Although traditional forms of bureaucracy as a form of organization have been seen in different social structures since ancient times, its emergence as a scientific research field coincides with the 20th century when large modern organizations emerged. The complex structure of modern society and the large-scale organizations that developed with the industrial revolution led to the need to make management processes more systematic, rational and efficient. Accordingly, theories of bureaucracy have been developed as a product of efforts to create effective management models and optimize the functioning of organizations. In this section, firstly, the ideal type bureaucracy model put forward by Max Weber within the framework of classical management and organization theories is discussed. Problems such as rigidity, excessive adherence to rules and resistance to change in classical theories paved the way for the development of neo-classical bureaucracy theories. Neo-classical approaches argued that bureaucracy neglected the human factor and that rigid rules could reduce efficiency and emphasized elements such as flexibility, human relations and organizational culture. In addition, in the face of rapidly changing social, economic and technological dynamics, new management approaches have developed and contemporary bureaucracy theories have emerged. Today, the transformative effects of digitalization and artificial intelligence automation on bureaucratic structures are particularly noteworthy. Public and private sector organizations are forced to adapt to new management models driven by technological developments. Finally, critical theories of bureaucracy have critically evaluated the problems posed by traditional and modern understandings of bureaucracy. These theories are based on criticism of elements such as excessive centralization of bureaucracy, control mechanisms over the individual and rigid hierarchical structures that reduce efficiency.