Does Bureaucracy Diminish Inclusion? Evidence from a County Government

Abstract

This article examines the influence of bureaucratic structure on a public employee’s sense of inclusion. We argue that bureaucratic structure influences inclusion by accentuating or minimizing status differences. To test this argument, we investigate three types of bureaucratic structure: centralization, hierarchy, and span of control, all expected to lower inclusion, and “green tape,” or effective organizational rules, expected to increase inclusion. To test these expectations, we use quantitative and qualitative survey data, as well as administrative data collected from the employees of 31 departments in a county government in the Southeastern United States. Findings indicate that higher centralization and wider span of control reduce inclusion, whereas green tape increases inclusion. Hierarchy shows no statistically significant inclusion effect. The article concludes with the implications of these results of public sector organizational design.