Managing Street-Level Bureaucrats’ Performance by Promoting Professional Behavior Through HRM

Abstract

This article connects human resource management (HRM) research to studies of street-level bureaucracies and public professionals. It investigates the intermediary role of professional behavior in the HRM–individual performance link in the context of public human service organizations. The article hypothesizes that human resources (HR) practices, aimed at enhancing street-level workers’ abilities, motivation, and opportunities, strengthen these workers’ professional behavior; that professional behavior and individual performance are positively related; and that professional behavior mediates the relationship between HR practices and individual performance. The analysis of findings from a survey study of street-level workers in local welfare agencies implementing welfare-to-work policies in the Netherlands shows support for the mediating role of professional behavior in the HRM–individual performance chain. Based on this evidence, the article concludes that the professional behavior of street-level workers in public human service organizations deserves scrutiny of both HRM scholars and HR practitioners who are interested in promoting the performance of public professionals.

Barriers to collaboration between school teachers and child care workers: implications for HRM and school leadership

“…In the same vein, Boselie (2010), in the health care sector, found that ability-enhancing practices and opportunity-enhancing practices had a stronger effect on professional behaviour compared with motivation-enhancing practices. These findings align with Van Berkel et al (2022), who advocated for providing opportunities to perform for streetlevel bureaucrats, frontline professionals such as police officers, healthcare providers and teachers (Lipsky, 1980), as a crucial boundary condition for enhancing their performance. Taylor (2007) argued that motivation-enhancing practices, such as incentives or evaluations, have no effect on improving teachers' professionalism, a viewpoint consistent with the findings of Andreeva and Sergeeva (2016).…”

“…Although previous research (Beltrán-Martín and Bou-Llusar, 2018; Kellner et al. , 2016; Lipsky, 1980; Taylor, 2007; Van Berkel et al. , 2022) pointed out the significance of the “opportunity to perform” factor as a crucial element, our analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data revealed that this specific aspect was precisely where most barriers were identified.…”

“…We conclude that in line with Tuytens et al (2021), strategic HRM did not seem to be aligned with the strategic goal (here: achieving IPC), given the barriers currently experienced, in particular concerning opportunity to perform. Although previous research (Beltr an-Mart ın and Bou-Llusar, 2018; Kellner et al, 2016;Lipsky, 1980;Taylor, 2007;Van Berkel et al, 2022) pointed out the significance of the "opportunity to perform" factor as a crucial element, our analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data revealed that this specific aspect was precisely where most barriers were identified.…”

Promote or Deter: How Organizations Influence Public Service Motivation

“…This opportunity is not necessarily worth anything unless the organization’s human resource management practices are able to act on it. When an organization’s human resource practices enhance “employees’ abilities, motivation, and opportunities,” the employee’s professional behavior is stimulated and their individual performance increases (van Berkel et al, 2022). While the authors of this particular study focused on the outcomes of street-level public servants, it is not unreasonable to think that these human resource practices may also promote both professionalism and job performance for the rest of the organization.…”

Discretion and its Effects: Analyzing the Role of Street-Level Bureaucrats’ Policy Enforcement Style

“…An SLB must cope with demands for their competent performance and focus on each client's needs when deciding whether to grant access to public services. Thus, SLBs must mediate the demands of both policymakers and clients; otherwise, the discretionary behavior of SLBs can undermine the entire enforcement process (Marshall, 2017;Meyers et al, 1998;van Berkel et al, 2021).…”