BUREAUCRATIC RED TAPE AND FORMALIZATION - UNTANGLING CONCEPTUAL KNOTS

Advancements in our knowledge of red tape have been handicapped by a s erious neglect in the development of red tape as an organizational con cept. Progress has also been hindered by the rather haphazard applicat ion of this concept in much of the empirical research. In this paper w e examine some of the principal factors that have impeded conceptual d evelopment, paying particular attention to the relationship between re d tape and bureaucratic formalization. We argue that progress in red-t ape research and knowledge requires attention to several issues, inclu ding the measurement of red tape, origins and sources of red tape, and the need to consider red tape from the perspective of multiple stakeh olders.