Gatekeeping structures and trust development in public sector organizations

IF 1.7 3区 管理学 Q2 INFORMATION SCIENCE & LIBRARY SCIENCE Journal of Documentation Pub Date : 2023-11-03 DOI:10.1108/jd-09-2023-0186
Svetlana Norkin, Katriina Byström
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Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to examine the interaction between gatekeeping and trust in a public sector organization, where employees at lower hierarchical levels are expected to autonomously translate and transform directives into public services. This requires them to have access to operational steering information, i.e. information about directives and how to interpret and apply them. This study focuses on how gatekeeping structures regulate flows of operational steering information and how the gatekeeping structures affect the development of trust. Design/methodology/approach The research design is qualitative. The data material consisted of semi-structured interviews with 26 employees in home care and schools and of eight complementary nonparticipant observations. Thematic analysis revealed the presence of static and dynamic gatekeeping structures, which are characterized by fixed and variable arrangements of information sources and channels, respectively. Findings In static gatekeeping structures, managers or domain experts typically act as gatekeepers, and employees also perform gatekeeping activities collectively. Gatekeeping structures allow employees to switch between acting as gatekeepers and being gated, depending on the situation. The results show that gatekeeping structures for intermediation of operational steering information may support or impede employees' work, thus affecting their trust in their peers and their work organization. Research limitations/implications Although the present study included both interviews and observations, these primarily occurred within scheduled and prearranged activities rather than capturing the nuances of the typical daily work of teachers and home care employees. As a result, certain perspectives may have been unintentionally omitted. Practical implications The participants were recruited through the City of Oslo contact people, which may have impacted their status or perception in some way. Moreover, the study was conducted in the City of Oslo, a specific organization with its own unique set of values, norms and processes. The trust-based management in the City of Oslo is likely not representative of all public sector organizations. Originality/value This study contributes conceptually by introducing gatekeeping structures and operational steering information and empirically by providing evidence of their relationship to trust development in public service delivery. Thus, it contributes to the research fields of information management and public administration.
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公共部门组织中的把关结构和信任发展
本文旨在研究公共部门组织中守门人与信任之间的相互作用,在公共部门组织中,较低层级的员工被期望自主地将指令翻译并转化为公共服务。这要求他们能够访问操作导向信息,即关于指令以及如何解释和应用它们的信息。本研究主要探讨守门人结构如何调节营运导向资讯的流动,以及守门人结构如何影响信任的发展。研究设计是定性的。数据材料包括对26名家庭护理和学校员工的半结构化访谈,以及8个补充的非参与性观察。专题分析显示,网络信息源和渠道分别以固定和可变的方式排列,存在静态和动态的把关结构。在静态把关结构中,经理或领域专家通常充当把关人,员工也集体执行把关活动。看门人结构允许员工根据情况在充当看门人和被门卫之间切换。结果表明,运营导向信息中介的把关结构可能支持或阻碍员工的工作,从而影响员工对同伴和工作组织的信任。虽然本研究包括访谈和观察,但这些主要发生在计划和预先安排的活动中,而不是捕捉教师和家庭护理人员典型日常工作的细微差别。因此,某些透视图可能被无意地省略了。参与者是通过奥斯陆市的联络人招募的,这可能在某种程度上影响了他们的地位或看法。此外,这项研究是在奥斯陆市进行的,奥斯陆市是一个特殊的组织,有自己独特的一套价值观、规范和程序。奥斯陆市以信任为基础的管理很可能不能代表所有公共部门组织。原创性/价值本研究在概念上通过引入把关结构和操作指导信息做出贡献,在经验上通过提供证据证明它们与公共服务提供中的信任发展之间的关系。因此,它有助于信息管理和公共行政的研究领域。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
Journal of Documentation
Journal of Documentation INFORMATION SCIENCE & LIBRARY SCIENCE-
CiteScore
4.20
自引率
14.30%
发文量
72
期刊介绍: The scope of the Journal of Documentation is broadly information sciences, encompassing all of the academic and professional disciplines which deal with recorded information. These include, but are certainly not limited to: ■Information science, librarianship and related disciplines ■Information and knowledge management ■Information and knowledge organisation ■Information seeking and retrieval, and human information behaviour ■Information and digital literacies
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