Equity or efficiency? Explaining public officials´ values in European countries

This article analyses the position of European top public officials in an equity-efficiency trade-off, and the determinants of this position. It uses data from the COCOPS survey across 14 European countries. The results... [ view full abstract ]

This article analyses the position of European top public officials in an equity-efficiency trade-off, and the determinants of this position. It uses data from the COCOPS survey across 14 European countries. The results obtained show that differences in public officials’ position on equity-efficiency are related to the context within which they work and their personal background. Officials at the top of the hierarchy, those with a business or economics education, those who worked in the private sector and those who recently joined the public sector have a stronger orientation towards efficiency. Additionally, results show important differences associated with country administrative culture, including a stronger equity orientation in Scandinavian countries, and a stronger efficiency orientation in Southern European countries. The position of public officials reflects that held by citizens in their country, confirming the contextualized nature of administrative values. This article contributes to understanding the determinants of public official’s dominant values.