Weber was also concerned that large-scale organizations
(bureaucracies) were becoming increasingly
oriented toward routine administration and a
specialized division of labor, which he believed were
destructive to human vitality and freedom. According
to Weber, rational bureaucracy, rather than class
struggle, is the most signifi cant factor in determining
the social relations between people in industrial
societies. From this view, bureaucratic domination
can be used to maintain powerful (capitalist) interests
in society. As discussed in Chapter 5 (“Groups
and Organizations”), Weber’s work on bureaucracy
has had a far-reaching impact.