Abstract
This article explores the tension between bureaucracy and community in academic departments, offering leadership as a means of reconciliation. Bureaucratic structures, rooted in Weber’s analysis, are critiqued for displacing goals with procedures, obscuring social purposes, and minimizing individuals. These issues are shown to be particularly relevant in higher education, where efficiency, specialization, and management often overshadow academic ideals. The discussion contrasts management, associated with control and manipulation, with leadership, defined as guidance, inspiration, and cooperation. Drawing on organizational theory, leadership is described as fostering communication, articulating shared purpose, and enlisting cooperation. The metaphor of community is proposed to balance bureaucratic structures, emphasizing fellowship, equality, and mutual purpose. While bureaucracy cannot be eliminated, the article argues that departments can humanize academic life by cultivating community alongside bureaucracy.
Recommended Citation
Cheney, George
(1987)
"Leadership and Management in the Academic Department: How Can Community and Bureaucracy Be Reconciled?,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 61, Article 3.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol61/iss1/3
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