Abstract Over the past decade Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) have attracted much public policy and management research interest and debate. This article draws on the Welfare Conventions Approach to explore the diversity of five SIB-financed Active Labor Market Programs in four European countries using comparative case study methods. We identify a tension between the requirement to align civic and financial

Abstract Public policy innovations such as social impact bonds (SIBs) have prompted critical attention in recent literature. Yet, little is known about the operations they require and the shapes they take. This study contributes to this research agenda through a focus on the problem of ‘feasibility’. We consider this notion as a vernacular preoccupation put forward by SIB practitioners. We theorize

Abstract Disabled employees in the British public sector lodge more claims of discrimination at Employment Tribunals than their private sector counterparts, yet their claims are more likely to fail. We argue that this is because disabled employees in the British public sector are more aware of equality issues than their private sector counterparts, subjectively perceiving discrimination. Yet the policies

Abstract Recent work in representative bureaucracy focuses on the micro-foundations of representation and explores the conditions for who represents and who receives representation. Drawing on insights from street-level bureaucracy, this article contributes to the micro theory of representation by exploring how workload influences the ability for a bureaucrat to represent a client. Extant literature

Published in International Public Management Journal (Ahead of Print, 2022)

Abstract The study contributes to our knowledge of leadership in public organizations on three specific areas. First, it is a unique exploration of whether managers in publicly owned organizations perceive less job autonomy than managers in privately owned and hybrid organizations. Hybrid organizations are defined in two categories: shareholder companies with both public and private owners, and public

Abstract While many commentators recognize the potential for Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) to encourage innovation, empirical evidence is less clear cut. We argue that for SIBs to realize their full potential as incubators of innovation they needed to incorporate a stronger element of co-creation and strengths-based working, and suggest some accompanying characteristics of such SIBs. We analyze four UK

Abstract Although public service motivation (PSM) is an issue of global concern, there should be further exploration of the impact of the cross-cultural effect on PSM research. The current study conducted a meta-analytic examination on the relationship between PSM and individual job performance in a cross-cultural context. Based on 40 correlations in 34 separate studies among 12 countries/regions,

Abstract When the social impact bond (SIB) model was first introduced in 2010, there were many claims about how these projects could transform public service delivery. This article investigates how SIB projects have been designed in relation to two original intentions: (1) shifting the focus of public service delivery to achieving impact and (2) transferring risk from the government to external investors

Abstract This study investigates the impact of global networks on e-government development and the role of political regime types in e-government diffusion through international networks. We built a unique social network dataset that covers 148 countries for the years between 2003 and 2014. Our network dataset is rooted in two assumptions: 1) international organizations serve as peak organizations

Abstract Public-administration research analyzes the variation in citizens’ experiences of administrative burdens, yet it is almost silent regarding their propensity to challenge bureaucratic hurdles. This article analyzes welfare applicants’ inclination to provide a bureaucracy with critical feedback regarding their experience of administrative burdens. We demonstrate that citizens’ minority identity

Abstract Although outcome measurement is a key element of outcome-based contracting, the main challenges related to the measurement processes in these programs are still under-investigated. To fill this gap, this article examinates the challenges and opportunities of measuring social outcomes in outcome-based contracting, focusing particularly on three main areas: the design of measurement processes;

Abstract Many studies find that public sector employees are less discriminatory than private sector. One possible explanation for these differences is that people with public service training are less discriminatory. Using a laboratory experiment we compare how undergraduate and graduate students from a large southwestern university rate unique randomized clerical resumes by the race of the applicant

Abstract Face-to-face interactions between public officials and citizens are a key venue of state service delivery, but they are rarely studied empirically. To address this gap, we present a novel conceptual taxonomy of spoken administrative language. We combine theoretical insights from communication studies and an analysis of 64 exploratory expert interviews with frontline officials. In these interviews

Abstract The article analyzes how local corruption affects health indicators. Using a random sample of audited Brazilian municipal governments, an objective indicator of corruption was constructed and utilized as an explanatory variable for health indicators involving different dimensions of performance. Using instrumental variables and a series of controls to assure robustness of the results, a causal

