The formalization of work in comprehensive rules and procedures is a central feature of the bureaucratic organizational type. Formalization allows civil servants a minimum amount of discretion and makes the functioning of the organization highly predictable. One of the anticipated outcomes of formalization is uncertainty reduction. For instance, Gajduschek (2003) argues that uncertainty reduction is the essence of Weber’s (Weber, 1922) bureaucracy. Despite the centrality of uncertainty in the theory and practice of public organizations, a clear conceptualization of the concept uncertainty does not exist.
The lack of a clear conceptualization of uncertainty exists due to three shortcomings in the literature. First, although uncertainty features prominently in many theories of organization and organizational behavior, such as bureaucracy theory (Gajduschek, 2003), goal setting theory (Locke and Latham, 1990) and decision-making theory (Simon, 1970), there is no clear, shared definition of uncertainty. A clear definition would make it possible to distinguish the concept from related concepts that are often used in literature, such as ambiguity and clarity. Secondly, different aspects of uncertainty are emphasized in different strands of literature, but the concept is only rarely covered in its entirety. For instance, Raaphorst (2017) distinguishes between uncertainty as an interpretation and an information problem. It is thus important to explicitly determine the source of uncertainty. Thirdly, uncertainty can relate to several different aspects of the professional’s work, such as goals, role(s) and / or tasks. This distinction is not always made in the literature in which uncertainty plays a role. It is therefore important to determine the object of uncertainty.
The aim of this article is to conceptualize uncertainty by addressing these three shortcomings. Three research questions take a central position in the article: 1) what is the definition of uncertainty, 2) where does uncertainty originate from (the source of uncertainty) and 3) what aspects of the work experience are subject to uncertainty (the object of uncertainty)?
The article consists of a theoretical integration based on a review of the relevant literature and an empirical exploration. In the theoretical part of the article, relevant (public administration) theories that emphasize uncertainty are reviewed: bureaucracy theory, street-level bureaucracy theory, goal setting theory and decision-making theory. The theoretical analysis provides an preliminary conceptualization of uncertainty based on the three central research questions. In the empirical part of the article, the theoretical findings will be cross-checked within the case of integrated social welfare teams in the Netherlands. This will be done by qualitative interviews with managers and employees of these teams. This case can be expected to be a rich case in terms of uncertainty, due to the complex tasks and an ongoing reform. Based on the theoretical review and the empirical exploration, we aim to develop a conceptualization that advances public management research into uncertainty in the work of public professionals. Conceptualizing uncertainty is a first step in a five-year research program that aims to uncover the factors that contribute to uncertainty and uncertainty reduction, such as formalization, red tape, professionalization, teamwork and leadership.
The administrative burden of formalization, regulations and red tape
