Final answer:
Bureaucracies are intended to improve efficiency, ensure equal opportunities, and serve large populations, but they can hinder productivity and adaptability in fast-changing environments.
Step-by-step explanation:
Some positive aspects of bureaucracies are that they are designed to improve efficiency and ensure equal opportunities while serving a large population. Formal organizations, which include bureaucracies as a subtype, follow the ideal type model in sociology, meaning they serve as a general model that describes a set of characteristics that most examples of the item under discussion share. Despite their intent, bureaucracies can sometimes lead to decreased productivity and efficiency, especially in an age that demands agility and adaptability due to rapid changes in technology.
When reviewing formal organizations, one must understand their different types - normative/voluntary, coercive, and utilitarian - and recognize the characteristics of bureaucracies. This knowledge helps to identify large-scale processes and the impact of the McDonaldization of society, a trend where local institutions become bureaucratized and standardized.