Street‐level bureaucrats' perceptions of “the job”: Deviation from professional particularities and micro creation of public value

Abstract

The implementation work of street‐level bureaucrats (SLBs) is becoming more complex due to concurrent imperatives. While previous research has focused on SLBs' discretion decisions and coping strategies, this study adds to existing literature by suggesting that their perceptions of “the job” are changing. Drawing on in‐depth interviews with 87 US police officers, we found that SLBs are influenced by the great emphasis on public value, understanding their job in terms of assuming general responsibility for citizens, as public representatives. They adopt various strategies to respond to citizens' needs, providing a vast range of services that deviate from their traditional job. We conclude that SLBs work constantly, formally and informally, to effectively address what is good for the public, in ways that go beyond their professional particularities. We argue that such a broader perspective requires public administration scholars to consider more critically the expanded job perceptions, manifested in expanded professional responsibility.