Work

Realizing public values: enhancement or obstruction? Exploring value tensions and coping strategies in the co-production of social care

Year: 2018

Type: article

Abstract: We examine the potential of co-production to enhance or obstruct the realization of public values by analysing what value tensions co-producers experience and what coping strategies they follow. In-depth study of a social care initiative in Flanders shows that co-production enhances the realization of values relating to services delivered, relationships between public servants and citizens, and the democratic quality of the service delivery process. However, public servants and citizen co-producers experience tensions between values, such as efficiency, individual freedom of co-producers, reciprocity, and inclusion. In trying to deal with these value tensions, public servants are found to follow a variety of coping strategies, whereas citizen co-producers tend to escalate tensions or avoid coping with them. The type of coping strategy followed, however, influences if and what values are ultimately represented in the service delivery process and its results.

Source: Public Management Review

DOI: 10.1080/14719037.2018.1508608

Authors: Sylke Jaspers, Trui Steen

Institution: KU Leuven

Language: English

Topic: Public Policy and Administration Research

Subfield: Public Administration

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Vlaamse regering

Award: For the public, by the public: Coping with dilemmas in the coproduction of public services