On the Three “Ideal Types” of Authority and Their Contemporary Implications

Abstract

Authority is a core element in social governance and organizational management, involving mechanisms of social control, behavior
regulation, and promoting collective action. Max Weber’s three “ideal types” of authority—traditional authority, legal-rational authority, and
charismatic authority—offer a framework for analyzing how power gains legitimacy and is sustained in different social structures and historical contexts. In today’s world of globalization, informatization, and increasingly diversified social structures, traditional forms of authority
face unprecedented challenges while also presenting new developmental trends.