Bureaucratic leadership is where the manager manages “by the book¨ Everything must be done according to procedure or policy. If it isn’t covered by the book, the manager refers to the next level above him or her. This manager is really more of a police officer
than a leader. He or she enforces the rules.

Bureaucratic leadership style can be effective when:

--Employees are performing routine tasks over and over.

--Employees need to understand certain standards or procedures.

--Employees are working with dangerous or delicate equipment that requires a definite set of procedures to operate.

--Safety or security training is being conducted.

--Employees are performing tasks that require handling cash.

Bureaucratic leadership style is ineffective when:

--Work habits form that are hard to break, especially if they are no longer useful.

--Employees lose their interest in their jobs
and in their fellow workers.

--Employees do only what is expected of them and no more.

References

http://www.essortment.com/all/leadershipstyle_rrnq.htm