Formal and Substantive Rationality
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Rationality

An orientation to reality which weighs up the means and ends of action in a straightforward and pragmatic manner.

Formal Rationality

A type of decision making which is subject to calculation that goes into an action to increase its chance of success. Its decisive feature is that it eliminates an oritenation to values because they are non-technical. Rationality is formal when problems are solved by the application of technical criteria.

Substantive Rationality

A type of decision making which is subject to values and an appeal to ethical norms. Substantive rationality does not take into account the nature of outcomes.

Weber argues that formal rationality had replaced substantive rationality, because bureaucracy stresses a technical orientation to means and ends.

Other Notes in this Category

1. Characteristics of Bureaucracy
2. Consequences of Bureaucracy
3. Factors Leading to Bureaucratisation
4. Formal and Substantive Rationality
5. Means and Ends
6. The Superiority of Bureaucracy over other Forms of Administration
7. Weber's Study of Bureaucracy

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