Re-aligning government bureaucracy to fit the democratic environment of Ukraine

Abstract

This research demonstrates the need for organizational re-alignment of bureaucratic organizations to effectively function in the new democratic environment of Ukraine. Contingency theory is used to explore how major problems related to organizational efficiency have arisen from a "misfit" between the traditional bureaucratic design and the new environment and tasks faced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. The Ministry, which has grown in size from its Soviet predecessor, has maintained Soviet perceptions of managerial style and ways of conducting business. The current Ministry's traditional design has retained Soviet elements that are not congruent with its new more complex and uncertain environment.