Connecting Governance and the Front Lines: How Work Pressure and Autonomy Matter for Coping in Different Performance Regimes

TY - JOUR

T1 - Connecting Governance and the Front Lines: How Work Pressure and Autonomy Matter for Coping in Different Performance Regimes

AU - Loon, Nina van

AU - Jakobsen, Mads Leth

PY - 2018/9

Y1 - 2018/9

N2 - How frontline employees cope with perceived work pressure may be of direct influence on policy outcomes. This study contributes to the street-level bureaucracy literature in several ways. First, we study both passive client-oriented and active system-oriented coping. Second, we analyse how these coping behaviours relate to work pressure and work autonomy. Finally, this article analyses whether these relationships are conditioned by the performance regime. Using a unique set-up of hospital employees (n = 979) working in external and internal performance regimes, we find a higher level of system-oriented active coping than client-oriented passive coping. Moreover, we find that autonomy matters for system-oriented coping and work pressure for client-oriented coping, and that these relationships are context-dependent.

AB - How frontline employees cope with perceived work pressure may be of direct influence on policy outcomes. This study contributes to the street-level bureaucracy literature in several ways. First, we study both passive client-oriented and active system-oriented coping. Second, we analyse how these coping behaviours relate to work pressure and work autonomy. Finally, this article analyses whether these relationships are conditioned by the performance regime. Using a unique set-up of hospital employees (n = 979) working in external and internal performance regimes, we find a higher level of system-oriented active coping than client-oriented passive coping. Moreover, we find that autonomy matters for system-oriented coping and work pressure for client-oriented coping, and that these relationships are context-dependent.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85031112050&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/padm.12357

DO - 10.1111/padm.12357

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0033-3298

VL - 96

SP - 435

EP - 451

JO - Public Administration

JF - Public Administration

IS - 3

ER -