Getting what you expect: How civil servant stereotypes affect citizen satisfaction and perceived performance

Abstract

This study tests whether civil servant stereotypes affect how citizens experience public service delivery. Using a pre-registered survey vignette experiment (n = 1130), we activate civil servant stereotypes (negative, positive, or control) and assess whether this affects subsequent perceptions and evaluations of public services. Results indicate that stereotypes shape experiences, with the activation of negative stereotypes leading to lower levels of satisfaction and perceived performance, compared to positive stereotype activation and control. These findings emphasize that negative civil servant stereotypes can have problematic consequences, and contribute to our understanding of the commonly used Expectancy Disconfirmation Model in citizen satisfaction research.