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041 _afre
042 _adc
100 1 0 _aKlijn, Erik Hans
_eauthor
700 1 0 _a Eshuis, Jasper
_eauthor
700 1 0 _a Opperhuizen, Alette
_eauthor
700 1 0 _a de Boer, Noortje
_eauthor
245 0 0 _aBlaming the bureaucrat: does perceived blame risk influence inspectors’ enforcement style?
260 _c2022.
500 _a87
520 _aIs there a relation between street-level bureaucrats’ enforcement style and their perception of the risk of getting blamed? This article answers this question on the basis of a survey ( n = 507) among inspectors of the Netherlands Food and Product Safety Authority. We included perceived media attention on their work as a factor that might influence street-level bureaucrats’ perception of blame risk and their enforcement style. Three dimensions of enforcement style were distinguished from earlier research: legal, facilitative and accommodative. We found that when inspectors perceive more blame risk, they employ a slightly less legal style and, instead, employ a more accommodative style. Thus, they act a little less formally and less coercively (i.e. legal) and take greater account of their peers’ opinions (i.e. accommodative). However, perceived media attention did not have a significant influence on enforcement style.Points for practitionersWhen inspectors perceive more blame risk, they tend to pay more attention to the opinion of peers (other inspectors, supervisors, etc.).Blame risk does not lead to the use of a more formal inspection style.Media attention does not play an important role in enhancing the blame risk perception of inspectors.This media and blame risk is less important than often found in the case of politicians. This may be connected to the fact that the work of inspectors as street-level bureaucrats is less visible to the wider public (and the media).
690 _arisque de mise en cause
690 _astyle d’inspection
690 _afonctionnaire de terrain
690 _ainspecteurs
690 _aévitement de la mise en cause
786 0 _nInternational Review of Administrative Sciences | 88 | 2 | 2022-06-22 | p. 261-280 | 0303-965X
856 4 1 _uhttps://shs.cairn.info/journal-international-review-of-administrative-sciences-2022-2-page-261?lang=en&redirect-ssocas=7080
999 _c569644
_d569644