The social construction of clients by service agents in reformed welfare administration

TY - JOUR

T1 - The social construction of clients by service agents in reformed welfare administration

AU - Rosenthal, Patrice

AU - Peccei, Riccardo

PY - 2006/12

Y1 - 2006/12

N2 - This article explores categorization and labelling in organizations through a study of the social construction of clients by service agents in reformed British welfare administration. We analyse the content of client typologies and show how these are embedded in the nature of front-line service work and the organizational context as structured by social authorities. We find a pervasive categorization and valorization of clients according to their perceived attitudes to work, on the reported basis of their body language and demeanour in initial service interactions. This is embedded in a more complex system of social construction, encompassing diverse criteria such as capacity for aggression, gratitude and social status and age, We show how the criteria used by staff to make sense of overlapping groups of clients differs between the main sample in post-reform sites and those working in pre-reform benefit offices. We consider the research and practical implications of our study, the latter relating to the espoused strategy of personalized and flexible treatment of clients in an era of new public management reforms

AB - This article explores categorization and labelling in organizations through a study of the social construction of clients by service agents in reformed British welfare administration. We analyse the content of client typologies and show how these are embedded in the nature of front-line service work and the organizational context as structured by social authorities. We find a pervasive categorization and valorization of clients according to their perceived attitudes to work, on the reported basis of their body language and demeanour in initial service interactions. This is embedded in a more complex system of social construction, encompassing diverse criteria such as capacity for aggression, gratitude and social status and age, We show how the criteria used by staff to make sense of overlapping groups of clients differs between the main sample in post-reform sites and those working in pre-reform benefit offices. We consider the research and practical implications of our study, the latter relating to the espoused strategy of personalized and flexible treatment of clients in an era of new public management reforms

U2 - 10.1177/0018726706073194

DO - 10.1177/0018726706073194

M3 - Article

SN - 1741-282X

VL - 59

SP - 1633

EP - 1658

JO - HUMAN RELATIONS

JF - HUMAN RELATIONS

IS - 12

ER -