Final answer:
The characteristic of bureaucracy that involves well-defined tasks and skill development through one specific role is called a) specialization.
Step-by-step explanation:
The characteristic of bureaucracy that describes the concept where tasks are clearly defined and employees become skilled by specializing in doing one thing is specialization. Specialization allows for increased efficiency and productivity, as individuals focus on a narrow area of work where they can become experts, which in turn can lead to higher quality output. This is in contrast to attributes such as a hierarchy of authority, formal rules and regulations, and impersonality, which also characterize bureaucracies but describe different aspects of the bureaucratic structure and function.