Multi-level governance systems provide decision-makers with many avenues for external responsibility attribution in response to lacking performance. This study provides a behavioral perspective... Show moreMulti-level governance systems provide decision-makers with many avenues for external responsibility attribution in response to lacking performance. This study provides a behavioral perspective that examines responsibility attribution to the national government (upward) and policy implementers (downward) as a function of performance relative to decision-makers' aspiration levels. The study proposes that perceived accountability increases the propensity of external responsibility attribution, and that decision-makers' political alignment to actors on other governance levels explains when responsibility is deflected upwards or downwards. Using a survey experiment that presents factual information on youth care overspending to 1086 elected local government officials, the study finds consistent evidence that performance below aspirations increases upward responsibility attribution. Accountability strengthens responsibility attribution for negative performance downward to policy implementers. Finally, responsibility is attributed upward less frequently by decision-makers who are politically aligned with the national government, but information that signals performance below aspirations attenuates this tendency. Show less
Bernards, B.J.T.H.; Groeneveld, S.M.; Pas, S. van der; Voet, J. van der 2022
Recent studies have examined whether, all else equal, there is a general tendency among citizens to perceive public service providers as lower performing than their private counterparts. As public... Show moreRecent studies have examined whether, all else equal, there is a general tendency among citizens to perceive public service providers as lower performing than their private counterparts. As public organizations are commonly stereotyped as “bureaucracies”, it is unknown whether the negative image of public organizations is caused by their publicness or by their structural bureaucratic characteristics. This article makes a novel contribution to this literature by disentangling these two variables, and examines to what extent the proclaimed negative effect of publicness on citizens’ performance perceptions is dependent on citizens’ perceptions regarding the bureaucratic structure of public organizations. This is investigated through a survey-experiment conducted among 422 Dutch undergraduate students in public administration. The main findings of the study are that we find no evidence for direct negative effects of publicness, and that the bureaucratic structure of the organization positively affects the degree in which citizens perceive public organizations to be equitable and responsive. These findings suggest that the relationship between publicness and perceived performance is more situational than is assumed in prior studies. Show less
Bernards, B.; Voet, J. van der; Pas, S. van der; Groeneveld, S. 2021
Although public management and human resource management research has extensively investigated the motivational effects of organizational rules, the original utility of organizational rules... Show moreAlthough public management and human resource management research has extensively investigated the motivational effects of organizational rules, the original utility of organizational rules—uncertainty reduction—has remained overlooked. This study takes a cognitive perspective by examining how organizational rules relate to uncertainty experiences of public professionals. In this study, we provide a dynamic perspective on the relationship between organizational rules and uncertainty through a 2-week daily online diary study among 65 public professionals in the Netherlands. The results indicate that the amount and consistency of rules are related to professionals’ daily uncertainty experiences. Moreover, within-person experiences of rules and uncertainty are highly variable over time. We argue that a cognitive perspective of uncertainty reduction can broaden our understanding of the consequences of organizational rules in managing people, and that the dynamic nature of organizational rule experiences cannot be a mere footnote in future public administration and human resource management research. Show less
Bekerom, P. van den; Voet, J. van der; Christensen, J. 2020
Citizens’ perceptions of the performance of public service providers are a central concern for academics and policy-makers alike. A growing body of behavioral public administration research... Show moreCitizens’ perceptions of the performance of public service providers are a central concern for academics and policy-makers alike. A growing body of behavioral public administration research emphasizes the psychological biases that shape the perceptions of citizens. This article makes a novel contribution to this debate by examining the interaction between politically motivated bias and cognitive bias in citizens’ performance appraisals. It asks: Are citizens more negative about failing service delivery by public organizations than by private organizations, and if so, why? This is investigated through a survey experiment conducted among a representative sample of 2,623 Dutch citizens. The main finding of the study is that public organizations are punished more severely by citizens for negative performance information than private organizations, but this tendency is concentrated among citizens who have a preference for private service provision and varies across service areas. Our study shows not only that citizens’ processing of information about public services is subject to various forms of bias, but also that these biases interact in shaping how citizens view public organizations. Further investigating these complex dynamics is an important task for behavioral public administration scholars seeking to understand the specific implications of behavioral dynamics for the broad range of organizations providing public services. Show less
Nooteboom, L.; Eilander, J.; Voet, J. van der; Kuipers, B.S.; Steijn, A.J.; Vermeiren, R.J.M.; Mulder, E.A. 2020
In times of organizational decline, innovation is seen by many as crucial to uphold and improve public service delivery and “do more with less.” However, innovation in times of decline is not a... Show moreIn times of organizational decline, innovation is seen by many as crucial to uphold and improve public service delivery and “do more with less.” However, innovation in times of decline is not a given. The cutback management literature currently lacks a theoretical frame that accounts for the relationship between cutback management strategies and innovation in the face of decline. This article provides a theoretically grounded framework that formulates theoretical propositions regarding the relationships between cutback management strategies, organizational innovation, and organizational context. First, the literature on cutback management strategies is reviewed and abstracted into a typology of proportional versus targeted strategies and open versus closed strategies. This typology is connected to the literature on organizational response to develop propositions concerning the effect of cutback management strategies on innovation. The article posits that targeted and open strategies may contribute to innovation, whereas proportional and closed strategies are likely to result in decreased innovation. Second, propositions are developed concerning the contextual circumstances in which the different cutback management strategies are likely to be adopted. This contextual framework discusses contextual factors related to the nature of decline, environmental factors, and organizational factors. Show less
Many public organizations are increasingly confronted with substantive and unpredictable reductions of financial resources. Despite growing research attention to this issue, empirical investigation... Show moreMany public organizations are increasingly confronted with substantive and unpredictable reductions of financial resources. Despite growing research attention to this issue, empirical investigation of the organizational consequences of decline and turbulence has been limited. This article aims to understand the combined effects of decline and turbulence on personnel, one of the largest expenditure categories in organizations. Analyses use data from 2- and 4-year public institutions of higher education in the United States from 1988 to 2012. Findings in this context suggest that while decline alone has little to no effect on staffing, turbulence is associated with larger effects that are moderated by decline. Two-year institutions more closely resemble operational, efficiency-oriented responses to turbulence, and 4-year institutions reflect a more strategic reaction. Show less
The article addresses an issue that has received little attention in the literature on representative bureaucracy, namely the relationship between representativeness and specialized expertise in... Show moreThe article addresses an issue that has received little attention in the literature on representative bureaucracy, namely the relationship between representativeness and specialized expertise in public administration. While representation may strengthen the legitimacy of public bureaucracies, what implications does it have for expert knowledge in these organizations? This issue is examined by looking at the recruitment of civil servants to the European Commission, an international bureaucracy where the question of geographical representation is of fundamental importance. Based on a quantitative analysis of nearly 200 recruitment competitions for the organization from 1958 to 2015, the article finds that competitions related to EU enlargement where nationality was an explicit criterion put significantly less emphasis on specialist qualifications and knowledge than other competitions. This indicates a negative relationship between geographical representation and specialized expertise in recruitment to the European Commission. Implications for broader debates about representative bureaucracy and international public administrations are discussed. Show less
