A core idea of bureaucratic organizations is that rule-following is a necessary precondition to pursue the publicinterest. However, rules may sometimes become dysfunc-tional, burdensome, and even... Show moreA core idea of bureaucratic organizations is that rule-following is a necessary precondition to pursue the publicinterest. However, rules may sometimes become dysfunc-tional, burdensome, and even interfere with public valuedelivery. In those situations, professionals sometimesengage in prosocial rule-breaking (PSRB), rather than rule-following, with the aim to deliver meaningful public ser-vices. This article examines leadership encouragement andpsychological safety as antecedents of PSRB behavior. Datafrom two waves of a multi-source dataset consisting of pro-fessionals' self-reported PSRB behavior and psychologicalsafety (n=837 and 965 respondents) and their supervisor-reported encouragement for PSRB behavior (n=58 and64 respondents) is used. Findings point to a positive rela-tionship between psychological safety and PSRB. Moreover,the study partly supports the hypothesis that leadershipencouragement is associated with higher levels of PSRB,but only under conditions of high psychological safety. Show less
Purpose This illustrative case study describes and evaluates drivers of effective inter-organizational collaboration to mitigate the impact and spread of COVID-19 among homeless people in two... Show morePurpose This illustrative case study describes and evaluates drivers of effective inter-organizational collaboration to mitigate the impact and spread of COVID-19 among homeless people in two cities in the Netherlands. The aims of this study are: (1) to explore the strategic and operational policy responses in two local integrated care settings at the start of the crisis, (2) to identify best policy practices and lessons learned. The authors interpret and evaluate the findings by combining insights from the population health management (PHM) and collaborative governance literature. Design/methodology/approach The authors describe and illustrate the experiences of two Dutch municipalities, Rotterdam and The Hague, in the early policy responses to sudden operational challenges around the impact of COVID-19 on homeless people as experienced by local decision-makers, medical doctors and clients. Findings The authors show that best policy practices revolve around (1) using data and risk stratification methods for identifying and targeting populations at-risk in local policy making, and (2) having an inter-organizational data sharing architecture in place ex ante. These two factors were clear prerequisites for tailor-made policy responses for newly-defined groups at risk with the existing and well-documented vulnerable population, and executing crisis-induced tasks efficiently. Originality/value This paper is among the first to illustrate the potential of combining collaborative governance and PHM perspectives to identify key drivers of effective local governance responses to a healthcare crisis in an integrated care setting. Show less
Sinds het begin van deze eeuw heeft de Rijksoverheid te maken gehad met tal van bezuinigingen en reorganisaties. Dit artikel bekijkt hoe de samenstelling van het centrale overheidsapparaat in de... Show moreSinds het begin van deze eeuw heeft de Rijksoverheid te maken gehad met tal van bezuinigingen en reorganisaties. Dit artikel bekijkt hoe de samenstelling van het centrale overheidsapparaat in de afgelopen 15 jaar is veranderd. Op basis van de bestaande literatuur theoretiseren we 4 methoden waarmee overheidskrimp gerealiseerd kan worden, en identificeren we per methode de mogelijke gevolgen voor de samenstelling van de rijksdienst in termen van hiërarchische opbouw en van leeftijd. Open data van de Kennisbank Openbaar Bestuur wordt gebruikt om te laten zien hoe de samenstelling is veranderd als het gaat om functieniveaus, geslacht en leeftijd. Het totaal aantal ambtenaren is slechts marginaal gedaald maar door sterke interne verschuivingen in schalen, geslacht en leeftijd ziet de rijksdienst er nu heel anders uit dan in 2000. Het aantal ambtenaren in lagere functieniveaus is sterk afgenomen, terwijl in hogere functieniveaus juist een toename zichtbaar is. Ten tweede is de verdeling van mannen en vrouwen binnen de overheid gelijker geworden, zeker op de hogere niveaus. Ten derde is de gemiddelde leeftijd van rijksambtenaren aanmerkelijk gestegen. Het artikel sluit af met aanbevelingen voor zowel wetenschap als praktijk. Show less
Schmidt, E.; Groeneveld, S.; Walle, S. van de 2017
The financial crisis forces public managers to implement cutbacks within their organization. We argue that adopting a change management perspective contributes to our understanding of cutback... Show moreThe financial crisis forces public managers to implement cutbacks within their organization. We argue that adopting a change management perspective contributes to our understanding of cutback management by adding a focus on managerial behaviour regarding cutback-related organizational changes. Relying on change management literature, this paper develops a framework for the analysis of cutback management connecting the context, content, process, outcomes and leadership of cutback-related change. From this it follows that managers can be positioned at the intersection of various imperatives, both externally and internally, such as their political leaders and their own subordinates. A research agenda is proposed. Show less
