Gaining Legitimacy as a Public Official: The Case of Supportive Employee Attitudes to the Standardization of Work
(2012) In International Journal of Public Administration 35(8). p.544-552- Abstract
- The standardization of work processes is a common feature of the public administration, aiming at both efficiency and equal treatment of citizens. Combining this standardization with employee motivation is considered a challenge. This challenge is explored, based on a survey to 261 social insurance officers (SIOs) at the Swedish Social Insurance Agency. Results reveal that, contrary to expectations, 73 per cent of these officials perceived the standardized protocols as supportive, rather than burdening. Justifications were codified in order to identify factors affecting these attitudes. Four categories emerged. These factors are discussed and it is concluded that the standardization of work increased professional status, by providing with... (More)
- The standardization of work processes is a common feature of the public administration, aiming at both efficiency and equal treatment of citizens. Combining this standardization with employee motivation is considered a challenge. This challenge is explored, based on a survey to 261 social insurance officers (SIOs) at the Swedish Social Insurance Agency. Results reveal that, contrary to expectations, 73 per cent of these officials perceived the standardized protocols as supportive, rather than burdening. Justifications were codified in order to identify factors affecting these attitudes. Four categories emerged. These factors are discussed and it is concluded that the standardization of work increased professional status, by providing with legitimacy and authority. However, in order to ensure compliance and increase professional status, better opportunities for officials to influence protocols and contribute to the shared knowledge base are required. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/2861967
- author
- Bringselius, Louise LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2012
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- street-level bureaucrat, public official, professionalism, Standardization of work, social insurance
- in
- International Journal of Public Administration
- volume
- 35
- issue
- 8
- pages
- 544 - 552
- publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:84863855613
- ISSN
- 0190-0692
- DOI
- 10.1080/01900692.2012.661185
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 497c58ac-bca6-4021-8e83-3d774459a52c (old id 2861967)
- alternative location
- http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01900692.2012.661185
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 13:15:37
- date last changed
- 2022-01-27 18:13:13
@article{497c58ac-bca6-4021-8e83-3d774459a52c,
abstract = {{The standardization of work processes is a common feature of the public administration, aiming at both efficiency and equal treatment of citizens. Combining this standardization with employee motivation is considered a challenge. This challenge is explored, based on a survey to 261 social insurance officers (SIOs) at the Swedish Social Insurance Agency. Results reveal that, contrary to expectations, 73 per cent of these officials perceived the standardized protocols as supportive, rather than burdening. Justifications were codified in order to identify factors affecting these attitudes. Four categories emerged. These factors are discussed and it is concluded that the standardization of work increased professional status, by providing with legitimacy and authority. However, in order to ensure compliance and increase professional status, better opportunities for officials to influence protocols and contribute to the shared knowledge base are required.}},
author = {{Bringselius, Louise}},
issn = {{0190-0692}},
keywords = {{street-level bureaucrat; public official; professionalism; Standardization of work; social insurance}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{8}},
pages = {{544--552}},
publisher = {{Taylor & Francis}},
series = {{International Journal of Public Administration}},
title = {{Gaining Legitimacy as a Public Official: The Case of Supportive Employee Attitudes to the Standardization of Work}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2012.661185}},
doi = {{10.1080/01900692.2012.661185}},
volume = {{35}},
year = {{2012}},
}