Hester Paanakker

identity to individuals as well as organizations, and guide behavior” (L. B. Andersen et al., 2012, p. 716). Findings from the disciplines of psychology and organizational science point at the potentially significant effect of (the lack of) value convergence. Studies of organizational theory demonstrate that value congruence on personal and organizational values (rather than public values) (Kristof, 1996) positively affects, for instance, moral efficacy and moral voice within organizations (Lee, Choi, Youn, & Chun, 2017), or job satisfaction, organizational identification and trust, and intent to stay in the organization (Edwards & Cable, 2009). By contrast, value incongruence between the individual and the organization causes employees to experience stress, discomfort, and a range of negative work attitudes and behaviors, including higher turnover within the organization, and lower job satisfaction, lower engagement and lower productivity for the employee (Vogel, Rodell, & Lynch, 2016). Although this thesis focuses on a different type of values and a different level of analysis than the studies quoted above, similar effects may result from value convergence – and, as in the case of value divergence, similar pathologies – in public sector service delivery. In public service delivery, there is pressing need to look at value convergence with respect to craft and its effects. The frontline craft is increasingly put under pressure. Extensive research shows how street-level workers cope with excessive reforms, managerial logics, neoliberalist strategies, and performance rhetoric that hamper street-level practices (Connell, Fawcett, & Meagher, 2009; Pollitt & Bouckaert, 2017; Trommel, 2018; Tummers, Bekkers, Vink, & Musheno, 2015; Van de Walle, 2006; Wynen, Verhoest, & Kleizen, 2019), but not how this relates to values and (the lack of) value convergence, and not how street-level workers deal with the effects that value divergence has on implementation level at the frontline. This thesis seeks to contribute to filling those gaps. 1.2 Research Aims and Questions The aim of the research is threefold. First, it sets out to establish how values of street-level craftsmanship, and their facilitation in administrative practice, are understood by street-level officials. Second, the study aims to identify the extent of convergence or divergence in the value approaches to street-level craftsmanship of operational staff and their superiors (both managers and policy developers). Third, it takes into account the effects of such value convergence or divergence on public service delivery at street-level. These three aims unite in the overarching 19 Introduction