ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the sociology of Max Weber and outlines his concepts of domination, authority, and legitimacy. It discusses the concept of legitimation, emphasizing Weber's notion of charismatic legitimation. Although Weber predicted that the legal-rational principle of legitimation would constitute the future basis for organizational legitimacy, the chapter argues that his notion of charismatic legitimation is the most relevant for understanding public relations practice. A central ambition for Weber was to understand contemporary Western society in its totality. He described how human motivation had shifted from acting on the basis of traditions, values, or emotions in societies of the past, to acting on the basis of goal-oriented rationality. In Economy and Society, Weber elaborated on the concepts of power, domination, and authority. Weber viewed charismatic domination positively, but warned that it could be more fragile and have a shorter life cycle than other forms of domination.
