Instrumental calculation, cognitive role-playing, or both? Self-perceptions of Seconded National Experts in the European Commission

Arbeitspapier

Most work studying micro-processes of integration - i.e. how agents develop identities and decision-making behaviours within a particular institution - offers explanations based on either instrumental rationality or socialisation. This article proposes a twodimensional framework that allows analysing under which conditions both logics of social action co-exist. Our empirical analysis employs a unique dataset from a 2011 survey of all 1098 currently active Seconded National Experts (SNEs) in the European Commission, and is supportive the model's theoretical predictions. We find that a) instrumental cost-benefit calculation and cognitive role-playing (as semi-reflexive socialisation) often simultaneously influence SNEs' (perceptions of their) behaviour, and b) this joint presence of both logics of social action depends on certain scope conditions (i.e., SNEs' education, length of prior embeddedness and noviceness).

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: WZB Discussion Paper ; No. SP II 2011-110

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft
• Subject: Socialisation ; rational action ; European Commission ; Seconded National Experts ; survey

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Murdoch, Zuzana ; Geys, Benny
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung (WZB)
• (where): Berlin
• (when): 2011

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/54599
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:41 AM CET