Different encounter behaviors: Businesses in encounters with regulatory agencies

TY - JOUR

T1 - Different encounter behaviors:

T2 - Businesses in encounters with regulatory agencies

AU - Nielsen, Helle Oersted

AU - Nielsen, Vibeke Lehmann

PY - 2023/1

Y1 - 2023/1

N2 - Studies on regulatory encounters have shown that the interaction between regulator and regulatee is important for implementation of public policy. Much of this research examines how the behavior of frontline workers in such encounters affects regulatee compliance, that is, an outcome of the encounter, but we know less about the behavior that regulatees bring to these encounters. This paper therefore examines how businesses behave in encounters with regulatory authorities, and whether we can identify distinct, multidimensional types of encounter behavior. Using survey data from representative samples of Danish businesses and an exploratory cluster analysis, we identify five types of encounter behavior. We label these “Cooperators,” “Accommodators,” “Game players,” “Protesters,” and “Fighters.” We believe this framework provides a useful next step in a research agenda on businesses' behavior in regulatory encounters.

AB - Studies on regulatory encounters have shown that the interaction between regulator and regulatee is important for implementation of public policy. Much of this research examines how the behavior of frontline workers in such encounters affects regulatee compliance, that is, an outcome of the encounter, but we know less about the behavior that regulatees bring to these encounters. This paper therefore examines how businesses behave in encounters with regulatory authorities, and whether we can identify distinct, multidimensional types of encounter behavior. Using survey data from representative samples of Danish businesses and an exploratory cluster analysis, we identify five types of encounter behavior. We label these “Cooperators,” “Accommodators,” “Game players,” “Protesters,” and “Fighters.” We believe this framework provides a useful next step in a research agenda on businesses' behavior in regulatory encounters.

KW - behavior typology

KW - businesses

KW - regulation

KW - regulatory encounters

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85124484234&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/rego.12455

DO - 10.1111/rego.12455

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1748-5983

VL - 17

SP - 61

EP - 82

JO - Regulation & Governance

JF - Regulation & Governance

IS - 1

ER -