http://repub.eur.nl/res/aut/14007/ List of Publications en http://repub.eur.nl/static-eur/img/logo.png http://repub.eur.nl http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/34967/ 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z Effective health system reform requires support from health care professionals. However, many studies show an increasing discontent among health care professionals toward certain government policies. When professionals resist implementing policies, this may have serious consequences for policy effectiveness. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/39002/ 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z Nowadays, many public professionals have difficulties identifying with governmental policies. Many resist to implement these policies, and some demonstrate against them. In this chapter we show that although New Public Management is indeed an important factor influencing identification problems of public professionals, we need to consider other factors too. Being more specific, one especially needs to look at the degree of professionalism of the policy implementers. In this way, this chapter has theoretical and practical value. It is theoretically important as we do not privilege, but position NPM. Newman already noted that NPM can not be held responsible for everything, but this has not yet been examined thoroughly on the level of actual policy implementation (at ‘street levels’), where professionals interact with citizens. It is of practical value as a lack of identification with policies might demotivate professionals and hinder high-quality case treatment. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/39171/ 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z This article presents a review of the recent literature on change management in public organisations and sets out to explore the extent to which this literature has responded to earlier critiques regarding the lack of (public) contextual factors. The review includes 133 articles published on this topic in the period from 2000 to 2010. The articles are analyzed based on the themes of the context, content, process, outcome and leadership of change. We identified whether the articles referred to different orders of change, as well as their employed methods and theory. Our findings concentrate on the lack of detail on change processes and outcomes and the gap between the common theories used to study change. We propose an agenda for the study of change management in public organisations that focuses on its complex nature by building theoretical bridges and performing more in-depth empirical and comparative studies on change processes. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/38785/ 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z Introducing choice and competition in public services was supposed to put citizens in the “driver’s seat”, making them in charge of their service provision. Introducing choice often is indeed beneficial for citizens. However, it sometimes also leads to increased inequality among citizens. This chapter provides an overview of the background, facilitators and pitfalls of choice, illustrated using empirical studies from various sectors (such as education, healthcare and utilities) in various countries. We conclude by arguing that policymakers should make informed decisions regarding choice. Introducing choice can benefit public services, but one should remain cautious for its potential negative effects. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/39573/ 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z and especially social innovation is a ‘magic concept’ that during the last years has been embraced as a promising reform strategy for the public sector. It is argued that it is important for social innovation that it is being co-created with citizens. However, to date there are no overviews on co-creation during innovation, which systematically analyze the literature concerning the forms, antecedents and effects of co-creation. This paper therefore conducted a systematic review to retrieve studies on co-creation. It also included related literature on co-production. 49 peer-reviewed articles in the period from 1987-2013 were included. In general, most studies employ a qualitative case study approach. Quantitative studies are scare. Most studies have been conducted in the healthcare or education sector. The review further reveals that in the level of citizen involvement is often rather low; citizens are only acting as co-implementer, not designers or initiators. Considering the factors influencing co-creation, we found that an administrative culture of fear and risk-aversion and not accepting citizens as partners are strong barriers. While factors influencing co-creation where often studied, there seems to be much less research on the outcomes or objectives of co-creation. Co-creation is often also seen as a value in itself. We conclude by summarizing the results and providing a future research agenda for thoroughly studying co-creation during public innovation. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/39575/ 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z Stress is endemic to street-level work. How frontline workers handle conflicting pressures and changes in their environment bears substantially on policy performance and the delivery of human services. ‘Coping’ is the current term for understanding frontline workers responses to stress. Coping in the field of policy implementation is a sensitizing concept, not yet harmonized with extensive coping literature in clinical psychology nor operationalized to enable its measurement of its prevalence in the context of policy implementation. This paper takes steps to close that gap. Our main objective is to define coping and build a classification model. To this end, we conduct a systematic review of the literature on coping during policy implementation. After discussing ways that technology and new forms of public administration may bear on coping, we build a classification model of coping during policy implementation, comprised of three main families of coping (negotiation, problem solving and opposition) and multiple ways of coping (such as blaming others, routinizing services and whistleblowing). Our ultimate goal is to operationalize coping in the context of frontline work so that it can advance our understanding of human service delivery and serve as a diagnostic tool for practitioners seeking to improve policy performance as everyday practice. