Hester Paanakker

(Vogel et al., 2016). Although our study focuses on a different type of values and level of analysis, similar dynamics and pathologies may occur from value divergence in public sector service delivery. Value conflicts in governance take many forms and exist at different levels: individual (public actors), governmental (institutions), policy formation (allocation of values), and governance (the process). In a rare approach of value comparison throughout a specific professional domain, our case study explicitly takes into account these different levels and their representatives. We are interested to see what the effects are on implementation levels when conflicts arise between street-level workers and actors on different levels of management who share the same professional focus in terms of target group, type of public service delivery and, at least in theory, a shared mission to work towards shared objectives. To this end, we will focus on those conflicts that “become manifest as a felt problem for individuals” (D. Thacher & R. Rein, 2004, p. 461), especially when they present a challenge for justification (Boltanski & Thévenot, 2006; who stress the differences in rationalities that actors can have in a dispute. Justifications have to follow rules of acceptability). In these attempts to justify value choices may lie important pointers of value differences and divergence between different sets of actors, as justification forces actors to collectively support and explain the value focus adopted. As Thacher and Rein explain: When only a single overriding goal has primary relevance for policy making, it is clear what kind of argument a policy actor needs to offer to justify her actions: she must show that the choice she made is the best way to achieve that single overriding goal. But when multiple and conflicting values are relevant, it is not clear what kind of argument is needed to vindicate her decision. In addition, she will need to justify her choice to pay more attention to one value at the expense of the others, or offer an alternative reason for her decision. (2004, p. 461) The need to justify value conflict may also bring forth its own strategies for making sense of inter-actor divergence and may demand that public officials develop coping strategies unique to the handling of value divergence. 6.3 Methods And Heuristics 137 The Effect of Value Divergence