Abstract:

That street-level cadres take charge and live up to their responsibility is essential to the function transition and performance of public duties of grass-root government. Against this backdrop, however, some critical questions are pending in the literature. For instance, what are taking charge behaviors and how should we measure them? What are the motivations underlying those behaviors? Are there any contingencies for those behaviors and how to effectively promote them? The present project aims to answer these questions. First, in view of the behavioral public administration perspective, we will clarify the dimensions of taking charge behaviors and develop an assessment tool. Second, we draw on the self-determination theory and investigate a controlled-autonomous motivation spectrum underlying the taking charge behaviors. This approach departs from the previously established altruism perspective and the dichotomy of internal and external motivation. Additionally, this project will extend the literature by delving into taking charge role identity as a key mechanism linking autonomous/controlled motivations to taking charge behaviors and by exploring personal/situational contingencies for the process. In other words, the present project elucidates how and when autonomous/controlled motivations translate into taking charge behaviors. This empirical project has significant implications for assessing, managing and promoting taking charge behaviors of street-level cadres.

Key words: public organizational behavior, taking charge, taking charge role identity, behavioral motivation, street-level cadres