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/37307/ 2012-09-23T00:00:00Z In de komende jaren heeft ‘het gezond maken’ van de overheidsfinanciën prioriteit. Dit betekent dat in grote delen van de zorg – met een begroting van meer dan 60 miljard euro een van de grootste kostenposten – flink moet worden bezuinigd. Om dit te bereiken hebben politici en beleidsmakers veel nieuw beleid geïntroduceerd. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/37293/ 2012-09-18T00:00:00Z Background: Effective health system reform requires support from health care professionals. However, many studies show an increasing discontent among health care professionals toward certain government policies. When professionals resist implementing policies, this may have serious consequences for policy effectiveness. Objective: To develop and test a model for explaining resistance of health professionals to implement policies, based on three dimensions: societal benefits (such as improving efficiency), patient benefits (such as improving quality for individual patients) and personal benefits for professionals (for example increased income or fewer administrative burdens). Methods: We conduct a survey among 1317 Dutch psychologists, psychotherapists and psychiatrists in 2010 who had to implement a new policy: Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs). The dependent variable is professionals' resistance to implement these DRGs. As independent variables we develop scales to measure perceived societal benefits, patient benefits and personal benefits. Socio-demographic variables are also included. Results: The model worked adequately in that the three benefit dimensions, together with control variables, explained 43% of the variance in resistance to implement DRGs. Results indicate that health professionals were overall quite resistant towards the policy. The main reason was widespread belief that DRGs neither contribute to care quality nor help to control costs (low societal benefits). Resistance can also be explained by fears for one's personal status, income, and administrative burdens. Professionals furthermore doubt whether the policy is beneficial for patients, although this dimension is the least influential, which was unexpected. Perceived effects on patient choice, furthermore, do not contribute to willingness or resistance to work with DRGs. These insights can help in understanding why health care professionals embrace or resist the implementation of particular policies. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/32694/ 2012-07-01T00:00:00Z Currently, there is an intense debate on the pressures facing public professionals during policy implementation. Frequently professionals have difficulty identifying with new policies, resulting in among else diminished policy performance. We examine this problem using the concept of ‘policy alienation’, for which we have developed and tested a scale for its measurement. Policy alienation is conceptually associated with five sub-dimensions: strategic powerlessness, tactical powerlessness, operational powerlessness, societal meaninglessness and client meaninglessness. Likert-type items have been developed for these sub-dimensions which together create a policy alienation scale. The initial scale was reviewed by interviewing 21 experts. These items were then administered in a survey of 478 Dutch healthcare professionals implementing a new financial policy: Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG, or DBC). The resulting 23-item policy alienation scale demonstrated good psychometric qualities. A reliable and valid policy alienation scale can ultimately help in understanding and enhancing policy performance. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/32908/ 2012-07-01T00:00:00Z Currently, there is an intense debate on the pressures facing public professionals during policy implementation. Frequently, professionals have difficulty identifying with new policies, resulting in diminished policy performance. The author examines this problem using the concept of "policy alienation" and develops and tests a scale for its measurement. Policy alienation is associated conceptually with five subdimensions: strategic powerlessness, tactical powerlessness, operational powerlessness, societal meaninglessness, and client meaninglessness. A policy alienation scale was using a survey of 478 Dutch health care professionals implementing a new financial policy, diagnosis related groups. The resulting 23-item policy alienation scale demonstrated good psychometric qualities. A reliable and valid policy alienation scale can help in understanding and enhancing policy performance. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/37167/ 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z Nowadays, public policies often focus on economic values, such as efficiency and financial transparency. Public professionals often resist implementing such policies. We analyse this using the concept of ‘role conflicts’. We use a novel approach by conceptualizing and measuring role conflicts on the policy level, thereby linking policy implementation and social psychology research. We construct and test scales for policy-client, policy-professional and organizational- professional role conflicts. Using survey data, we show that policy-professional and policy-client role conflicts negatively influence the willingness of public professionals to implement policies. In concluding, we conceptualized and measured three role conflicts that can occur during policy implementation. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/31615/ 2012-03-02T00:00:00Z Currently, there is an intense debate on the pressures public professionals face in service delivery. Many professionals show increasing discontent toward policies they have to implement. In healthcare, psychologists, psychiatrists and psychotherapists demonstrated against plans of the government to implement Diagnosis Related Groups (Diagnose Behandeling Combinaties, DBC’s). Furthermore, many secondary school teachers had difficulties identifying with the Second Phase policy (Tweede Fase). These examples are not unique: public professionals often appear to have difficulties identifying with the policy they have to implement. This can have severe consequences for policy performance, but also for the work lives of these professionals. To date, there is no coherent, theoretical framework for analyzing this topic. In this study we build a theoretical framework of ‘policy alienation’. Policies in healthcare, social security and education are analyzed, using both qualitative and quantitative techniques. We selected policies which had a high degree of policy alienation, as well as policies which were more positively received. The conclusions of this study challenge common assertions about the reasons for resistance of public professionals towards policies. For instance, we found that professionals often agree with the business goals of new policies. They are unwilling to implement such a policy not because it focuses on business goals, but because it would not achieve those business goals. Furthermore, we nuance the impact of professional influence. It is more important for professionals that a policy is developed which is meaningful for society and for their own clients, than that they have influence in its shaping. The results of the study have implications for public administration scholars, public professionals, public managers and policymakers. In order to improve its academic and practical significance, an instrument is developed to measure the degree of policy alienation of implementers. This instrument can be used to understand and improve policy performance. