Political Entrepreneurship by Agricultural Extension Bureaucrats in Batang, Blora, and Cilacap (Central Java Regencies, Indonesia): Upgrading Power Through Community-Leaning Behaviour
Jayabalan Vijayakumar, Prof Dr Erwan Agus Purwanto
2024 | Disertasi | S3 Ilmu Politik
Agricultural
extension bureaucrats (AEBs), as frontline bureaucrats, own dual identities as
agents of the state, doing the bidding of the government; and as citizen-agents,
who inform, involve, and enable citizens (and communities) to interact and
influence authorities. In the Central Java regencies of Batang, Blora, and
Cilacap, they behave in a community-leaning way to secure a compliant
farmer-citizenry - this is a form of exercising power. This study seeks to
understand if their community-leaning behaviour, is driven by the need to
enhance power – and if political entrepreneurship is at play.
This
study relies on qualitative interviews, to unlock and uncover knowledge, through
systematic enquiry. This is because prior research on
this topic is sketchy, and valid knowledge to establish the causal relationship
behind the community-leaning behaviour, is buried in the minds of the AEBs. The
study uses multiplicity cases (Batang, Blora, and Cilacap regencies) in a
holistic-multiple case design, using 16 AEBs, as samples. The theoretical
relationship between compliance and power is explored, from the narrative
grounded data that is generated. The examination extends to the theoretical
perspective of political entrepreneurship. The research incorporates the
narratives and inferences from the narrative, in the review.
The study discovers that the AEBs upgrade their
power by exercising community-leaning behaviour, instead of simply discharging
their principal duties and functional roles. They see the power upgrade as a
necessity, to secure compliance from the citizenry. The study also discovers
that AEBs act as political entrepreneurs, as they disrupt the prevailing status
quo. The findings of this study contribute to the relational and
improvisational aspects in the daily work and public engagement of frontline
bureaucrats, that is understudied, and to the concept of political
entrepreneurship of street level bureaucrats.
Agricultural
extension bureaucrats (AEBs), as frontline bureaucrats, own dual identities as
agents of the state, doing the bidding of the government; and as citizen-agents,
who inform, involve, and enable citizens (and communities) to interact and
influence authorities. In the Central Java regencies of Batang, Blora, and
Cilacap, they behave in a community-leaning way to secure a compliant
farmer-citizenry - this is a form of exercising power. This study seeks to
understand if their community-leaning behaviour, is driven by the need to
enhance power – and if political entrepreneurship is at play.
This
study relies on qualitative interviews, to unlock and uncover knowledge, through
systematic enquiry. This is because prior research on
this topic is sketchy, and valid knowledge to establish the causal relationship
behind the community-leaning behaviour, is buried in the minds of the AEBs. The
study uses multiplicity cases (Batang, Blora, and Cilacap regencies) in a
holistic-multiple case design, using 16 AEBs, as samples. The theoretical
relationship between compliance and power is explored, from the narrative
grounded data that is generated. The examination extends to the theoretical
perspective of political entrepreneurship. The research incorporates the
narratives and inferences from the narrative, in the review.
The study discovers that the AEBs upgrade their
power by exercising community-leaning behaviour, instead of simply discharging
their principal duties and functional roles. They see the power upgrade as a
necessity, to secure compliance from the citizenry. The study also discovers
that AEBs act as political entrepreneurs, as they disrupt the prevailing status
quo. The findings of this study contribute to the relational and
improvisational aspects in the daily work and public engagement of frontline
bureaucrats, that is understudied, and to the concept of political
entrepreneurship of street level bureaucrats.
Kata Kunci : Agriculture extension bureaucrats, street level bureaucrat, political entrepreneur, power, community-leaning behaviour