Abstract Does the public hold government to a higher standard than private for-profit and nonprofit organizations? Building upon behavioral public administration work on blame attribution, we also examine the role of functional responsibility and causal responsibility. We conduct a timely experiment to examine who the public blames for the death of nursing home residents due to a coronavirus outbreak

Abstract Public and nonprofit organizations often face various challenges when collaborating with others. The existing literature emphasizes the danger of collaborative challenges, and an implicit assumption is that collaborative challenges will affect inter-organizational relationships and network structures. Using data from three different purpose-oriented networks, this study explores the relationship

Abstract This article explores where the increasing adoption of SIBs and outcomes-based contracting may lead public service systems—toward New Public Governance, or ‘back’ to New Public Management. We present analysis from the first significant longitudinal qualitative study of a major UK SIB focused on improving outcomes in the context of social determinants of health to analyze how the two governance

Abstract The focus of red tape research so far, has been on public organizations, their organizational rules, and on managers’ perceptions of red tape. In the literature, it is suggested that red tape research should focus more on red tape that can be considered as existing objectively and on the compliance burdens of stakeholders such as businesses and citizens. For this purpose, the current definitions

Abstract Discrimination curtails equal opportunities of minority groups to participate in society. Although various studies reveal discrimination in access to human services, studies of nonprofit organizations are rare. This is surprising because nonprofits are essential providers of public services in many countries. We expect institutional features of the nonprofit sector to curb discrimination in

Abstract This research aims to deepen our understanding of how citizens’ co-delivery of services, as a specific type of the co-production of services in purpose-oriented local networks, enhances the network's functioning. Using a grounded theory approach and based on our findings, we develop three propositions. First, we propose that successful network functioning depends on whether or not the involved

Abstract Co-production aims to better realize public values such as participation and service quality. However, scholars have recently reported undesired effects of co-production for realizing public values. This article argues that co-producers’ coping strategies followed when experiencing public values conflicts codetermine value realization or obstruction. Survey data taken from temporary co-producers

Abstract Risk is omnipresent in public service delivery, which can be difficult to accept politically. Risk management is leadership behavior targeted toward enabling frontline workers to mitigate negative consequences to service recipients in risky situations. The aim of this article is to develop a theoretical framework of risk management in public service delivery and an associated, standardized

Abstract Structuring managerial discretion has been a key government policy tool in contemporary regulation and governance. This article explores how a policy that constrains managers’ discretion in recruitment influences the performance of public services. The National Background Check Program (NBCP) is a federal program aimed at strengthening states’ criminal background checks targeting direct patient

Abstract Whistleblowing is one mechanism for holding people in power accountable. However, victims and bystanders of malfeasance often do not come forward because they see the wrongdoing as inconsequential, or they perceive the costs of reporting to exceed the benefits. To better understand individuals’ support for the exposure of wrongdoing by whistleblowers in the public sector, we embed several

Abstract This study investigates if and to what extent budget transparency is affected by e-government initiatives and e-participation. Using a sample of 97 countries for the years 2008, 2010, 2012, 2015, and 2017, empirical findings showed that the hypothesized relationships do exist. These results suggest that interpreting budgeting in terms of mere compliance with laws and regulations is insufficient

Abstract Symbolic effects of bureaucratic representation assume that outcomes for citizen–clients change in response to the mere presence of bureaucrats with similar backgrounds. The social–psychological mechanisms in clients that may explain these changes are barely examined, though. Based on multi-source data on male and female high school students in the Netherlands, this study empirically tests

Abstract This article investigates the impact of reorganization on productivity within public-sector firms addressing the owners' composition, the board-management relationship, and the management's decision to outsource activities. Considering a large panel of 2,325 German municipally owned utilities between 2003 and 2014, firm-level productivity is estimated based on a control function approach.

(2022). Letter from the editor. International Public Management Journal: Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 1-1.

Abstract We know little about how performance management matters for red tape perceptions. Some argue that performance management will reduce burdensome rules, while others portray performance targets and registrations as sources of red tape perceptions. This article examines how performance management regime change—from external accountability to internal learning—matters for frontline staff red tape

(2021). Managing Organizations to Sustain Passion for Public Service by James L. Perry. International Public Management Journal. Ahead of Print.