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/32693/ 2012-02-28T00:00:00Z Professionals in de publieke sector zijn vervreemd van overheidsbeleid, waardoor de uitvoering van dat beleid hapert. Dat is geen angst voor verandering, maar werkers in de zorg en het onderwijs vinden nieuw beleid vaak zinloos. Politici moeten ophouden professionals van tekortkomingen te betichten ... http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/34983/ 2012-01-16T00:00:00Z The willingness of public professionals to implement policy programmes is important for achieving policy performance. However, few scholars have developed and tested systematic frameworks to analyze this issue. In this study, we address this by building and testing an appropriate framework. The aims have been: (1) to build a three-factor model (policy content, organizational context, and personality characteristics) for explaining willingness to implement policies; and (2) to quantitatively test the model through a survey of Dutch professionals. The results show that policy content is the most important factor in explaining willingness. Nevertheless, organizational context and the personality characteristics of implementers also have a significant effect and should be considered when studying the attitudes of professionals towards policies. This research helps in understanding the willingness or resistance of professionals when it comes to implementing policies. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/32692/ 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z Matrixstructuren worden in organisaties weinig benut voor de dagelijkse besturing; hooguit voor projecten. In de gezondheidszorg spelen echter ontwikkelingen die een grotere betrokkenheid van professionals vergen. De vraag is of de matrix dat bewerkstelligt, welke voor- en nadelen de matrixstructuur bij Novadic-Kentron heeft en hoe de balans bij het middenmanagement en op de werkvloer uitslaat. Een verhaal uit de praktijk. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/33031/ 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z Er is veel opiniërend geschreven over de ervaringen van verloskundigen en echoscopisten met hun werk en met de twintig weken echo (Structureel Echoscopisch Onderzoek, SEO), maar er is erg weinig grootschalig wetenschappelijk onderzoek naar deze ervaringen. Dit rapport vult deze lacune. Het is een eerste beschrijving van een nationaal onderzoek onder 790 verloskundigen en echoscopisten. Er komen erg interessante resultaten uit het onderzoek. Hier geven we drie voorbeelden. Ten eerste zien we dat de deelnemende zorgprofessionals zeer tevreden zijn met hun werk (gemiddelde 8,3) en een grote inzet laten zien (gemiddelde 8,1). Ten tweede zien we dat 90% van de verloskundigen en echoscopisten het SEO/twintig weken echo niet willen afschaffen. Tot slot zien we dat veel zorgprofessionals wel verbeterpunten aangeven voor de SEO-regelgeving, zoals het verhogen van de kwaliteit van de uitvoering van de echo, betere communicatie om de beeldvorming te verbeteren/nuanceren en een vereenvoudigd administratief systeem. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/34726/ 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z Street-level bureaucrats implementing public policies have a certain degree of freedom – or discretion – in their work. Following the work of Lipsky, the concept of discretion has received wide attention in the policy implementation literature. However, scholars have not yet developed theoretical frameworks regarding the effects of discretion, which were subsequently tested these using large n samples. In this study, we develop a theoretical framework regarding two effects of discretion (client meaningfulness and willingness to implement), in order to increase our understanding of the mechanisms at work. The hypothesized relationships are tested using a Dutch nationwide survey among 1.317 psychologists, psychiatrists and psychotherapists implementing a new reimbursement policy. These are analysed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The results firstly show a positive effect of discretion on client meaningfulness. Next to this, discretion positively affected the willingness to implement a policy, and this is partially mediated by client meaningfulness. Hence, when street-level bureaucrats experience discretion, this positively influences the value they can deliver to clients, which in turn positively influences their willingness to implement a policy. Implications for policy implementation researchers are discussed. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/37382/ 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z Hoewel de aandacht op dit moment door de economische crisis vooral uitgaat naar oplopende werkloosheid, is de verwachting dat de komende jaren vooral in de zorg een groot personeelstekort zal ontstaan. Door de vergrijzing stijgt de vraag naar zorg, terwijl het aanbod van personeel juist daalt. Voor zorgorganisaties is het daarom van cruciaal belang om personeel aan zich te binden. In dit artikel analyseren we de redenen voor binding bij zorgmedewerkers in de Verpleging, Verzorging en Thuiszorg (VVT) sector. We besteden daarbij expliciete aandacht aan diversiteit, in het bijzonder verschillen tussen mannen en vrouwen, omdat eerder onderzoek laat zien dat er sekseverschillen bestaan in binding van werknemers. Analyses van gegevens uit de ActiZ Benchmark in de Zorg (160 organisaties, meer dan 60.000 respondenten) laten zien dat er een aantal redenen zijn voor medewerkers om zich te binden aan de organisatie. Goede ontwikkelings- en loopbaanmogelijkheden blijkt de belangrijkste reden te zijn waarom medewerkers bij hun organisatie willen blijven. HR-managers kunnen hierop inspelen, door goed na te gaan welke ontwikkelmogelijkheden medewerkers wensen. Na ontwikkeling en loopbaan blijkt een goede werksfeer erg belangrijk. Waardering voor elkaars werk en goed contact met collega’s heeft een sterke invloed op de binding van medewerkers. Voor mannen is hiernaast een sterke organisatievisie en -ambitie een belangrijke reden om bij een organisatie te blijven, terwijl dit voor vrouwen minder van belang lijkt te zijn. De gemiddelde score voor visie en ambitie is niet erg hoog: een 6,7 op een schaal van 1-10. Op dit gebied kunnen HR-managers en leidinggevenden in de zorgsector nog veel winnen. