Relational public administration: a synthesis and heuristic classification of relational approaches

Bartels, Koen P.R.; Turnbull, Nick

doi:10.1080/14719037.2019.1632921

Cited by 52 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 105 publications

(98 reference statements)

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“…The above formulation exhibits the three characteristics that Bartels and Turnbull (2019) claim are common to many relational theories, especially in the context of public administration. The multi-axial definition of relationship we presented above attempts to go beyond the limiting interpretations of the actor as an individual and the system.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Public administration scholars have maintained an interest in the relationality of governance arrangements for some time. Bartels and Turnbull (2019) provide a useful review of these developments, tracing the interest in the relational from the earlier implementation scholarship to the more recent literature on networks and new public governance. Relational models, they suggest, should be characterised by three elements: (i) a relational ontology that attempts to overcome the structure-agent dichotomy, (ii) a focus on emergent properties wherein interactions between actors can change the system and (iii) a methodological focus on social networks (Bartels and Turnbull 2019, 7-8).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Relationality: an alternative framework for analysing policy

Lejano

2020

J. Pub. Pol.

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Policy is ostensibly crafted upon an overarching notion of rationality, in the form of rules, roles and designs. However, sometimes policy deviates from formal templates and seems to be guided by a different governing ethic. Rather than categorising these as policy anomalies, we can understand them as the workings of what we will refer to as a relational model of policy. The relational model describes how policy outcomes emerge from the working and reworking of relationships among policy actors. We define relationality and develop its use in policy research. While the relational can be depicted as an alternative model for policy (e.g., Confucian versus Weberian), it is more accurate to understand it as a system that complements conventional policy regimes. To illustrate the concept, we examine examples from policymaking in China. We end with a discussion of how relationality should be a general condition that should be applicable to many, if not all, policy situations.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationality: an alternative framework for analysing policy

Lejano

2020

J. Pub. Pol.

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“…The lack of attention for citizen agency is part of a broader pattern in public administration research (Nisar, 2018b), and, specifically, in studies on state‐citizen interactions, in which citizens are seen as the “powerless side of the interaction” (Gofen et al, 2019, p. 198). However, various studies have also shown the impact that citizen behavior can have on compliance and public service provision (Bartels & Turnbull, 2020; Johannessen, 2019; Kelly, 2017; Prior & Barnes, 2011), for instance through forms of negotiated (Gofen et al, 2019; Gofen & Needham, 2015) or creative compliance (McBarnet, 2003). However, despite portraying citizens as passive agents, the literature on administrative burdens also offers starting points for developing a fuller understanding of citizen agency.…”

Section: Citizen Agency and Administrative Burdenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Taking the bite out of administrative burdens: How beneficiaries of a Mexican social program ease administrative burdens in street‐level interactions

Peeters

Campos

2021

Governance

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Despite taking the citizen experience of policy implementation as starting point for analysis, the literature on administrative burdens has mostly portrayed citizens as passive victims of burdens. Based on a literature review, three hypotheses are formulated regarding citizens' capacity to ease the impact of administrative burdens through behavioral adjustment, use of social and human capital, and strategic behavior. Evidence for these strategies is found in a case study of beneficiaries' behavior in a Mexican social program, where even the most vulnerable citizens have resources to reduce the impact of administrative burdens, even if the actual causes of those burdens remain out of reach. The findings contribute to understanding (a) variance in people's experience of administrative burdens, (b) the impact of prolonged street‐level interactions on people's ability to ease administrative burdens, (c) the importance of studying informal street‐level interactions, and (d) the relevance of studying state‐citizen interactions in developmental contexts.

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“…Public servants' agency in relation to youth clients Analyses of how public servants characterize their agency in client relationships comprise a topical theme, as researchers from different fields stress the role of service encounters and relations between public servants and clients in value creation (Bartels, 2013; Bartels and Turnbull, 2019;Stout and Love, 2017;FitzPatrick et al, 2015;Osborne et al, 2016). This paper applies a conceptualization of agency emanating from sociology, where it explains purposeful social action.…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Public servants coping with competing demands on their agency in client relationships

Tuominen

Hasu

2020

IJPSM

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PurposeThis paper analyzes how public servants who work with young people discursively cope with competing demands on their agency, defined as their orientation toward and capabilities to influence their clients. Previous studies revealed how public servants treat their clients when facing competing demands but paid less attention to how public servants define their agency.Design/methodology/approachMicro-level discourse analysis is applied to analyze how public servants represent their agency in client relationships, drawing on interviews with nine individuals in a Finnish city who work with young people lacking jobs or school placements.FindingsInstead of describing their agency coherently, the interviewees applied several discourses to represent their agency differently in relation to different demands. This ability to navigate contradictory discourses is discussed as reflexive discursive coping strategy, which enables public servants to maintain a positive image of their agency despite tensions at work.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the method does not allow direct generalizations, it reveals discursive strategies likely to be found in many contemporary public organizations.Practical implicationsThe study indicates a need to better acknowledge and nurture the multifaceted nature of agency to improve service quality.Originality/valueThe findings deepen the view on tensions in public servants' work and show that diverse discourses not only create anxiety but also help individuals dealing with contradictory work.

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Relational public administration: a synthesis and heuristic classification of relational approaches

Cited by 52 publications

References 105 publications

Relationality: an alternative framework for analysing policy

Relationality: an alternative framework for analysing policy

Taking the bite out of administrative burdens: How beneficiaries of a Mexican social program ease administrative burdens in street‐level interactions

Public servants coping with competing demands on their agency in client relationships

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