Procedural Environment of Public Engagement: An Induced Recall Experiment of Local Government Employees

Abstract

This research (1) examines how employees’ recollections of public engagement are associated with their willingness for future engagement (WFE), (2) assesses whether employees’ discrete recollections are driven by their procedural environments, and (3) tests whether the valence of recall moderates that relationship. We find that higher levels of red tape are associated with lower WFE. However, positive recollections of engagement mollify that relationship. Qualitative evidence reveals the prominence of one’s procedural environment across groups, but in terms of helping the public navigate administrative burdens in the positive treatment group and rules that hinder the employees in the negative treatment group.

Keywords: Red Tape, Administrative Burden, Prospect Theory, Procedural Embeddedness, Public Engagement

JEL Classification: J45, J48