Abstract We conducted a randomized controlled trial with 902 public hospital department heads to investigate whether and how their perceived understanding and objective recall of performance information may depend on the way it is presented, specifically, the features of its graphical representation. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three alternative graphical displays of the same data

Abstract Public service stereotypes have been the subject of various studies in public administration research. However, the cognitive processes that form the basis of these stereotypes and the heuristics processing of stereotypical information, remain empirically vague. Starting from insights on the anti-public sector bias and representativeness heuristic, we apply an experimental vignette study (n = 1

Abstract A budget stabilization fund (BSF) is an important fiscal instrument for states to stabilize their budgets, but studies have found varying results regarding its impact. We conduct a meta-analysis to determine whether and under what conditions BSFs can serve as an effective countercyclical tool. By synthesizing a total of 540 effect sizes from 23 original studies, we find that on average, BSFs

Abstract Does political rhetoric play a role in street-level bureaucrats policy implementation? If so, how? We examine this question through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 31 Israeli LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) teachers. Our findings demonstrate that when politicians express anti-LGBTQ rhetoric that contradicts the ideological position of these street-level bureaucrats

Abstract We use fine-grained federal personnel data to examine how work group diversity is related to the distribution of monetary rewards among employees who are working collectively on a team project. We focus on two types of diversity—demographic and functional—and hypothesize that the former will be positively associated with egalitarianism in reward distributions while the latter will be negatively

Abstract Turnover among top executives in government organizations warrants our research interest because of their importance for executive politics, public policy, and the management and performance of public organizations. Whereas the literature so far has primarily studied political, organizational and individual antecedents of turnover, we focus on the relational level. Based on homosocial reproduction

Abstract The aim of this study is to develop a model describing the interactions and interdependence between the obstacles to effective implementation of a collaborative model of pandemic preparedness and response. A comprehensive review of the relevant literature highlighted 15 key variables. The contextual interactions between these barrier variables were identified based on the opinions of experts

Abstract A central argument in the performance-trust literature is that the performance of public service delivery shapes citizen trust in government. However, studies have failed to address to what extent single interactions with public employees affect citizen trust in government. Building on insights from social psychology, this article argues that citizens spontaneously make impressions of the

Abstract How may we understand the relationships between public service motivation (PSM), personality traits, and public organizational outcomes? Do organizational outcomes relate to interaction associations between PSM and personality traits? Using a mix of survey data and administrative data from a sample of nursing home care workers in Denmark (n = 427), this article explores the interplay between

Abstract This article theorizes equality and inclusion in coproduction, from the perspective of public administrators. Coproduction may occur across the policy cycle and at the individual, group, and collective levels, and for reasons of both instrumentality (such as improved efficiency) and normativity (such as democracy). Participation of the disadvantaged in various modes of coproduction is essential

Abstract Governance reforms like decentralization and performance-based management aim to improve public services by increasing accountability among street-level bureaucrats: bureaucrats may be held to account by communities, supervisors, intermediary organizations, or all of these. To assess the relationship between accountability and bureaucratic effort, we utilize data from a lab-in-the-field behavioral

Abstract Despite an explicit focus on citizens' experiences with public service, research on administrative burden has done little to show how burdensome experiences affect citizen’s psychological beliefs. This limits our understanding of administrative burdens and their impact in public policy. Through a survey experiment on 1.116 unemployment insurance fund beneficiaries in Denmark, we test whether

Abstract Tax rewards are an important and useful fiscal policy tool for governments and tax administrations to plan strategies to increase tax revenue. Nevertheless, there is little clear empirical evidence of a positive effect of tax rewards on tax compliance; rather, in some cases a negative effect is even found. Consequently, this study considers a tax reward in the simplest form of a “negative

Abstract This article examines the state of public service motivation research and associated big questions from the shared perspective of participants who gathered for a 20-year retrospective conference entitled “Elevating Public Service Motivation (PSM) Research” at Aspen Grove, Utah, in 2019. Using a variety of facilitation methods, conference organizers sought to (1) identify the current state

