BEHAVIOURAL APPROACH IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND THE CASE OF THE UK BEHAVIOURAL INSIGHTS TEAM

Year 2024, Volume: 79 Issue: 1, 111 - 135, 18.03.2024

Elmas Yelkesen , Hatice Duygu Bankoğlu

https://doi.org/10.33630/ausbf.1166292

Abstract

In the 20th century, as an effort to understand people, a new approach has been initiated in public administration where its roots are based on the behavioural approach. Recently, this approach has come to the fore again as it proposes that the use of psychological concepts in public administration provides practitioners with useful benefits. Studies on this field has been pursued on the axis of “behavioural insights” with administrative practices to observe, measure, and direct human behaviors and attitudes. In this study, the nexus between behavioural insights and public administration has been discussed by considering the historical development of the behavioural approach in the field. Besides, the “Behavioural Insights Team (BIT)” has been analyzed as the first exercise of behavioural insights. The study aims to answer how behavioural insights become noticeable based on the team’s establishment, practices, and transformation. After all, it has been concluded that government’s guidance in the use of insights has changed as the team underwent a transformation from its establishment in cabinet office and to becoming a limited company in partnership with the UK government in 2014, and finally turning into a sole association as the UK withdrew from the team’s partnership as of 2021.

Keywords

Behavioural Sciences, Behavioural Approach, Psychology, Behavioural Public Administration, Behavioural Insights Team

KAMU YÖNETİMİNDE DAVRANIŞSAL YAKLAŞIM VE BİRLEŞİK KRALLIK DAVRANIŞSAL İÇGÖRÜLER EKİBİ ÖRNEĞİ

Abstract

Kamu yönetimi alanında insanı anlama çabası, davranışsal yaklaşımın kuramsal temelinin atıldığı 20. yüzyılda başlamıştır. Günümüzde bu yaklaşım kamu yönetiminde psikolojik bakış açısını kullanmanın politika uygulayıcılarına pratik fayda sağladığı düşüncesiyle tekrar gündeme gelmiştir. Kamu yönetimi alanında bu konudaki çalışmalar insan davranışlarını ve tutumlarını gözlemleyebilmek, ölçebilmek ve yönlendirebilmek amacıyla yapılan yönetsel uygulamalarla “davranışsal içgörüler” ekseninde sürdürülmektedir. Bu nedenle çalışmada davranışsal içgörülerin kamu yönetimi alanıyla ilişkisi davranışsal yaklaşımın alandaki tarihsel gelişimi üzerinden ele alınmıştır. Ayrıca çalışmada davranışsal içgörülerin kamu yönetiminde ilk uygulama birimi olan “Davranışsal İçgörüler Ekibi (Behavioural Insights Team)” örnek olarak incelenmiştir. Çalışma bu ilişkide ekibin kuruluşu, uygulamaları ve dönüşümü esas alınarak davranışsal içgörülerin nasıl görünür hale
geldiği sorusunu cevaplamayı amaçlamaktadır. Bu bağlamda ekibin kabine ofisinin bir alt birimi olarak örgütlenmesi, 2014’te ise alt birim olmaktan çıkıp şirketleşmesi dikkat çekicidir. Ancak Birleşik Krallık ekibin ortaklığını 2021’e kadar devam ettirmiştir. Ekibin geçirmiş olduğu bu değişimler içgörülerin kullanımında devletin yönlendiriciliğinin değiştiği sonucunu ortaya çıkarmıştır.

Keywords

: Davranış bilimleri, Davranışsal yaklaşım, Psikoloji, Davranışsal kamu yönetimi, Davranışsal içgörüler ekibi

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