ABSTRACT
As we saw in Chapter 3 (p. 59), the bureaucratisation of work has to be seen as part of a wider set of historical processes in Western industrial capitalist societies whereby more and more aspects of life were being subjected to more instrumental or calculative styles of thinking. This rationalisation process involved the rapid development of scientific and technological thinking and, with regard to work organisation, it was increasingly felt that by carefully calculating the most appropriate way of achieving tasks and then basing on this formalised roles, procedures and arrangements within which people would be rewarded only in terms of their contribution to officially-set tasks, the efforts of large numbers of people could be co-ordinated and controlled and large and complex jobs done.
