Exploration of the technocratic mentality among European civil servants

Abstract

Civil servants vary in the degree to which they hold technocratic attitudes. We explore whether bureaucrats’ exposure to politics and politicians is associated with the depoliticization dimension of the technocratic mentality. We use survey data of high-level executives in 19 European countries to explore factors that are associated with executives’ perceptions that removing issues and activities from the realms of politics leads to more farsighted policies. We find that respondents’ level of exposure to politics and politicians is indeed negatively associated with technocratic mentality. Bureaucrats have studied political science or public administration, work closer to politicians (in terms of type of organization), interact with them more frequently, and have more positive perceptions of these interactions tend to have lower levels of technocratic attitudes. Points for practitioners Beliefs affect behaviors and behaviors affect outcomes. Technocratic attitudes may limit the ability of civil servants to work effectively with politicians. We show that educational degrees that promote democratic values and exposure to politicians (particularly positive interactions) are associated with lower levels of technocratic attitudes. Given that a proper balance between political and technical knowledge can enhance organizational performance (Krause et al., 2006), these findings should be taken into account when staffing and structuring public organizations.

Comparing ministerial advisers across politicization settings: Still hiding in the shadows?

“…Secondly, MAs in Type I setting (Estonia and Latvia) provide the least substantive advice but are most intensely involved in providing political advice. Senior civil servants there have highly technocratic attitudes (Raudla et al, 2021), which is consistent with them supplying limited political advice. This, in turn, may create demand for MAs with explicit political skills and roles.…”

Role Models in the Senior Civil Service: How Tasks Frame the Identification of Senior Bureaucrats with Active and Reactive Roles

“…Several public sector studies build on an institutionalist perspective on socialization (Simon, 1997). Many underline that the (hierarchical) organizational position influences civil servants' role perceptions, attitudes and behavior (e.g., Christensen & Laegreid, 2009;Christensen & Opstrup, 2018;Egeberg, 2012;Raudla et al, 2021). The mechanism behind this process, however, seems not to be grounded in hierarchy per se, but might be based on the duties associated with a certain hierarchy level.…”

Public sector workers' support for technocracy. Comparative evidence from 25 European countries

“…Furthermore, there are indications that the technocratic mentality among public sector workers is on the rise (Esmark, 2020; Fischer, 1990). Experiments with new public management (NPM) and post‐new public management (post‐NPM) reforms increased the importance of rational planning and cost‐benefit analysis, performance management and accounting, evidence‐informed policy making, strategic and risk management, and network governance (Christensen & Mandelkern, 2022; Esmark, 2020; Raudla et al., 2021; Ribbhagen, 2011). These developments have in common that they strengthen the role of the technically trained expert in government.…”

“…Most studies on technocracy and technocratic government focus on the support for technocracy and the technocratic attitudes of citizens (Bertsou & Caramani, 2022; Bertsou & Pastorella, 2017; Chiru & Enyedi, 2022; Ganuza & Font, 2020), technocracy in European Union politics and policy‐making (Radaelli, 1999; Reiser & Hebenstreit, 2020; Scicluna & Auer, 2019), and are often conceptual in nature (Esmark, 2016, 2020; Fischer, 1990; Putnam, 1977; Rockman, 2019), or address technocracy in relation to the rise of populism and populist politics (Bertsou, 2020; Bertsou & Caramani, 2020a; Bickerton & Accetti, 2017; Caramani, 2017; Chiru & Enyedi, 2022; Rockman, 2019). More recently, research focused on the technocratic attitudes of public officials at the strategic levels of government (Christensen & Mandelkern, 2022; Raudla et al., 2021; Ribbhagen, 2011). These studies provide key insight into the technocratic attitudes of the public officials who are responsible for designing and implementing policy plans and initiatives.…”