Open AccessWorking in the frontline: The art of balancing between opposing demands and conflicts
Author(s) -
Annika Agger,
Birgitte Klindt Poulsen
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
politica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2246-042X
pISSN - 0105-0710
DOI - 10.7146/politica.v50i3.131187
Subject(s) - front line , bureaucracy , front (military) , action (physics) , public relations , production (economics) , work (physics) , quality (philosophy) , political science , control (management) , balance (ability) , sociology , business , process management , psychology , management , economics , epistemology , engineering , law , mechanical engineering , philosophy , physics , quantum mechanics , neuroscience , politics , macroeconomics
According to recent studies in implementation research, the quality of the interplay between front-line staff and target groups, affects the degree to which policy is implemented. Therefore, the ability of front-line workers to balance between ensuring professional knowledge and at the same time facilitate inclusive processes is of great importance in co-production processes with citizens. Despite the growing interest in co-production and interactive processes, there are relatively few studies that focus on what happens in practice when front-line staff aims to build trust and coordinate action between conflicting interests. In this article, we investigate how front-line workers experience and handle conflicts through their work in co-production processes. Theoretically, we employ theories of street-level bureaucracy and conflict resolution. Empirically, we draw on a study of 16 front-line managers in urban renewal efforts in Malmö and Copenhagen, characterized by active involvement of citizens.