The Psychological Process View of Bureaucratic Red Tape

Abstract

Over the last three decades, the psychological process view of bureaucratic red tape has developed significant new insights for human resource management in the public sector. This chapter provides a meta-narrative perspective, drawing upon public management scholarship on the emergence and significance of the psychological process view. The chapter begins with an overview of theoretical development of the bureaucratic red tape concept followed by the articulation of a psychological process theory of bureaucratic red tape. Next, key developments and findings salient to public sector human resource management are reviewed. The chapter concludes by summarizing key points and noting that bureaucratic red tape scholarship can join forces with related theoretical approaches to foster a problem/solution-oriented approach to public sector human resource management.