Most street-level bureaucrats stay dedicated to objectives they redefine themselves.

Evidence

The cynical view is that public workers have very little incentive to perlorm. However, while some street-level bureaucrats may retire on the job, the vast majority continue to be reasonably dedicated to occupational objectives as they come to define them. — Michael Lipsky, Street-Level Bureaucracy, 1062

Categorization

• DEFINE: ‘Occupational objectives as they come to define them’ is the hinge concept: discretion redefines the mission in practice, so dedication survives while the mission quietly shifts.
• XREF: Builds on the book’s core routinization argument that street-level workers effectively make policy through their routines. — connects to: Organizations routinely redefine objectives so their targets become easier to hit. — Michael Lipsky, Street-Level Bureaucracy: Dilemmas of…, 917; Street-level bureaucrats are frontline workers exercising substantial job discretion; Missing performance metrics force street-level bureaucrats to validate their own practices subjectively — Michael Lipsky, Street-Level Bureaucracy: Dilemmas of…, 837 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Street-level bureaucrats are frontline workers exercising substantial job discretion #expands (0.85)
• Street-level bureaucrats are defined by direct citizen contact plus discretion #expands (0.80) — Michael Lipsky, Street-Level Bureaucracy, 71
• Missing performance metrics force street-level bureaucrats to validate their own practices subjectively #expands (0.75) — Michael Lipsky, Street-Level Bureaucracy, 837