Patterns of Growth in Welfare Bureaucracies

Abstract

This longitudinal study of the growth of forty-six state welfare departments takes as a point of departure a closed system model of organizational growth. The various components (central office size, managerial components, caseworker component, clerical component) are analyzed in terms of (1) the relationship between the initial size of a component and its growth rate; (2) a comparison of different rates of growth for different components; and (3) the influence of increased work load and environmental complexity on the growth of components. The findings indicate that, for the central office, managerial, and clerical components, the initial size and growth rate are negatively related. The casework component accounts for the greatest amount of total organizational growth and is directly affected by increased work load. Finally, the growth of the managerial component is directly influenced by both increased work load and environmental complexity (i.e., urbanization).