Alexa Lenz
Biographic Data
| ID | 4384013 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Alexa Lenz |
| GIVEN NAMES | Alexa |
| FAMILY NAME | Lenz |
| SIGNATURE | LENZ A |
| AFFILIATIONS | Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-8286-5101 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 8 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 38 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 8 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2021 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Facets of Crises
Crises are widely acknowledged as catalysts for policy change. Yet, our understanding of the policy effects of crises remains limited. Why do only some crises lead to major changes, while significant policy changes also occur during seemingly non‐crisis periods? This paper addresses this gap by distinguishing between two critical “components” of crises: objective problem pressures and public perceptions. We argue that these components often co‐oc…
Addition preferences among policymakers as driver of policy growth
Policy growth has become a defining feature of modern governance, contributing to administrative overload and reduced policy effectiveness. While most research addresses this phenomenon from a macro-level perspective, this study examines how individual policymakers contribute to policy growth through a systematic preference for additive policy solutions. Integrating insights from social psychology, public administration, and political science, th…
Democratic governance and policy complexity
Ready, set, crisis – transitioning to crisis mode in local public administration
Local public administrations are typically the first responders during disruptive crisis events. Building on literature on fast-response organizations, this study theorizes on their ability to transition effectively from routine bureaucracy to crisis mode. Empirically, we study early responses to COVID-19 in Germany with agency-level survey data. The findings suggest that an effective switch between practices cannot be explained by crisis severit…
Managing crises as if no one is watching? Governance dilemmas from a public perspective
In the midst of ongoing crises, understanding how citizens perceive administrative crisis management is more relevant than ever. Combining organizational literature with insights from legitimacy research, this article scrutinizes how the public evaluates governance decisions concerning prominent crisis management dilemmas: flexibility versus stability, inclusion versus exclusion, and equity‐based versus needs‐based resource distribution. The pape…
Mapping bureaucratic overload
Bureaucratic overburdening has emerged as an important theme in public policy and administration research. The concept signifies a state where public administrators are overwhelmed with more tasks and responsibilities than they can effectively handle. Researchers attribute this phenomenon to several key factors, such as an increasing assault on the public sector, a growing volume of policies to enforce, and “external” shocks. These studies conver…
Conceptualizing and Explaining Flexibility in Administrative Crisis Management
Flexibility in administrative crisis management is a frequently reported determinant for a successful crisis response. But there is little agreement about how to conceptualize, measure, and explain flexibility. We use a three-dimensional measure of administrative flexibility, capturing employees’ decision leeway, staff mobility, and organizational innovation in a crisis response. We then develop and test an explanation of variation in flexibility…
Latent Hybridity in Administrative Crisis Management
Studying the so-called refugee crisis in Germany, this article asks about the effectiveness of crisis management by a large number of local administrations, each acting upon the same crisis impulse of a high number of asylum seekers who entered the country in 2015 and 2016. Instead of theorizing the exact administrative design features fit for an effective crisis response, the focus is on the ability of administrations to adjust. We conceptualize…
Latent Hybridity in Administrative Crisis Management
Studying the so-called refugee crisis in Germany, this article asks about the effectiveness of crisis management by a large number of local administrations, each acting upon the same crisis impulse of a high number of asylum seekers who entered the country in 2015 and 2016. Instead of theorizing the exact administrative design features fit for an effective crisis response, the focus is on the ability of administrations to adjust. We conceptualize…
Conceptualizing and Explaining Flexibility in Administrative Crisis Management
Flexibility in administrative crisis management is a frequently reported determinant for a successful crisis response. But there is little agreement about how to conceptualize, measure, and explain flexibility. We use a three-dimensional measure of administrative flexibility, capturing employees’ decision leeway, staff mobility, and organizational innovation in a crisis response. We then develop and test an explanation of variation in flexibility…
Mapping bureaucratic overload
Bureaucratic overburdening has emerged as an important theme in public policy and administration research. The concept signifies a state where public administrators are overwhelmed with more tasks and responsibilities than they can effectively handle. Researchers attribute this phenomenon to several key factors, such as an increasing assault on the public sector, a growing volume of policies to enforce, and “external” shocks. These studies conver…
Managing crises as if no one is watching? Governance dilemmas from a public perspective
In the midst of ongoing crises, understanding how citizens perceive administrative crisis management is more relevant than ever. Combining organizational literature with insights from legitimacy research, this article scrutinizes how the public evaluates governance decisions concerning prominent crisis management dilemmas: flexibility versus stability, inclusion versus exclusion, and equity‐based versus needs‐based resource distribution. The pape…
Democratic governance and policy complexity
Latent Hybridity in Administrative Crisis Management
Studying the so-called refugee crisis in Germany, this article asks about the effectiveness of crisis management by a large number of local administrations, each acting upon the same crisis impulse of a high number of asylum seekers who entered the country in 2015 and 2016. Instead of theorizing the exact administrative design features fit for an effective crisis response, the focus is on the ability of administrations to adjust. We conceptualize…
Conceptualizing and Explaining Flexibility in Administrative Crisis Management
Flexibility in administrative crisis management is a frequently reported determinant for a successful crisis response. But there is little agreement about how to conceptualize, measure, and explain flexibility. We use a three-dimensional measure of administrative flexibility, capturing employees’ decision leeway, staff mobility, and organizational innovation in a crisis response. We then develop and test an explanation of variation in flexibility…
Ready, set, crisis – transitioning to crisis mode in local public administration
Local public administrations are typically the first responders during disruptive crisis events. Building on literature on fast-response organizations, this study theorizes on their ability to transition effectively from routine bureaucracy to crisis mode. Empirically, we study early responses to COVID-19 in Germany with agency-level survey data. The findings suggest that an effective switch between practices cannot be explained by crisis severit…
Managing crises as if no one is watching? Governance dilemmas from a public perspective
In the midst of ongoing crises, understanding how citizens perceive administrative crisis management is more relevant than ever. Combining organizational literature with insights from legitimacy research, this article scrutinizes how the public evaluates governance decisions concerning prominent crisis management dilemmas: flexibility versus stability, inclusion versus exclusion, and equity‐based versus needs‐based resource distribution. The pape…
Mapping bureaucratic overload
Bureaucratic overburdening has emerged as an important theme in public policy and administration research. The concept signifies a state where public administrators are overwhelmed with more tasks and responsibilities than they can effectively handle. Researchers attribute this phenomenon to several key factors, such as an increasing assault on the public sector, a growing volume of policies to enforce, and “external” shocks. These studies conver…
Democratic governance and policy complexity
Facets of Crises
Crises are widely acknowledged as catalysts for policy change. Yet, our understanding of the policy effects of crises remains limited. Why do only some crises lead to major changes, while significant policy changes also occur during seemingly non‐crisis periods? This paper addresses this gap by distinguishing between two critical “components” of crises: objective problem pressures and public perceptions. We argue that these components often co‐oc…
Addition preferences among policymakers as driver of policy growth
Policy growth has become a defining feature of modern governance, contributing to administrative overload and reduced policy effectiveness. While most research addresses this phenomenon from a macro-level perspective, this study examines how individual policymakers contribute to policy growth through a systematic preference for additive policy solutions. Integrating insights from social psychology, public administration, and political science, th…
Business (5 works) · Political science (5 works) · Crisis management (4 works) · Disaster Management and Resilience (4 works) · Public Policy and Administration Research (4 works) · Law (3 works) · Politics (3 works) · Public relations (3 works) · Public Relations and Crisis Communication (3 works) · Social Policy and Reform Studies (3 works)