User-orientation in public service organizations: making use of value as a thick concept

Abstract

Value is a key concept in public service logic. However, exactly what the concept of value brings to public services, where the value of a service cannot be linked to a cost or a payment, has not received much attention. In this article, examples are shown of how value is expressed empirically by a corpus based on interviews with various stakeholders in a municipal service context. The study presents the value concept as a thick concept, and as a way of approaching user-orientation, but only if several value perspectives and timeframes are included, and if the user’s perspective (not user-perspective) is highlighted.