How public employees address the tensions between bureaucratization and de-bureaucratization: A relational approach in hiring

The bureaucratic ethos and de-bureaucratization efforts coexist within the public sector, while global challenges call for a ‘relational turn’. However, how bureaucratization and de-bureaucratization interact, especially in connection with relational dynamics and co-ordination, remains underexplored. This article investigates how public employees navigate these tensions, focusing on hiring processes in Italian municipalities. Drawing on 40 interviews and grounded in the relational bureaucracy framework, the study reveals how public employees actively balance the protective functions of bureaucracy with demands for de-bureaucratization. This balance is not straightforward; rather, it is mediated by relational dynamics such as joint projecting, integration of diverse competencies, and responsiveness to internal and external stakeholders. These dynamics shape administrative behaviour and enable more adaptive public action. The study contributes to the PA literature by showing that de-bureaucratization requires not only procedural simplification but also mature, stable relational systems that support the contextual and constructive interpretation of rules.