This article is the attempt to trace the evolution of attitudes to bureaucracy and bureaucratic organization in the works of classical and contemporary economic theory and sociology, as well as to answer the question about the mutual influence of the human factor and the properties of bureaucratic organization. The article pays attention to the emergence and development of the term “bureaucracy” and to the features of models of effective bureaucratic organizations of various authors. We invite your attention to the results of some field studies that demonstrate the discrepancies between the ideal model of bureaucracy and functioning organizations. However, the authors conclude that the bureaucratic structure is able not only to restrict individual freedoms, but to protect its interests and provide opportunities for self-realization.