Democratic quality and organizational culture

Research shows that democratic quality is not a fixed characteristic that can be safeguarded through a few rules and procedures. An important factor is organizational culture, which is constantly evolving and closely connected to relationships and trust between members.

Factors of influence

The democratic quality of a citizen collective is mainly determined by:

• Representativeness: the principle of one person, one vote

• Inclusivity: actively informing and involving the citizens concerned

• Transparency: openness, avoiding pre-arranged decisions and closed-door agreements

• Equality: not only listening to the loudest voices or dominant personalities

• Organizational structure: a horizontal structure, compared to a vertical hierarchy, places a stronger emphasis on direct involvement of citizens

• Leadership style: the way board members, and especially the chair, shape their role and responsibilities — serving or commanding; connecting or polarizing; driven by shared values or by personal status

Reference

1. I. Van Meerkerk, J. Koppenjan & R. Keast, 2015. New Citizen collectives, their democratic potential and their implications for public management.