealed a series of problems in processing Fenton s contract and pay arrangements. Indeed, the further he dug into the matter, the more complicated and confusing it became. The analysis of participants ' actions revealed how difficult it can be to correct a transaction that was mishandled at several points and involved the interaction of two large state university bureaucracies. After the protracted investigation, Jordan pondered the cause of the problem: was it the result of poor execution by individuals, an improperly designed "system, " or just the inevitable malfunctions of large, complex organizations?