While societies might have benefited from bureaucratic processes over 100 years ago, today, bureaucracy causes more harm than good. Surveys show that 70% of the U.S. employees are in jobs that require little or no originality.

Based on our observations and the countless conversations we have had with the people who work in them, we found several reasons why bureaucracies continue to be binding. Binding reason No. 1: Because bureaucracy is about power.

Social research shows that many employees intellectually thrive in bureaucratic environments. According to this research, bureaucrats have higher levels of education, intellectual activity, personal responsibility, self‐direction, and open‐mindedness, when compared to non‐bureaucrats.

A bureaucracy benefits society by creating structures that help to keep people safe and productive. It creates rigid policies and laws that must be followed to safeguard the wellbeing of a business or the safety of a society.

Bureaucracy can have negative consequences that impact individuals (both those who contact the bureaucracy and those who work within it) and organizations. People who contact bureaucracies can be frustrated by the excessive red tape that goes with them.