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/37383/ 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z Verschillende ontwikkelingen – zoals hogere prestatie-eisen en nieuw overheidsbeleid – lijken ervoor te zorgen dat de werkbaarheid binnen de publieke sector onder druk staat. In dit artikel analyseren we de ervaringen van verloskundigen en echoscopisten met een specifiek overheidsbeleid: de 20-wekenecho (structureel echoscopisch onderzoek). We hanteren een interdisciplinaire aanpak. Vanuit de beleidsimplementatieliteratuur gebruiken we het concept beleidsvervreemding, dat uit vijf dimensies bestaat: strategische, tactische en operationele machteloosheid, en zinloosheid voor de samenleving en voor de eigen cliënten. Dit zijn mogelijke oorzaken die de weerstand tegen of steun aan nieuw beleid van professionals kunnen verklaren (i.e. behavioural support for the change, een concept uit de verandermanagementliteratuur). We testen dit model via een vragenlijst onder 780 verloskundigen en echoscopisten. De resultaten laten zien dat wanneer verloskundigen en echoscopisten de 20-wekenecho als zinloos ervaren, zij veel minder steun vertonen. Strategische en tactische machteloosheid blijken juist niet significant van invloed te zijn. Deze resultaten helpen om te begrijpen waarom professionals weerstand tegen of juist steun voor nieuw overheidsbeleid vertonen. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/38357/ 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z When undertaking qualitative research, public administration scholars must walk a thin line between being theoretically sensitive and imposing preconceived ideas on their work. This article identifies opportunities and pitfalls in using literature in qualitative public administration research. Whereas the opportunities are already well known within the discipline, the pitfalls remain underexposed. We identify potential pitfalls by using insights from the grounded theory approach. To illustrate how opportunities can be optimally exploited, and pitfalls avoided, we provide examples of high quality public administration research. Finally, we derive recommendations for public administration scholars when using literature in their qualitative research. These recommendations can help improve qualitative methods in the public administration discipline. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/38390/ 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z Currently, there is an intense debate on the pressures facing public professionals in service delivery. Several studies show increasing discontent among professionals toward policies they have to implement. In this article, we aim to contribute to this topic by analyzing this discontent of public professionals in terms of ‘policy alienation’. The policy alienation concept is used to frame the experiences of professionals in a coherent theoretical framework. We have used a qualitative comparative case study of Dutch insurance physicians and secondary school teachers to study the factors that influence the degree of policy alienation across different domains. Our article shows that facets of New Public Management are important in explaining the pressures on public professionals implementing public policies. However, others factors are also prominent, and the degree of the implementers’ professionalism seems especially important. These insights help in understanding why public professionals embrace or resist the implementation of public policies. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/32143/ 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z Abstract. The notion of work alienation and its consequences has fascinated scholars and practitioners for a long time. But most research focused on passive performance indicators (such as job satisfaction), while the effects on work alienation on active performance (work effort) and outside work are understudied. This paper therefore examines the impact of work alienation on passive performance (organizational commitment), active performance (work effort), and its impact outside work (workfamily enrichment). Hypotheses are formulated based on two research streams: sociology of work and organization in relation to work alienation and work-family literature in relation to enrichment. Two dimensions of work alienation are considered: powerlessness and meaninglessness. Both literature streams expect a negative impact of work alienation on employee outcomes. Hypotheses are tested on survey data collected among a national sample of midwives in the Netherlands (respondents: 790, response rate 61%). Findings indicate that work alienation does not only have an impact on passive performance, but also on active performance and outside work. In particular work meaninglessness is relevant for outcomes. This underscores the importance of lowering the degree of work alienation, which has effects inside and outside the work context. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/37278/ 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z Leadership scholars note that the relationship of employees with their supervisor is crucial for the work-family balance these employees experience. A good relationship with your supervisor can seriously improve your work-family balance. This is especially crucial is a healthcare setting, which is often characterized by long work days and night shifts. However, it seems unclear precisely how leadership influences various work-family dimensions. Using leader-member exchange (LMX) theory, we analyze which mechanisms are at play here. We hypothesize that high quality LMX positively influences work-family dimensions via different mechanisms, rather than one all-encompassing mechanism such as empowerment. Hypotheses are tested on survey data collected among a national sample of 790 Dutch healthcare professionals. Findings of structural equation modeling indicate that high quality LMX lowers work-family conflict, and that this is mediated via lower work pressure. Furthermore, high quality LMX has a positive effect on work-family enrichment. This relationship is mediated by enhanced meaningfulness of work. In sum, this study shows that leadership indeed affects work-family interferences in healthcare settings, and that different mechanisms are at play here, depending on the particular dimension of work-family interference analyzed. