PAR 86/5 pp. 1434-1446 2026-04-06 Original Interpersonal Connections and Career Mobility in Bureaucratic Labor Markets: Evidence From Brazil
Danilo Cardoso, Flavio Cireno, Julien Labonne, Pedro Masson, Pedro Palotti, Flavio de Vitoria, Martin Williams
PMR — pp. 1-34 2026-04-05 Original Serving the public or checking boxes? Exploring motivations for overcompliance in policy implementation
Xue Gao, Quanfeng Shu, Hongtao Yi
Abstract
Policy implementation research has examined why street-level bureaucrats do not comply with higher-level directives; however, it has paid far less attention to why they overcomply and what this means for policy outcomes. This study addresses this gap by theorizing two competing drivers of overcompliance and analysing China’s national Solar Photovoltaic for Poverty Alleviation Program. We find that formalism is positively associated with overcompliance, while the effect of public-interest commitment is conditional on formalism. The results advance research on policy implementation and public service motivation by showing how intrinsic motivation and organizational norms interact to shape overcompliance and influence policy outcomes.
PMR — pp. 1-30 2026-04-05 Original Crossing boundaries at the frontline: examining the link between red tape, leadership and boundary-spanning behaviour
Bernard Bernards, Eduard Schmidt, Machiel van der Heijden, Marieke van der Hoek
PA — 2026-04-05
Original Citizen‐Centered Public Service Design in Agile Digital Transformation: Insights From Public Mobility Services
Hemin Choi, Maria Cucciniello
Abstract
ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to highlight the critical role of human‐centered design approach as a foundational element in the agile digital transformation of public service design. Grounded in service‐design principles and public‐service logic, it analyses how agencies adopt agile practices and involve stakeholders in co‐design of disrupted municipal public mobility services during Covid 19. Combining a citizen survey, co‐design workshops with officials and user representatives in an Italian city, we find that iterative, participatory cycles help close gaps between service demand and user satisfaction when organizations remain adaptable, stakeholders stay engaged, and technology is aligned with user needs. The findings provide actionable insights for policymakers and practitioners aiming to enhance the usability and effectiveness of public services while contributing to broader discussions on sustainable, citizen‐centric governance.
PMR — pp. 1-42 2026-04-04 Original Do projects learn across space and time? Evidence from the Olympics
Atif Ansar, Bent Flyvbjerg, Alexander Budzier
Abstract
Do projects learn across space and time? The Olympics, themselves among the largest publicly funded programmes in the world, offer a unique empirical setting. Theoretically, the Games seem ideal for generating ‘positive learning curves’, driving down costs from one iteration to the next. In practice, they do not. Drawing on the concept of ‘myopia of learning’, we argue that spatiotemporality (geographic distance, temporal gaps, and the temporary organizational form of each host committee) combines to block higher-level learning. Our analysis of cost overruns from 1960 to 2024 reveals no sustained improvement over 64 years. Tactical learning abounds, but none aggregates into strategic improvement. We propose four strategies for overcoming the spatiotemporal barrier (incremental, centralizing, decentralizing, and real options), arguing that radical reform is required.
PMR — pp. 1-31 2026-04-03 Original Exploring the role of citizen-to-citizen (C2C) interactions in enhancing e-participation: a social capital perspective
Mingxi Zhou, Luning Liu, Yuqiang Feng
JPART 36/3 pp. 329-342 2026-04-03 Original Dual anchors in the shadow of the future: how renewal expectations and relational history govern behavior in public contracts
PMR — pp. 1-28 2026-04-02 Original The interplay of resource integration and value orientation in public services value creation: a case study of residential parking reform in China
PMR — pp. 1-31 2026-04-02 Original Smiley bots, satisfied citizens? The impact of AI humanization on citizen experience in public services
Jinjin Wu, Yifan Chen
Abstract
This study examines how AI humanization influences citizen experience in public service delivery by integrating the Stereotype Content Model (SCM) and Emotion as Social Information (EASI) theory. Focusing on AI chatbots as a research context, we explore how humanized responses shape perceived warmth and competence and whether effects differ between programmed and non-programmed services through a survey experiment with four vignette-based scenarios. Findings underscore the importance of context-sensitive and carefully calibrated AI design and functioning choices. By linking SCM’s content dimensions with EASI’s affective and inferential mechanisms, the study provides a social-psychological lens to understand citizen–government interactions in AI-driven public administration and provides practical guidance for designing AI-enabled services that remain citizen-friendly while safeguarding core public values.
JOP 88/2 pp. 554-571 2026-04-01 Original The Politicization of Bureaucrats: Evidence from Brazil
Anderson Frey, Rogerio Santarrosa
Abstract
In developing countries, incumbents commonly exercise political influence over bureaucrats through monitoring or patronage hiring. We investigate a new politicization channel: a phenomenon where bureaucrats join political parties while in office. First, with a regression discontinuity design and administrative data on the universe of Brazilian municipal bureaucrats, we identify an incumbency advantage in their politicization. Second, we find larger effects for a special set of bureaucrats: the ones that interviewed households for enrollment into Bolsa Família (BF). Third, we show that these effects are even stronger for interviewers highly exposed to voters and in municipalities where BF was expanded. Our findings suggest a policy-driven logic for this politicization: voter-facing bureaucrats who deliver salient policies accumulate electoral capital, which is converted into rents by joining the incumbent political networks.