Samenvatting

Recently the Dutch government is confronted with various affaires and cases of policy failure that seriously impaired citizens. Evaluations blame the dominant instrumental thinking within public organisations, as a result of New Public Management. The focus on effectiveness and efficiency drives out other public values and makes it difficult for agencies to address the specific needs of clients and citizens. In this contribution the question is addressed to what extent the literature on public values provides suggestions to correct the instrumental orientation of administrators, public managers and public service providers. Three approaches to public values are discussed: public value as policy outcome, public values as competitive values, and public values as internalized values that shape the behaviour of administrators, public managers and providers. The exploration of this literature identifies various suggestions on how the various public values that are at stake in the development and realization of policies and public services can be weighed in a more balanced way. However, the literature also shows that empirical research that validates these suggestions is much needed.