From bureaucratic to post-bureaucratic: the difficulties of transition
Purpose – Modern bureaucracies are under reconstruction, bureaucracy being no longer “modern”; they are becoming “post” bureaucratic. Defining the post‐bureaucratic organization as a hybrid form provides insight into the intrinsic difficulties involved in the refurbishment of large complex organizat...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Published: |
Emerald Group Publishing Limited
2006
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/24195 |
| _version_ | 1848751361979580416 |
|---|---|
| author | Josserand, E. Teo, Stephen Clegg, S. |
| author_facet | Josserand, E. Teo, Stephen Clegg, S. |
| author_sort | Josserand, E. |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Purpose – Modern bureaucracies are under reconstruction, bureaucracy being no longer “modern”; they are becoming “post” bureaucratic. Defining the post‐bureaucratic organization as a hybrid form provides insight into the intrinsic difficulties involved in the refurbishment of large complex organizations. The purpose of this paper is to examine these difficulties empirically. Design/methodology/approach– The paper describes the case of an Australian public sector agency, subject to “corporatization” – a metamorphosis from a strictly public sector outlook to one that was imputedly more commercial. It focuses on the transition from personnel management to strategic HRM in the HR function. Findings– A series of difficulties affected these changes: difficulties in inventing a new identity; differences in perception of that identity; organizational philosophy towards strategic HRM; unsuitability of extent networks; and identity conflicts. Two factors emerge as the core explanation for the difficulties encountered: the “stickiness of identity” and the difficulties associated with network development. Originality/value – The paper outlines the difficulties experienced in the putative “refurbishment” of a large public sector agency as it made its way to “corporatization”. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T07:51:31Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-24195 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T07:51:31Z |
| publishDate | 2006 |
| publisher | Emerald Group Publishing Limited |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-241952017-09-13T15:07:15Z From bureaucratic to post-bureaucratic: the difficulties of transition Josserand, E. Teo, Stephen Clegg, S. Purpose – Modern bureaucracies are under reconstruction, bureaucracy being no longer “modern”; they are becoming “post” bureaucratic. Defining the post‐bureaucratic organization as a hybrid form provides insight into the intrinsic difficulties involved in the refurbishment of large complex organizations. The purpose of this paper is to examine these difficulties empirically. Design/methodology/approach– The paper describes the case of an Australian public sector agency, subject to “corporatization” – a metamorphosis from a strictly public sector outlook to one that was imputedly more commercial. It focuses on the transition from personnel management to strategic HRM in the HR function. Findings– A series of difficulties affected these changes: difficulties in inventing a new identity; differences in perception of that identity; organizational philosophy towards strategic HRM; unsuitability of extent networks; and identity conflicts. Two factors emerge as the core explanation for the difficulties encountered: the “stickiness of identity” and the difficulties associated with network development. Originality/value – The paper outlines the difficulties experienced in the putative “refurbishment” of a large public sector agency as it made its way to “corporatization”. 2006 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/24195 10.1108/09534810610643686 Emerald Group Publishing Limited restricted |
| spellingShingle | Josserand, E. Teo, Stephen Clegg, S. From bureaucratic to post-bureaucratic: the difficulties of transition |
| title | From bureaucratic to post-bureaucratic: the difficulties of transition |
| title_full | From bureaucratic to post-bureaucratic: the difficulties of transition |
| title_fullStr | From bureaucratic to post-bureaucratic: the difficulties of transition |
| title_full_unstemmed | From bureaucratic to post-bureaucratic: the difficulties of transition |
| title_short | From bureaucratic to post-bureaucratic: the difficulties of transition |
| title_sort | from bureaucratic to post-bureaucratic: the difficulties of transition |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/24195 |