Search results

AbstractWhen and why do citizens comply with government policies and restrictions during emergencies? We investigate possible answers to this question. We propose a mediation model where trust in government and emergency organizations as well as perceived government effectiveness mediate the relationships between participation in decision making and the willingness to comply. We also utilize the protective action decision‐making model where perceptions about protective actions and threats can add to the explanation. Using a national survey distributed to a representative sample of the Israeli population during the wake of a second wave of the spread of Covid‐19, we found that the willingness to comply during emergencies is related to these research variables. Participation in decision‐making appears to be the main variable, but it is negatively related to the willingness to comply. We conclude that the public sector should develop and improve communication and participatory mechanisms with citizens specifically for emergencies.

The relationship between bureaucracy and democracy in modern nations has gained the attention of scholars and experts worldwide. This article uses the allegory of a tango dance to illuminate core pandemics of the bureaucracy–democracy interface. First, we propose a theoretical model that relates these arenas in the public realm. The model is then tested empirically based on four in-depth field studies of Israeli public sector organisations (in the fields of public energy, healthcare, policing and local governance). The studies were conducted simultaneously and were based on both qualitative and quantitative data collected in the intra-organisational and extra-organisational arenas. Respondents were 159 public sector personnel and 158 citizens who received services from the same organisations. Data were analysed with a structural equation modelling (SEM) technique. The findings reconfirmed a solid positive relationship between elements of an effective bureaucracy and segments of an active democracy. Moreover, strongest support was found for a mediating model where perceived performance mediated the bureaucratic–democratic relationship. Implications of the findings are discussed in both the intra- and extra-organisational context.