ABSTRACT

We explore the conditions under which informal collaborations between street-level bureaucrats (SLBs) emerge and the motivations for them. From our analysis of 68 interviews with law enforcement officers from 26 law enforcement agencies in a large metropolitan area in Texas, we identified four themes, representing a mix of altruistic and self-interest considerations: 1) ineffective formal collaboration practices, 2) personal and institutional trust, 3) the balance of power between the collaborators, and 4) a supportive management. We contribute to the literature by demonstrating how informal ‘bottom-up’ practices allow SLBs to overcome the constraining ‘jurisdictional divide’ and achieve better work outcomes.

摘要

我们探讨了街头官僚 (SLB) 之间非正式合作出现的条件及其动机。根据我们对得克萨斯州一个大都市区 26 个执法机构的 68 名执法人员的采访分析，我们确定了四个主题，代表了利他和自利考虑的混合：1) 无效的正式合作实践，2) 个人和机构信任，3）合作者之间的权力平衡，以及 4）支持性管理。我们通过展示非正式的“自下而上”实践如何让 SLB 克服限制性的“管辖权鸿沟”并取得更好的工作成果来为文献做出贡献。