Betwixt agency and accountability: re-visioning street-level bureaucrats
This paper presents a critical assessment of the much-discussed tension between bureaucratic accountability and the contextual discretion of ‘street-level bureaucrats’ (i.e. front-line public sector workers). Based on an extensive literature review, the paper outlines the implications of the exerci...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
UTS ePRESS
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://10.44.11.29:8080/index.php/cjlg/article/view/8173 |
| _version_ | 1811233030527778816 |
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| author | Priyanshu Gupta Manish Thakur Bhaskar Chakrabarti |
| author_facet | Priyanshu Gupta Manish Thakur Bhaskar Chakrabarti |
| author_sort | Priyanshu Gupta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
This paper presents a critical assessment of the much-discussed tension between bureaucratic accountability and the contextual discretion of ‘street-level bureaucrats’ (i.e. front-line public sector workers). Based on an extensive literature review, the paper outlines the implications of the exercise of agency by street-level bureaucrats in everyday settings. It also looks at the challenges this agency engenders: loss of accountability and divergence from stated policy goals. The paper underlines the need for future research on institutional structures and organisational cultures around street-level bureaucracy. It suggests possible lines of enquiry to steer the debate in new, and hopefully productive, directions.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T11:14:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1625b63dd8be4b649dec41143a3e1076 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1836-0394 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T11:14:12Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | UTS ePRESS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance |
| spelling | doaj.art-1625b63dd8be4b649dec41143a3e10762022-12-22T03:35:32ZengUTS ePRESSCommonwealth Journal of Local Governance1836-03942022-05-012610.5130/cjlg.vi26.8173Betwixt agency and accountability: re-visioning street-level bureaucratsPriyanshu Gupta0Manish Thakur1Bhaskar Chakrabarti2 Indian Institute of Management LucknowIndian Institute of Management CalcuttaIndian Institute of Management Calcutta This paper presents a critical assessment of the much-discussed tension between bureaucratic accountability and the contextual discretion of ‘street-level bureaucrats’ (i.e. front-line public sector workers). Based on an extensive literature review, the paper outlines the implications of the exercise of agency by street-level bureaucrats in everyday settings. It also looks at the challenges this agency engenders: loss of accountability and divergence from stated policy goals. The paper underlines the need for future research on institutional structures and organisational cultures around street-level bureaucracy. It suggests possible lines of enquiry to steer the debate in new, and hopefully productive, directions. http://10.44.11.29:8080/index.php/cjlg/article/view/8173Bureaucratic accountability'street-level bureaucrats'India |
| spellingShingle | Priyanshu Gupta Manish Thakur Bhaskar Chakrabarti Betwixt agency and accountability: re-visioning street-level bureaucrats Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance Bureaucratic accountability 'street-level bureaucrats' India |
| title | Betwixt agency and accountability: re-visioning street-level bureaucrats |
| title_full | Betwixt agency and accountability: re-visioning street-level bureaucrats |
| title_fullStr | Betwixt agency and accountability: re-visioning street-level bureaucrats |
| title_full_unstemmed | Betwixt agency and accountability: re-visioning street-level bureaucrats |
| title_short | Betwixt agency and accountability: re-visioning street-level bureaucrats |
| title_sort | betwixt agency and accountability re visioning street level bureaucrats |
| topic | Bureaucratic accountability 'street-level bureaucrats' India |
| url | http://10.44.11.29:8080/index.php/cjlg/article/view/8173 |
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