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/31195/ 2011-12-01T00:00:00Z Abstract The notion of work alienation has been fascinating scholars and practitioners for a long time. In recent years, a related concept has been developed in the public administration discipline: policy alienation, which examines the alienation of public professionals from the policy they have to implement. In this paper, our goal is to study the distinctiveness (or similarity) of work alienation and policy alienation. Furthermore, we examine a number of effects of work and policy alienation. Based on a theoretical framework and a survey of 790 Dutch midwives, we show that work and policy alienation are clearly distinct concepts. Furthermore, we show that work alienation has a strong impact on work level outcomes, such as work effort and intention to leave the organization. Policy alienation strongly influences the intention of a worker to resist a new policy, and the related behavior. Hence, work and policy alienation have important but separate effects. This study underscores the usefulness of work and policy alienation for sociological and public administration research http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/26264/ 2011-09-01T00:00:00Z Nowadays, many public policies focus on economic values, such as efficiency and client choice. Public professionals often show resistance to implementing such policies. We analyse this problem using an interdisciplinary approach. From public administration, we draw on the policy alienation concept, which consists of five dimensions: strategic powerlessness, tactical powerlessness, operational powerlessness, societal meaninglessness and client meaninglessness. These are considered as factors that influence the willingness of professionals to implement policies (change willingness - a concept drawn from the change management literature). We test this model in a survey among 478 Dutch healthcare professionals implementing a new reimbursement policy. The first finding was that perceived autonomy (operational powerlessness) significantly influenced change willingness, whereas strategic and tactical powerlessness were not found to be significant. Second, both the meaninglessness dimensions proved highly significant. We conclude that clarifying the value of a policy is important in getting professionals to willingly implement a policy, whereas their participation on the strategic or tactical levels seems less of a motivational factor. These insights help in understanding why public professionals embrace or resist the implementation of particular policies. Points for practitioners Policymakers develop public policies which, nowadays, tend to focus strongly on economic values, such as increasing efficiency or offering citizens the opportunity to choose among suppliers of public services. Public professionals, who have to implement these policies, are often reluctant to do so. This study shows that the causes of this resistance are unlikely to be found in the lack of influence these professionals have in the shaping of the policy at the national or organizational level. Rather, professionals might resist implementing policies because they do not see them as meaningful for society, or for their own clients. Therefore, policymakers should focus on this perceived meaninglessness and adopt ways to counter this, for example by intensively communicating the value associated with a policy. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/23812/ 2011-06-27T00:00:00Z http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/22897/ 2011-04-05T00:00:00Z Abstract: This paper contributes in two ways to our understanding of the pressures public professionals face in service delivery. First, it theoretically analyses the influence of policy pressures (measured using the policy alienation framework) and politicking pressures on job satisfaction, thereby combining the literature streams of policy implementation and organizational politics. Second, we use a large-scale survey of 1,317 Dutch healthcare professionals to examine the effects of these pressures on job satisfaction. A large-scale quantitative approach can provide new insights to the debate on pressured professionals. The results show that both politicking pressures and the policy alienation dimension powerlessness (perceived lack of influence and autonomy during policy implementation) affect the job satisfaction of public professionals. Further, they interact, the negative effect of powerlessness on job satisfaction is strongest among professionals working in a highly politicized environment. In other words, influence during policy implementation is especially relevant when professionals experience highly politicized environments. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/23580/ 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z Zorgprofessionals in de Ggz - psychologen, psychiaters en psychotherapeuten - werken met DBC's, maar niet van harte. Beleidsmakers ondervinden veel verzet bij hen. Waarom zijn zovelen ertegen, en welke oplossingen zijn er voor de DBC-regelgeving? http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/23810/ 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z Naar aanleiding van het artikel met als titel ‘DBC’s niet populair in de ggz’ heeft mevrouw Van de Weg een reactie gestuurd naar De Psychiater. Dit is de reactie daarop. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/31286/ 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z Abstract: This paper examines the impact of work alienation on work-related outcomes (organizational commitment and work effort), and its impact outside work (work-family enrichment). Hypotheses are formulated based on two research streams: sociology of work and organization in relation to work alienation and work-family literature in relation to enrichment. Two dimensions of work alienation are considered: powerlessness and meaninglessness. Both literature streams expect a negative impact of work alienation on employee outcomes. Hypotheses are tested on survey data collected among a national sample of midwives in the Netherlands (respondents: 790, response rate 61%). Findings indicate that work alienation does not only have an impact on work related outcomes but also influences the degree of work-to-family enrichment. In particular work meaninglessness is relevant for both work outcomes and family life. This underscores the importance of lowering the degree of work alienation, which has effects inside and outside the work context. