The decentralization of social care in the Netherlands has had a major impact on the professionals working in this field. This dissertation examines this impact by specifically focusing on the... Show moreThe decentralization of social care in the Netherlands has had a major impact on the professionals working in this field. This dissertation examines this impact by specifically focusing on the cognitive uncertainty experiences of social care professionals. It shows that cognitive uncertainty is a multi-faceted concept that covers different domains of the work and can have multiple sources. Contrary to the frequently expressed view in the literature on bureaucracy, this dissertation shows that rules do not reduce cognitive uncertainty. Leadership of team leaders, in contrast, can reduce cognitive uncertainty experiences of professionals.Moreover, leadership plays a key role in managing cognitive uncertainty. When properly managed, cognitive uncertainty can prove highly valuable as it can spur innovation and thus contribute to achieving the goals set in the decentralization of social care in the Netherlands. Show less
Vermindering van regeldruk maakt al decennialang deel uit van het Nederlandse overheidsbeleid. Zowel op rijksniveau als op lokaal niveau hebben verschillende programma’s de revue gepasseerd om... Show moreVermindering van regeldruk maakt al decennialang deel uit van het Nederlandse overheidsbeleid. Zowel op rijksniveau als op lokaal niveau hebben verschillende programma’s de revue gepasseerd om het aantal regels terug te brengen, regels efficiënter te maken en het toezicht beter af te stemmen. De voortgangsrapportages van de overheid zeggen dat de aanpak succesvol is: deze zou het bedrijfsleven reeds miljarden aan besparingen hebben opgeleverd. Ondernemers zeggen daar echter weinig van te merken. Ook de Algemene Rekenkamer constateerde in 2006 dat de successen in de samenleving niet als zodanig voelbaar waren. In deze studie onderzoekt Esmeralda Vergeer het fenomeen regeldruk. Ze brengt in beeld hoe de regeldrukaanpak van de Nederlandse overheid zich in de loop der jaren ontwikkelde en hoe er in de wetenschap naar regeldruk wordt gekeken. Verschillende definities van regeldruk passeren de revue, maar geen ervan blijkt onomstreden. Vergeer richt zich op ondernemers en constateert dat zij een eigen, geheel nieuwe definitie toekennen aan regeldruk. Ze onderscheidt drie factoren die van invloed zijn op de ervaring van regeldruk: kosten, werkbaarheid en gepercipieerd nut. Het onderzoek biedt zo nieuwe inzichten om regeldruk voor ondernemers merkbaar te verminderen. Show less
Public organizations are responsible for the delivery and provision of public services on which citizens rely. To maintain the quality of or improve these services, public organizations... Show more Public organizations are responsible for the delivery and provision of public services on which citizens rely. To maintain the quality of or improve these services, public organizations must exploit resources from the environment of the organization. To attain a predictable and controllable flow of resources, public managers must interact with a wide array of different organizations and actors in the organization’s environment that are potential sources of support. The main question of this dissertation concerns the conditions under which public managers’ interactions with organizations and actors in the environments of their organizations contribute to organizational performance. The context of this study is Dutch primary education. Specifically, we study the networking activities of Dutch primary school principals. One of the main conclusions of this dissertation is that specific managerial networking activities moderate the negative effect of specific environmental challenges. We find, for example, that the negative effect of red tape on school performance is attenuated by school principals’ networking activities with external organizations, such as local- and national government organizations and interest groups. Insights into the conditions under which specific managerial networking activities are beneficial can help public managers make strategic decisions about which networking activities to prioritize in certain situations. Show less
