Graduation Date
1985
Document Type
Thesis
Program
Other
Program
Arts
Committee Chair Name
Dr. Jerrald D. Krause
Committee Chair Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
Dr. Todd Young
Third Committee Member Name
Dr. James W. Carroll
Keywords
Art
Subject Categories
Art
Abstract
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is passing through a period of historical transition. Vast changes are taking place in the country’s economy and society. To a great extent Saudi Arabia's dramatic leap into the twentieth century is a result of the tremendous new wealth which has come into the country as a result of the discovery and exploitation of oil. This rapid spurt of development has created unexpected difficulties for the country and for its administrative system, but the new wealth has also provided the country with the means to deal with its problems. It is my intention in this thesis to study the origin of the Saudi bureaucracy and its development up to the present day, and then to analyze its functioning in the light of Max Weber's Ideal type. Saudi Arabia is a good example of the way the administrative systems of developing countries play a crucial role in development. I believe that the Weberian Ideal type will prove to be an effective tool for analyzing the functioning of the Saudi bureaucratic system and for suggesting recommendations on how to improve its efficiency. The merit system, technical qualifications, specialization, and diversification intrinsicaly Weberian concepts, and are also ideals toward which the Saudi bureaucracy is striving. These ideals are, of course, not yet fully translated into reality. The fact that the Saudi bureaucracy is an indigenous system, containing both old and new elements mixed together, makes it different from any Western model. In this thesis it will be my aim both to bring out the achievements of the Saudi system and to reveal the specific problems from which it suffers. I hope that my recommendations and suggestions will be helpful to future Saudi bureaucrats, including myself, who will be concerned with giving our country the best possible administrative system.
Recommended Citation
Al-Fares, Abdulla Ahmed, "Saudi Bureaucracy and Max Weber's Ideal Type" (1985). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 2377.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/2377