Examining the Influence and Relationship between the Weberian Model of Bureaucracy and Theories of Strategic Management on Decision-Making in the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education of The Gambia

This study examines the applicability and influence of the Weberian model of bureaucracy, a western-originated ideal type of bureaucratic organisation, and of selected models drawn from the field of strategic management for explaining the decision-making processes of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) of The Gambia. The choice of site is intended to test the explanatory power of these theoretical frames in an instance of a non-Western public administration. In fact, non-Western in general and African contexts specifically are underrepresented in the public administration and management literature. The few contextual studies on African states and public organisations have been dominated by Western researchers and tend to focus on their quality of decision-making based on foreign-originated concepts and models. This context-free approach to researching African public organisations has led to broad generalisations about public administration and management in the African continent. This includes their tendency to be perceived and portrayed as ineffective due to their high level of informality. The study adopts a critical realist perspective, case study method and thematic and narrative analysis strategies. Using a purposive sample, the study data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, participant observation and documentary evidence. The study findings reveal that it is possible to find features of Weberian bureaucracy in a former British colony and an African public administrative setting. This has policy implications for decision-making in the public sector. Further to its significant influence on the sector's decision-making processes, Weberian bureaucracy has shielded it from political, donor and stakeholder interference. The study findings demonstrate that Weberian bureaucracy is suitable in highly heterogeneous societies and less developed democracies. Despite hindering the consolidation of Weberian bureaucracy, some cultural (informal) norms and practices, such as joking relations and social ethics, enhanced MoBSE’s decision-making. These findings challenge the notion that most African public bureaucracies are ineffective due to their high informality. Due to the conflicting contextual pressures of exploiting the benefits of adopting a Weberian bureaucracy and the need to adapt bureaucracy to the local context, MoBSE has morphed into a contingent hybrid type of bureaucracy that enhanced its decision-making. These findings are an important qualification and a significant contribution to Weberian bureaucracy theory. Further to indicating the explanatory power of theories of strategic management (strategic planning school) and its coexistence with Weberian bureaucracy, findings from this study suggest that their relationship in decision-making should be conceptualised from a nuanced rather than an antithetical or polarised perspective. At a broader epistemological and methodological level, these findings highlight the importance of analysing contextual influences in researching and managing public organisations