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Discretion: Whether and How Does It Promote Street-Level Bureaucrats' Taking Charge Behavior?
Shuai Yuan1, Zhixia Chen1, Mei Sun1
1Department of Public Administration, College of Public Administration, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Abstract:
The extant pieces of literature on discretion has mainly focused on its effect on policy implementation and public service delivery, but few studies have looked at its influence on street-level bureaucrats' work behavior, such as taking charge behavior (TCB), which is of great importance for government reforms, especially in developing and transitional countries. Based on the self-determination theory, this study examines whether and how discretion promotes street-level bureaucrats' TCB. Two studies were conducted among street-level bureaucrats in China. First, a survey experiment (n = 355) suggests that discretion positively predicts street-level bureaucrats' TCB. Then, a survey questionnaire study (n = 442) shows that discretion is positively related to TCB through the mediator of public service motivation (PSM). We concluded with implications for theory and practice.
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