Author Question: How do bureaucracies perpetuate themselves through goal displacement? Provide an example of goal ... (Read 83 times)

rachel9 · **on:** Jul 2, 2018

How do bureaucracies perpetuate themselves through goal displacement? Provide an example of goal displacement.

What will be an ideal response

Question 2

What is McDonaldization? Describe some of its positive as well as negative consequences for social life.

What will be an ideal response

memslove · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 2, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Goal displacement is the adoption of new goals by an organization when the organization's original goals have been met or are no longer needed. By changing its purpose, the organization can continue to exist. In many cases, once the bureaucracy has become established, there are benefits to its continuation. These benefits include salaries for officers and directors, support services, and the accumulation of property and capital. To dissolve the bureaucracy means a loss in paid positions, company cars, personal expense accounts, and other benefits, as well as a discontinuation of fees paid to others for services. Examples of goal displacement: the March of Dimes' goal changed from finding a cure for polio to fighting birth defects after Jonas Salk discovered a cure for polio; NATO's purpose changed from protecting western Europe from Soviet invasion to acting as a rapid deployment force to combat terrorism.

Answer to Question 2

George Ritzer uses the term McDonaldization to refer to the standardization of everyday life that results in the robot-like assembly of food, one-stop shopping, familiar franchises, packaged vacation tours all the outward signs of an efficient and highly dependable, but predictable, lifestyle. While McDonaldization can increase efficiency and predictability, it also results in a reduction of spontaneity and creativity, thus producing a bland sameness and further entrapping individuals in Weber's iron cage.