In the shadow of bureaucratic governance: A framework for internal governance in government organisations

Abstract Government organisations employ various forms of governance, both externally and internally. Externally, government organisations increasingly operate within networks, while internally, bureaucratic governance is often maintained. While research has been conducted on how external network governance can be shaped, less is known about the impact of internal governance on the contribution the government organisation makes to the external network and how the internal governance structure within a government organisation can align with its external network governance. This research demonstrates that the way internal governance is structured influences the contribution that government organisations make to an external network. Internally, a bureaucratic form of governance is often combined with network or market governance. Combining bureaucratic governance with network governance provides a good basis for timely and substantively correct contributions but can also lead to a clash between these two forms of governance. The combination of bureaucratic governance and market governance provides a basis not only for timely and substantively correct contribution but also for reliable contribution to the network. Points for practitioners It can be concluded that bureaucratic governance can be effective insofar as it targets the organisational units under the primary director's responsibility. However, this internal governance form can fall short when contributions from other directorates need to be adjusted. This is especially evident in external projects realised within a network that involve contributions from multiple departments under different directors within the government organisation, as an organisation relying solely on bureaucratic governance may struggle to provide timely and appropriate support for the project. A combination of bureaucratic governance and network governance appears to be more effective, but a lack of coordination between the two can lead to internal governance conflicts. This can result in inconsistent contributions to the project by the government organisation. When internally combining bureaucratic governance with market governance, this issue seems to be less prevalent. The study demonstrates that a blend of bureaucratic and market governance leads to perceived reliability of the organisation's contribution by project participants.