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The rational organization has long been an important tool in public administration (Weber, 1968; Simon, 1964; Alkadry, 2003). It is often identified with positive characteristics such as objectivity, expertise, efficiency, fairness and formalization. However, these same positive characteristics can contribute to a “darker side” of rational organizations. Hummel (1994) articulates this as a “bureaucratic experience” resulting from the interaction between administrators and bureaucracy, while others articulate it as the “organization man” experience. In this article, a conceptual model of the relationship between organizational rationalization and administrator experiences is developed. This model is tested using a survey of front-line administrators and a structural equation model of the relationships between these two concepts. The article concludes with a discussion of alternatives to technical rationality.

This article examines the determinants of salaries of heads of public procurement units. Specifically, it investigates the effect of gender, budget size, supervisory responsibilities, experience, authority level, education, certification, age, cost of living and labor market competition on the compensation of purchasing supervisors and heads of purchasing units. The article uses multiple linear regression and analysis of variance to conclude that drivers of compensation of public procurement executives and managers in the public sector are different than those in the private sector or in other industries.