Publication
When do bureaucrats respond to external demands? A theoretical framework and empirical test of bureaucratic responsiveness
In this article, Dovilė Rimkutė and Joris van der Voet investigate to what extent bureaucratic responsiveness depends upon the stakeholder that expresses an external demand (source), the aspect of bureaucratic conduct that is addressed (content), and the presence of adverse media attention (salience).
- Author
- Dovilė Rimkutė, Joris van der Voet
- Date
- 04 October 2023
- Links
- Read the full article here
Bureaucrats must balance neutral competence with responsiveness to external demands. As external demands are simultaneous and multidimensional, this study analyses bureaucratic responsiveness according to bureaucratic actors' prioritisation decisions. Using a discrete choice experiment followed by qualitative interviews in the context of EU agencies, the authors investigate to what extent bureaucratic responsiveness depends upon the stakeholder that expresses an external demand (source), the aspect of bureaucratic conduct that is addressed (content), and the presence of adverse media attention (salience).
In addition to corroborating prior empirical findings, this article provides a novel understanding of bureaucratic responsiveness by showing the way demands' source and content affect responsiveness jointly. Across the range of technical, performative, legal-procedural, and moral demands, the authors identify which stakeholders can impose demands most authoritatively. They also extend previous research by demonstrating that adverse media attention strengthens responsiveness to technical and moral demands, but not to performative and legal-procedural demands.