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/39000/ 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z The notion of work alienation has been fascinating scholars and practitioners for a long time. In recent years, a related concept has been developed in the public administration discipline: policy alienation, which examines the alienation of public professionals from the policy they have to implement. In this paper, our goal is to study the distinctiveness (or similarity) of work alienation and policy alienation. Furthermore, we examine a number of effects of work and policy alienation. Based on a theoretical framework and a survey of 790 Dutch midwives, we show that work and policy alienation are clearly distinct concepts. Furthermore, we show that work alienation has a strong impact on work level outcomes, such as work effort and intention to leave the organization. Policy alienation strongly influences the intention of a worker to resist a new policy, and the related behavior. Hence, work and policy alienation have important but separate effects. This study underscores the usefulness of work and policy alienation for sociological and public administration research. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/20450/ 2010-08-26T00:00:00Z Nowadays, public professionals are often unwilling to implement new policies. We analyse this problem using an interdisciplinary approach, combining public administration and change management literature. From public administration, we use the policy alienation concept, consisting of five sub-dimensions: 1.strategic powerlessness, 2.tactical powerlessness, 3.operational powerlessness, 4.societal meaninglessness and 5.client meaninglessness. These are considered factors possibly influencing the willingness of professionals to implement policies (change willingness). We test this model in a survey among 478 Dutch mental healthcare professionals implementing a new reimbursement policy. First, perceived autonomy (operational powerlessness) significantly influenced change willingness. Second, the meaninglessness dimensions proved highly significant. Strategic and tactical powerlessness were insignificant. This means that clarifying a case for change is important in policy implementation by professionals, while participation on a strategic or tactical level seems less relevant. These insights help in understanding why public professionals embrace or resist implementing particular policies. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/21066/ 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z Er is veel opiniërend geschreven over de ervaringen van zorgprofessionals met DiagnoseBehandelingCombinaties (DBC's), maar er is erg weinig grootschalig wetenschappelijk onderzoek naar deze ervaringen. Dit rapport vult deze lacune. Het is een eerste beschrijving van een onderzoek onder meer dan 1.300 psychologen, psychotherapeuten en psychiaters naar hun ervaringen met DBC's. Het onderzoek is uitgevoerd in juli 2010. Er komen erg interessante resultaten uit het rapport. Hier geven we drie voorbeelden. Ten eerste zien we dat de deelnemende zorgprofessionals niet erg bereid zijn om met DBC's te werken (gemiddelde 4,3 op een schaal van 1 tot 10). Ten tweede zien we dat zorgprofessionals de doelen van DBC's zeer waarderen (gemiddelde 8,0), maar dat ze niet denken dat de DBC-regelgeving deze doelen daadwerkelijk behaalt (gemiddelde 3,3). Zorgprofessionals lijken in een spagaat te zitten bij de DBC-regelgeving: ze waarderen de doelen van het beleid, maar denken niet dat het beleid echt leidt tot deze doelen. Tot slot zien we dat veel zorgprofessionals verbeterpunten aangeven voor de DBC-regelgeving, zoals het beter toepasbaar maken voor complexe patiënten en het aanpakken van financieel perverse prikkels (zie hoofdstuk 9). http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/21418/ 2009-11-19T00:00:00Z Currently, there is an intense debate on pressures facing public professionals. This debate often focuses on the (un)willingness of professionals - such as teachers and physicians - to implement new policies. In explaining this willingness, scholars often looked at the policy content, using qualitative case-studies. This has not led to a satisfactory explanatory framework. The aim of this research is twofold: (1) building a more all-encompassing, three-factor model (policy content, organizational context and personality characteristics of implementers) for explaining the willingness to implement policies; (2) quantitatively testing this model in a survey of 1.317 Dutch health professionals implementing a new reimbursement policy. The results show that policy content is the most important factor explaining this willingness. However, the organizational context and the personality characteristics of implementers are also influential, and have to be taken into account to properly study the attitudes of professionals towards public policies. The results of this research help in understanding why professionals embrace or resist implementing particular policies. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/17087/ 2009-11-12T00:00:00Z Today, many public professionals feel estranged from the policy programs they implement. That is, they experience ‘policy alienation’. This is of concern as, for satisfactory implementation, some identification with the policy is required. We develop a quantitative scale to measure policy alienation. Policy alienation is associated conceptually with five (sub) dimensions: 1. strategic powerlessness, 2. tactical powerlessness, 3. operational powerlessness, 4. societal meaninglessness and 5. client meaninglessness. We developed Likert-type items for these (sub) dimensions to create a policy alienation scale. This scale is refined by interviewing twenty experts. The refined scale is administered in a survey of 470 healthcare professionals implementing a new financial reward policy: Diagnosis Treatment Combinations. The resulting 23-item policy alienation scale shows good psychometric qualities. Construct validity tests show that policy alienation correlates as expected with job satisfaction, role conflicts and change willingness. A reliable and valid policy alienation scale can add to the understanding why implementing public professionals embrace or resist particular public policies. