Iggy The Robot
Iggy The Robot Analysis and Reaction Essay
Iggy the Robot pissed me off. With its vacant little eyes and perfect posture it represented something I have avoided my entire professional career, structure without useful feedback or improvement that amplifies inefficiencies but does nothing to correct them. Through my role as a runner I was unable to ask questions to the lookers who were communicating the design of Iggy. I could ask for more specifics on color, size, shape etc. but could only run to the builders and share with them what I heard. They also could not ask questions of me, which was probably a good thing because I would have no additional information for them anyway, thus saving their frustration.
Through this exercise I was distinctly able to see the components of bureaucracy as laid out by Max Weber. Division of Labor was represented by the main roles of Manager, Runner, Looker, Quality Control, and Builder. Each had a distinct task that did not overlap and had specific outcomes. Hierarchy of Authority was made clear by the flow of communication, top down. There were explicit and limiting rules and regulations that felt like they were made to increase the importance of the hierarchical structure and impede efficiency. Since there was no need or incentive to communicate outside of the work task at hand relationships were kept to an impersonal level.
Bureaucracies have a large role in our society and do play an important part in our everyday lives. The example immediately comes to mind any governmental organization. One-way, need to know information is a hallmark of the federal government but all I can think about are the “red tape” items. Amazingly enough Wikipedia writes that the term red tape was first documented when King Henry VIII collected 80 petitions to present to the Pope in order to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon1. The petitions were sealed and each bound in red tape or string. It is much easier to get a divorce or annulment
Iggy the Robot pissed me off. With its vacant little eyes and perfect posture it represented something I have avoided my entire professional career, structure without useful feedback or improvement that amplifies inefficiencies but does nothing to correct them. Through my role as a runner I was unable to ask questions to the lookers who were communicating the design of Iggy. I could ask for more specifics on color, size, shape etc. but could only run to the builders and share with them what I heard. They also could not ask questions of me, which was probably a good thing because I would have no additional information for them anyway, thus saving their frustration.
Through this exercise I was distinctly able to see the components of bureaucracy as laid out by Max Weber. Division of Labor was represented by the main roles of Manager, Runner, Looker, Quality Control, and Builder. Each had a distinct task that did not overlap and had specific outcomes. Hierarchy of Authority was made clear by the flow of communication, top down. There were explicit and limiting rules and regulations that felt like they were made to increase the importance of the hierarchical structure and impede efficiency. Since there was no need or incentive to communicate outside of the work task at hand relationships were kept to an impersonal level.
Bureaucracies have a large role in our society and do play an important part in our everyday lives. The example immediately comes to mind any governmental organization. One-way, need to know information is a hallmark of the federal government but all I can think about are the “red tape” items. Amazingly enough Wikipedia writes that the term red tape was first documented when King Henry VIII collected 80 petitions to present to the Pope in order to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon1. The petitions were sealed and each bound in red tape or string. It is much easier to get a divorce or annulment