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Red Tape: Developing and Validating a New Job‐Centered Measure
Author(s) -
van Loon Nina M.,
Leisink Peter L. M.,
Knies Eva,
Brewer Gene A.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
public administration review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.721
H-Index - 139
eISSN - 1540-6210
pISSN - 0033-3352
DOI - 10.1111/puar.12569
Subject(s) - scale (ratio) , construct (python library) , measure (data warehouse) , government (linguistics) , set (abstract data type) , computer science , focus (optics) , data mining , linguistics , philosophy , physics , quantum mechanics , optics , programming language
Red tape studies typically focus on burdensome rules that have negative effects on organizations, as perceived by managers. The one‐item general red tape scale is representative of this approach. However, scholars have called for improved measures that address the scale's shortcomings. This article introduces a new measurement scale that features (1) red tape as a two‐dimensional construct that includes compliance burden and lack of functionality and (2) a job‐centered approach that measures red tape as experienced by employees in their jobs rather than more generally in the organization. A set of survey questions derived from interviews with government employees was validated using data from 1,203 government employees. The findings indicate that the two‐dimensional job‐centered red tape scale is reliable and valid. The authors conclude that this measure can improve research and be used by managers for a “quick scan” to detect the location and severity of red tape .