Street‐Level Bureaucrats and Public Value Conflicts: Role Ambiguity, Flexible Role Orientation, and Performance

Street‐level bureaucrats are crucial for government efficiency, but public value conflicts frequently hinder their performance. This study draws on role theory and proposes a theoretical model to assess the influence of public value conflicts on the job performance of street‐level bureaucrats. In Study 1, a survey of 589 street‐level bureaucrats revealed that public value conflicts directly affect their job performance and indirectly influence it by intensifying role ambiguity. Study 2, involving a survey of 300 street‐level bureaucrats, further indicated that a flexible role orientation can diminish the impact of public value conflicts on role ambiguity and its mediating role between public value conflicts on job performance. This study provides a new theoretical perspective on how public value conflicts impact street‐level bureaucrats' job performance and provides practical advice for policymakers and managers to improve civil service management and government governance.