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/16678/ 2009-10-01T00:00:00Z Today, many public professionals feel estranged from the policy programmes they implement; that is, they experience ‘policy alienation’. This is of concern as, for satisfactory implementation, some identification with the policy is required. We conceptualize policy alienation based on the sociological concept of work alienation, and show how this can be used in policy implementation research. Studying a Dutch case of professionals implementing a new work disability decree, we observe how NPM practices increase policy alienation because of a perceived dysfunctional focus on efficiency and results. A large number of policy changes and stricter implementation rules further increased policy alienation. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/16679/ 2009-09-01T00:00:00Z In dit artikel introduceren we het begrip beleidsvervreemding. We definiëren beleidsvervreemding als een algemene cognitieve staat van psychologische ontkoppeling met het beleid, in dit geval van de publieke professional die het beleid uitvoert. Beleidsvervreemding kan bijvoorbeeld ontstaan wanneer een professional een nieuw beleid als zinloos ervaart. Hiermee willen we een bijdrage leveren aan het huidige maatschappelijke debat over de rol van publieke professionals. Volgens sommige auteurs staan professionals onder druk en komt dit vooral omdat managers niet meer weten wat er op de werkvloer gebeurt. Anderen vragen zich af of ‘de managers’ de oorzaak zijn van alle gepercipieerde problemen van professionals. Het concept beleidsvervreemding onderzoekt deze claims. Niet alleen de invloed van managers, maar ook die van beleidsmakers en mondigere cliënten wordt meegenomen. Na de conceptualisatie illustreren we met een casestudie over verzekeringsartsen en arbeidsdeskundigen hoe beleidsvervreemding empirisch onderzoekbaar is. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/16177/ 2009-06-01T00:00:00Z Onderzoek en praktijkervaring tonen aan dat fuseren lastig is. Aandacht voor de mix van harde en zachte fusie-elementen essentieel is voor een succesvolle fusie. Dit betekent dat organisaties tijdens alle fasen in het fusieproces de verbinding maken tussen de harde kant (juridisch, ict, processen, structuur) en de zachte kant (cultuur, samenwerking, vertrouwen, participatie) van fuseren. Dit artikel geeft een aantal handreikingen om werkelijk de verbinding te leggen tussen deze harde en zachte kant van het fusieproces. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/15907/ 2009-05-19T00:00:00Z Vijf korte motivatietips op het gebied van communicatie en leiderschap, gericht op uitzendbrancheorganisaties in tijden van economische crisis. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/15087/ 2009-02-14T00:00:00Z Met de benoeming van een commissie om de Nederlandse steun aan de aanval in Irak te onderzoeken, is een hevige discussie losgebarsten. De oppositie had er geen goed woord voor over. SP-fractievoorzitter Agnes Kant noemt de onderzoekscommisie een old boys network dat 'het straatje van Balkenende moet gaan schoonvegen'. Het is de standaardreflex bij het instellen van een commissie als deze. De kritiek op deze commisies is vaak gericht op de samenstelling ervan. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/16764/ 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z Today, many public professionals feel estranged from the policy programmes they implement; that is, they experience ‘policy alienation’. This is of concern as, for satisfactory implementation, some identification with the policy is required. We conceptualize policy alienation based on the sociological concept of work alienation, and show how this can be used in policy implementation research. Studying a Dutch case of professionals implementing a new work disability decree, we observe how NPM practices increase policy alienation because of a perceived dysfunctional focus on efficiency and results. A large number of policy changes and stricter implementation rules further increased policy alienation. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/16897/ 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z Abstract Today, many public professionals feel estranged from the policy programmes they implement; that is, they experience ‘policy alienation’. This is of concern as, for satisfactory implementation, some identification with the policy is required. We conceptualise policy alienation based on the sociological concept of work alienation, and show how this can be used in policy implementation research. Studying a Dutch case of professionals implementing a new work disability decree, we observe how NPM practices increase policy alienation because of a perceived dysfunctional focus on efficiency and results. A large number of policy changes and stricter implementation rules further increased policy alienation. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/14094/ 2008-11-20T00:00:00Z At the moment, there is an intense debate going on concerning professionals and professionalism in the public sector. Research shows that public professionals are experiencing increasing pressures as they have to take into account several output performance norms, and these often conflict with their own professional standards or with the demands of increasingly empowered clients. Several studies show an increasing discontent among public professionals, both in the Netherlands (Honingh and Karstanje 2007; Van den Brink et al. 2006), and abroad (De Ruyter et al. 2008; Hebson et al. 2003; Pratchett and Wingfield 1996). In this chapter we will analyze such problems that public professionals have with the policy they have to implement in terms of ‘policy alienation’, thereby elaborating on the concept of work alienation as developed in the field of sociology of work and labor (for example Blauner 1964) . We define policy alienation as a general cognitive state of psychological disconnection, from the policy program to be implemented, by a public professional who, on a regular basis, interacts directly with clients. