000			01658nam a22001457a 4500
999			_c521519 _d521519
008			230210b ||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d
100			_aKeulemans, Shelena _937260
245			_aExploring rule-following identity at the frontline: The roles of general self-efficacy, gender, and attitude toward clients
260			_aPublic Administration: An International Quarterly
300			_a99(4), Dec,, 2021: p.694-710
520			_aThe way in which street-level bureaucrats relate to rules has intrigued scholars for decades. This article revisits the classic idea that street-level bureaucrats' rule-following identity reflects their personal insecurity and penchant for control. Building on this perspective of emotional needs, we investigate how general self-efficacy, gender, and attitude toward clients affect this identity. We expect general self-efficacy to suppress a strong rule-following identity by stimulating street-level bureaucrats' internal sense of control. We furthermore expect that this relation is stronger for women bureaucrats and bureaucrats who hold a positive attitude to clients. Contrary to expectations, survey data (n = 1407) show that this identity strengthens as general self-efficacy beliefs increase. Gender and attitude to clients do not affect this relationship. These findings suggest that rule-following identity reflects street-level bureaucrats' confidence in their abilities to work complex rule sets to fulfill task requirements, rather than desire for control or to reduce insecurity. – Reproduced
773			_aPublic Administration: An International Quarterly
906			_aPUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
942			_cAR