PMR — pp. 1-39 2026-04-27 Original Beyond dyads: an ecosystem approach to third-sector legitimacy in public services
Alina Khakimova
Abstract
Third-sector organizations (TSOs) play an increasing role in public service provision, yet their legitimacy remains underexplored beyond dyadic and organization-centric accounts. This paper develops an ecosystem-based explanation by integrating legitimacy theory with the Public Service Ecosystem (PSE) framework. Drawing on a qualitative multi-case study of four TSOs delivering children’s services in Scotland, the findings show that legitimacy emerges through interdependencies among actors and institutions across macro, meso, and micro levels. Three mechanisms are identified: institutional translation, leadership coordination, and temporal reconfiguration. The study conceptualizes legitimacy as an emergent, cross-level process and a central dynamic shaping coordination and participation within PSEs.
PMR — pp. 1-36 2026-04-25 Original Managing noise through nudges: a mixed methods study on decision-hygiene in public management
Nicola Belle, Paola Cantarelli
Abstract
Nudging interventions can enhance expert decision-making in public management, improving resource use and equity. Using a parallel mixed-methods design, we experimentally tested 2,763 healthcare professionals’ prescribing decisions. Results show physicians are susceptible to systematic errors (i.e. bias) and exhibit variation in choices when presented with the same case (i.e. level noise), but their choices are influenced in the desired direction by guidelines, cost information, command-and-control mechanisms, reduction targets, and social comparisons. Nudges effectively reduce or redirect between-subjects variability. We also compare two noise measures: equality in distribution versus standard deviation. Semi-structured interviews with 36 healthcare managers explored real-world applications of educative and architectural nudges and root causes of noise.
PAR — 2026-04-24
Original Regulatory Agency Reputation Acquisition With Regulatees: A Q Methodology Analysis
Lauren A. Fahy, Erik‐Hans Klijn
JCC — pp. 1-15 2026-04-24 Original Dual Authoritative Mediation: Policing and Community Governance in Urban China
Gang Tian, Wen-Hsuan Tsai
Abstract
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is employing mechanisms inspired by the ‘Fengqiao experience’ to mediate grassroots conflicts. Our findings show that in urban areas, community support officers from the People’s Police have played a critical role in this task. They liaise with residents’ committees and other relevant units to conduct ‘dual authoritative mediation’. This practice reflects the roles of the police as holders of state authority and paternal figures in the community, and it promotes the deep penetration of state power into grassroots communities. The role of the police in mediating disputes between residents is highly valued by the CCP, and China’s police force has been given more responsibility with respect to politics and law and the maintenance of stability than police in other countries.
PAR — 2026-04-24
Original Contracting Services for Response to Extreme Weather Events in Public Organizations
Tipeng Chen, Eric W. Welch
Abstract
ABSTRACT Public organizations facing emergencies often coordinate with other local public and non‐profit organizations for assistance. Yet we know little about the contractual relationships public organizations build with external organizations for emergency responses. Drawing from organizational theories, we explore organizational factors behind public organization decisions to contract for responses to extreme weather events. Using agency‐level data merged from three national sources, we find an inverted U‐shaped relationship between organizational uncertainty about extreme weather events and contracting for immediate emergency responses: contracting is most likely at a moderate level of uncertainty and least likely at a very high level. Greater reliance on contracting for daily services is associated with increased contracting for long‐term emergency planning, while receipt of dedicated financial resources is associated with increased contracting for both immediate emergency responses and long‐term emergency planning. We connect findings with the contracting and emergency management literatures and discuss implications for practice.
PMR — pp. 1-32 2026-04-23 Original Discovering the labyrinth: the complex interplay of values conflicts and the voicing dilemmas of street-level bureaucrats
Yean Wang, Yixin Wu, Changyu Fan, Zixiang Xie, Guanghuai Zheng
PA — 2026-04-22
Original Policymakers' Preferences Over Public–Private Modes of Service Delivery and Credit‐Claiming: Experimental Evidence
PMR — pp. 1-27 2026-04-22 Original New Public Governance, neo-corporatism, and health policy: status quo, constraints, and future directions
Benjamin Ewert
Abstract
This paper examines the prospects of New Public Governance (NPG) within Germany’s neo-corporatist health system, focusing on institutional fit, practical barriers, and reform trajectories. While NPG promotes participation, collaboration, and co-creation, its application is constrained by power imbalances and limited cross-sector permeability. Using Integrated Care and Health in All Policies as examples, the paper highlights both partial alignment with NPG principles and structural resistance. Four future scenarios illustrate possible governance pathways. This paper contributes to public management research by showing how NPG reforms interact with entrenched governance modes and emphasizing the role of meta-governance and civic engagement.
PA — 2026-04-22
Original Navigating the Algorithmic State: Public Values and Citizens' Preferences of AI ‐Driven Public Service Delivery
PAR — 2026-04-21
Original When Do Citizens Support Corrupt Politicians? The Trade‐Offs Between Corruption and Competence