1.2. 「官僚制」の意味と特徴
The meaning and characteristics of "bureaucracy” 

The meaning of "bureaucracy" is structured and organized as follows:

1)"Bureaucracy" is the most rational "pure type" of "legal domination."

2)"Legal domination" is the "rule of law," where compliance with legal regulations is consistently enforced.

3)In "bureaucracy," all decision-making and actions are based on established rules.

4)"Bureaucracy" faces challenges in cases where the application of rules is difficult or in individual and specific cases that were unforeseen during rule formulation. In response to innovative demands and the need for innovative problem-solving, bureaucratic organizations have limitations and are powerless. Compliance with rules does not easily align with "innovation," similar to how industrial robots that precisely repeat the same actions infinitely do not bring about innovation.

5)"Bureaucracy," however, is not completely eliminated by the demands of innovation. After achieving innovation, there is a need for recovering substantial development costs and reducing manufacturing and distribution expenses. Innovation incurs significant costs, and bureaucracy becomes necessary for cost recovery and reduction post-development.

Bureaucracy with these characteristics follows all decision-making and actions based on established rules, coordinates organizational cooperation and collaboration through standardized procedures, and enhances its precision. However, substantive responses beyond the framework of rules and innovative responses are beyond the scope of bureaucracy. Bureaucratic organizations are most suitable for suppressing innovation to protect the brand and product identity, as seen in fast-food chains like "McDonald's." In the following sections, let's explore in more detail the meaning of "bureaucracy" and the problematics raised by the "bureaucratic theory."