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/14095/ 2008-11-01T00:00:00Z • De manier waarop vakliteratuur wordt gebruikt in kwalitatief onderzoek, alsmede het tijdstip waarop, zijn fundamentele onderzoeksdilemma’s. • De gefundeerde theoriebenadering staat kritisch tegenover het gebruik van vakliteratuur. • Het gebruik van vakliteratuur brengt gevaren met zich mee, onder andere omdat de onderzoeker zich alleen zou kunnen richten op die zaken waarvan hij uit de literatuur heeft begrepen dat ze relevant zijn. • Bestaande vakliteratuur gebruiken brengt ook kansen met zich mee. Het helpt bijvoorbeeld het onderzoek richting te geven door handvatten te bieden voor het ontwikkelen van de voorlopige vraag en het verschaffen van conceptuele helderheid. • De keuze voor het wel of niet gebruiken van vakliteratuur en voor de manier waarop dient te worden bevraagd en geëxpliciteerd in zowel de onderzoeksopzet, het lopende onderzoek als het eindproduct. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/14092/ 2008-10-22T00:00:00Z Nowadays, many public professionals feel estranged from the policy programs they implement. This is worrisome, as for a successful implementation, some identification with the policy is required. In this article, we frame these identification problems in terms of policy alienation, based on the sociological concept work policy alienation, and show how this can be used in policy implementation research. Further, by comparing two Dutch professionals groups, we observe six factors which are important for explaining policy alienation. Last, we show the relevancy of the policy alienation framework for analyzing the impact of identification problems on policy performance. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/12471/ 2008-03-27T00:00:00Z Nowadays, many public professionals face identification problems towards public policies they have to implement; that is, they experience policy alienation. We conceptualize policy alienation, starting from the sociological concept of alienation and showing how this can be used in the realm of policy implementation. Policy alienation occurs when a professional a) perceives he cannot influence the policy b) perceives the policy as meaningless and c) experiences conflicts between different groups (for example clients and management) because of the policy. We explore the effects of policy alienation by applying it to Dutch high school teachers implementing a new policy intended to prepare students better for higher education, in a small case study based on content analysis. We observe that when teachers experience policy alienation, their job satisfaction decreases. Next, the perceived workload of teachers implementing the policy increases when they experience policy alienation. Last, teachers experiencing policy alienation seem to be less effective in implementing the policy. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/10894/ 2007-09-19T00:00:00Z Nowadays, many public professionals face identification problems towards public policies they have to implement; that is, they experience policy alienation. This is troublesome, as for a proper implementation a minimal level of identification with the public policy is required. We conceptualise policy alienation, starting from the sociological concept of alienation and showing how this can be used in the realm of policy implementation. We demonstrate the usefulness of the concept by applying it to Dutch insurance physicians implementing a new work disability law, in a small case study based on content analysis and interviews. We observe that NPM based reform strategies strongly influence policy alienation, due to an as dysfunctional perceived trade-off between efficiency and values like equity and security. Next, role conflicts arising from the implementation and the working environment influences the degree of policy alienation, as well as the democratic legitimacy of the policy. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/10873/ 2007-04-02T00:00:00Z Nowadays, many public professionals face identification problems towards public policies they have to implement; that is, they experience policy alienation. This is troublesome, as for a proper implementation a minimal level of identification with the public policy is required. We use literature related to the identification problems of (public) service workers, for example Public Service Motivation (Perry, 2000), New Public Management (Pollitt & Bouckaert, 2004), technology (Zuboff, 2004) , street-level bureaucrats (Lipsky, 1980) and organization commitment (Steinhaus & Perry, 1996). But mainstream literature has not yet studied the problem of identification of the service worker with public policies. These disciplines will, however, be used to construct propositions for the identification problem. This paper seeks to fill this lacuna by using the concept of alienation, a concept originating from the sociology of work and organization. Literature from this discipline offers useful concepts for building our theoretical framework. All in all, the project offers a multidisciplinary approach, combining the research fields of public management, public policy sciences and the sociology of work and organization. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/11575/ 2007-01-01T00:00:00Z In 2004 Dutch government changed the law regarding the welfare benefits that disabled citizens receive on behalf of the state. This followed a rise of the number of recipients between 1987 and 2003 from 805.000 to 982.000. In 2003, approximately 10 % of the Dutch workforce was dependent on this welfare provision (Hartman & Boerman, 2004). A new set of rules - the so-called ‘Aangepast schattingsbesluit’ in 2004 and the Law regarding Work and Income in 2006 was implemented to end this situation. The implementation of these new rules fundamentally changed the work of the insurance physicians who work on behalf of the Dutch Institute for Employees’ Insurance (UWV), which takes care of the implementation of these new rules. As a result of these rules – because of stricter assessments – approximately 110.000 recipients have lost their alimony, mostly part-timers and citizens with psychological complaints. Those now have to provide for their own income. If they are no able to do so, they can apply for an unemployment benefit or for state assistance. Allocation of the latter, however, depends –contrary to the benefits for the disabled – on the income position of the household. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/11577/ 2007-01-01T00:00:00Z This paper theoretically examines identification problems with the implementation of public policies. When these identification problems occur, they might have significant impacts. For instance, the quality of the interaction between service workers and clients influence the effectiveness and legitimacy of public administration. the success of public policies for a great deal depends on the compliance and motivation of the service worker implementing them. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/11578/ 2006-01-01T00:00:00Z