The figure of the neutral bureaucrat is endangered by the new challenges of New Public Management. The heightened attention on performance information and goal prioritization characterizing NPM...Show moreThe figure of the neutral bureaucrat is endangered by the new challenges of New Public Management. The heightened attention on performance information and goal prioritization characterizing NPM collides with political preferences and aspirations. The dissertation explores how political interferences influence the prioritization of goals in Dutch local governments. The research expects that the presence of conflicting goals will foster reprioritization considerations during bureaucratic performance evaluation. Through an experimental approach, combining the Experimental Vignette Method and semi-structured interviews, the research finds that political interference leads to goal reprioritization. The employment of thematic coding and subsequent analysis detects guiding explanations cascading from political interference, reinforcing the institutional constraints within the bureaucratic domain. Finally, the dissertation identifies theoretical and methodological limitations and provides practical implications for policymaking and suggestions for the reduction of institutional constraints in bureaucratic evaluation.Show less
Social media has become an integral component of public agencies and digital diplomacy. Prior scholars have emphasised the significance of social media in International relations (IR), discussing...Show moreSocial media has become an integral component of public agencies and digital diplomacy. Prior scholars have emphasised the significance of social media in International relations (IR), discussing its advantages and difficulties. Nevertheless, in terms of public administration, there is a gap in their management, namely, in understanding how to use different platforms and the significance of social media content in engaging with the public. This research delves into the field of digital Diplomacy, examining the strategic use of social media content by the European Union’s diplomatic missions based in Athens, focusing on engagement with the public. The mixed-method study examined how diplomatic missions use social media content to engage with the public by analyzing original posts on Twitter/X and Facebook and conducting semi-structured interviews with experts and diplomats from EU Ministries of Foreign Affairs (MFAs) and embassies. The findings revealed that the EU embassies tend to employ posts that promote the countries’ image and interests’ indicators of Symbolic representation. In addition,they demonstrate a preference for Transparency by regularly sharing content that aligns with the policies, daily agenda and activity of the MFAs or embassies. The analysis using the Engagement Index (EI) results is noteworthy as it signifies an enhanced public connection with Coproduction content. Finally, the study reveals the strategic use of the platforms and the content for effective public engagement. Future researchers can delve into new directions by exploring other platforms or focusing on public reaction via sentimental analysis. In summary, this research emphasizes the importance of social media in diplomatic missions' external communication and advances the field by implementing the framework in digital diplomacy, particularly in the EU.Show less
Since the so-called migration crisis of 2015/2016, European governments have innovated in their migration management policies leading to the adoption of a new dissemination channel for Migration...Show moreSince the so-called migration crisis of 2015/2016, European governments have innovated in their migration management policies leading to the adoption of a new dissemination channel for Migration-Information Campaigns (MICs) which is social media. The literature shows that social media properties can significantly influence government digital communication including MICs. Nevertheless, social media adoption for MICs broadcasting and social media features’ impacts are two academically underexplored phenomena. Consequently, this thesis attempts to answer the following question: “How do social media properties impact the establishment and management of digital Migration-Information Campaigns run by public administrations?” where the properties are conceptualized into six affordances: visibility, communicability, interactivity, anonymity, persistence and editability. To do so, we carried out a qualitative and exploratory multiple-case research based on semi-structured interviews with European public servants and partner organizations involved in MICs development. The results of this research suggest that the distinct affordances of social media do have significant influences on MICs formulation and management depending on how they are perceived in terms of opportunities and constraints of actions. Some additional insights on safety matters, attaining the right audience and paid advertising use were brought up through multiple affordances. The findings invite policymakers to create proper social media guidelines for MICs, allocate adequate resources and re-evaluate their MICs for several improvements.Show less
This study has delved into the nuanced dynamics of active representation within the context of gender and individual bureaucratic behavior. It employed a qualitative cross-sectional observational...Show moreThis study has delved into the nuanced dynamics of active representation within the context of gender and individual bureaucratic behavior. It employed a qualitative cross-sectional observational case study among local officials in the municipality of Amsterdam, using semi- structured interviews to investigate two key research questions: "How does active representation manifest itself?" and "Does gender affect active representation at the level of individual bureaucrats?" To address these questions, Lim's (2006) concepts of direct and indirect sources of substantive effects of passive representation are used as a framework for the analysis on active representation. It appeared that gender slightly affects the behaviour among civil servants when representing clients of the same gender.Show less
This master thesis investigates the internal politicization of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and its influence on representing local and regional interests within the EU. Through...Show moreThis master thesis investigates the internal politicization of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and its influence on representing local and regional interests within the EU. Through interviews and a comparative case study, this study challenges assumptions about politicization leading to a prioritization of political party interests over local concerns. Contrary to expectations, findings reveal that internal politicization grants CoR members the freedom to represent both local government interests and those of their political party. The cooperative institutional setting emphasizes substantive representation over symbolic representation, showcasing the CoR's unique role in the European Union. The study addresses a literature gap and contributes valuable insights into the nuanced dynamics of internal politicization within the CoR.Show less
This thesis contributes to industrial policy by studying conditionality – the conditions attached to state aid – and linking this to the concepts of state capacity and political salience. First,...Show moreThis thesis contributes to industrial policy by studying conditionality – the conditions attached to state aid – and linking this to the concepts of state capacity and political salience. First, this thesis addresses conditionality issues in the context of climate change, as the literature to date has focused on other development challenges such as industrial upgrading. Second, this thesis contributes to the literature by focusing on the study of conditionality in relation to advanced industrialised economies, as the existing literature is mainly focused on developing countries. In particular, this thesis aims to highlight the types of conditions that are relevant in this case compared to those identified in the literature. Third, the thesis emphasises the importance of the politics of conditionality, or the political will to activate existing state capacity. The thesis shows that an advanced economy such as the Netherlands has the state capacity to impose a policy of strong conditionality on business. In the studied case, however, this capacity has been activated by political salience, which has created a social coalition in support of this policy to impose strong conditionality.Show less
