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EXPLAINING THE WILLINGNESS OF PUBLIC PROFESSIONALS TO IMPLEMENT PUBLIC POLICIES: CONTENT, CONTEXT, AND PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS
Author(s) -
TUMMERS LARS,
STEIJN BRAM,
BEKKERS VICTOR
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
public administration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.313
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1467-9299
pISSN - 0033-3298
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9299.2011.02016.x
Subject(s) - context (archaeology) , public relations , personality , resistance (ecology) , test (biology) , public policy , organizational commitment , business , psychology , knowledge management , marketing , political science , social psychology , computer science , paleontology , ecology , law , biology
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.