Abstract This study examines how street-level bureaucrats perceive public and private sector performance. Street-level bureaucrats’ performance perceptions have been overlooked in public management research—despite the fact that such perceptions can work as a navigation tool to identify best practice examples, learn from peer organizations, and make comparative judgments of performance. Using a large-scale

Abstract This study explores municipal cost behavior during periods of financial crisis and strict financial sustainability legislation. The study employees Anderson, Banker, and Janakiraman approach on a data sample of 48,096 observations from Spanish municipalities for the period 2008-2018. The results suggest that during this period municipality total, service provision and investment expenses exhibit

Abstract Drawing upon positive psychology and organizational learning literature, this study examines the relationship between well-being-oriented management (WOM) and unit-level ambidexterity. Building on the social exchange theory, our multilevel model sheds light on the relationship between individual perceptions of WOM, organizational learning, and unit-level ambidexterity in public hospitals.

Abstract How do street-level bureaucrats perceive a client and react when the client exhibits behavior deviating from gender-stereotypical expectations? Introducing a new approach to the study of gender bias in citizen-state interactions, this article focuses on the intersection between clients’ demographic characteristics, behavior, and gender-stereotypical expectations. Using data from a randomized

(2021). List of reviewers: 2020. International Public Management Journal: Vol. 24, No. 3, pp. i-iii.

(2021). Letter from the editor (and announcement for our social media) International Public Management Journal: Vol. 24, No. 3, pp. 313-313.

Abstract In times where governments are increasingly unable to solve problems on their own, it is important to understand what motivates citizens to engage in co-production. Drawing on identity theory and on a sample of 966 citizens in Zurich, Switzerland, we analyze how public service motivation (PSM) is related to engagement in a digital co-production platform enabling citizens to support public

Abstract In this article, we aim to examine the responses of individual actors to the use of management controls during the hybridization of public-sector organizations. We draw on an institutional logics perspective and the literature regarding the role of management controls in hybridizing organizations to analyze findings derived from a single case study of a public university in Vietnam. We find

Abstract The management literature has highlighted the role of a manager’s gender in adopting and practicing managerial innovation. The conditions that affect female (or male) managers’ decision making on innovations, however, have been less explored. Using a national survey of top-level administrators in US nursing homes and archival nursing home quality data, this study examines how performance information

(2021). The Parallel Debate between a Narrow and a Broad Definition: A Book Review of the Projectification of the Public Sector. International Public Management Journal. Ahead of Print.

Abstract The PerformanceStat approach to performance management emphasizes leadership involvement, top-down accountability routines, and rapid application of data, a configuration likely to improve measured outcomes in targeted areas but with high risk of adverse effects in non-targeted or neglected areas, such as equity and social justice. We test these hypotheses in examining the impact of CompStat

Abstract While much is known about the consequences of PSM, comparatively little is known about the causes of PSM. Furthermore, while PSM is believed to be influenced by parents, no study has obtained measures of PSM directly from parents. This study contributes to the literature by being the first to survey both children and their parents in a study of the antecedents of PSM. Nested regression models

Abstract Citizen-government interactions through performance information have recently gained attention in public administration. To enhance these interactions, governments utilize interactive information presentations to deliver information, in the hope of allowing citizens to make informed decisions. However, there is little empirical evidence on whether the implementation of interactive presentational

Abstract Sexual harassment has been an entrenched problem in the workplace. Using the 2016 Merit Principles Survey from the US Merit Systems Protection Board, this study advances our understanding of the formal reporting of workplace sexual harassment by focusing on the crucial roles of coworker support and organization-based self-esteem. The findings show that both coworker support and organization-based

Abstract The aim of this article is to determine whether there is opportunistic behavior in local government decisions related to contracting out, public-private partnership (PPP) and/or public externalization. Analysis of the results obtained from applying a fixed effects panel data model to a sample of 2,274 Spanish municipalities supports the existence of asymmetric opportunistic behavior. Specifically