Abstract
This theoretical paper responds to Osborne et al. (2022) by exploring the underdeveloped sub-micro level of the public service ecosystem (PSE). While the macro and meso levels are more easily theorized, the boundaries of the PSE blur as it approaches the private domain. We highlight Behavioural Public Administration (BPA) as a critical perspective and propose additional lenses for scrutinizing the sub-micro level, focusing on the public service user and citizen. These include the interplay between the PSE and community ecosystems (particularly the family), the turbulence introduced by ‘dangerous’ service users, and the intersection of public services with individual and family belief systems. We theorize how these dynamics shape public service value creation and question whether broadening PSE theory risks diluting its conceptual clarity. To ground our discussion, we introduce the concept of legislative, policy, and therapeutic nodes, illustrating how high-level policies are applied at the sub-micro level and how family and community systems interact with the PSE.