Handling in the frontline: A case study of “whistle gathering” in Beijing

The larger role that street-level bureaucracy has played in urban governance has been one of the focuses of public administration for several decades. This commentary presents a case study of whistle gathering (WG), which helps to eliminate the cooperative dilemma at the microlevel. As an innovative mechanism whereby organizational structures and communication systems are streamlined, WG occurs when departments/agencies convene and coordinate to participate in a joint task force in order to more efficiently respond to and solve every day problems at the community level. Underperforming participants are reprimanded and face administrative consequences. Since WG must meet certain prerequisites for successful implementation, policymakers and researchers are encouraged to further analyze the potential disadvantages of this system.