Biography

Max Weber was born in Erfurt, Germany, and spent most of his youth studying, being physically restricted through meningitis. His studies were interrupted by a year in the army, which he detested.  

After his discharge he qualified as a lawyer. He then completed two theses: on the economy and society, and then on medieval commerce. After researching religious influence on ancient commerce and Italian Catholicism, he concluded that Calvinist Protestantism inspired modern Capitalism – see The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1904 -1905).  

Weber is best remembered for describing "bureaucratic management" in Economy and Society (1911-1913). Its intention was for an efficient philosophy of management that was a risk adverse, rigid chain-of-command structure which still much practised by government and public organisations, where the employed should be fully trained to give them confidence to perform their work.  

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