| According to researchers studying the behavior of street-level bureaucrats, it is generally accepted that street-level bureaucrats exist in many public agencies. Defined as workers who interact directly with citizens in the course of their jobs, street-level bureaucrats have substantial discretion and autonomy in the execution of their work. Because of the discretion and autonomy they possess, street-level bureaucrats are an important and powerful part of the policy implementation process (Lipsky, 1980, 3 and 13). This research focused on the work of resident assistants (students aged 19--21 in a traditional residence life setting) in a single university residence hall and attempted to determine how these resident assistants use their discretion and autonomy to impact implementation in accordance with their personal values and their level of psychological development. As a result, this research has expanded the understanding of street-level bureaucrats into the higher education setting. |
