An Exploratory Examination of the Relationship Between Trust and Street-Level Bureaucrats’ Willingness to Risk Their Lives for Others

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Abstract

This article presents the findings of an exploratory study examining the relationships between street-level bureaucrats’ (SLBs) trust in their peers, managers, and the institution they belong to, and their willingness to endanger their own lives for the public. We build on previous administrative and behavioral theories to present a model of these relationships. Using a survey of 211 police officers in Israel, our findings demonstrate the important role of trust in understanding the willingness of civil servants to risk their lives for citizens. We also identify additional factors that may be related to their willingness to take this risk and the types of clients for whom they are less or more willing to do so. We discuss the normative elements related to these findings and suggest fruitful future directions for study.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)221-234
Number of pages14
JournalAmerican Review of Public Administration
Volume52
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2022

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2021.

Keywords

  • police
  • risking one's life
  • street-level bureaucrats
  • trust

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Sociology and Political Science
  • Public Administration
  • Marketing

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