Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Reform Context and Status

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Nordic Administrative Reforms

Part of the book series: Public Sector Organizations ((PSO))

Abstract

This chapter examines the context for administrative reform in the Nordic countries. Context is important in public policy and management. The chapter provides this context in the shape of the organization of the public sector in the Nordic countries, as well as the reform narratives that have occurred in those countries in recent years. The chapter discusses whether there has been a common Nordic reform agenda and who the main reform actors have been. The main reform trends and contemporary reform programs in the different countries are described. The main research questions are: How are the Nordic public sectors structured? How has the socio-economic context influenced the way the reforms have been carried out in the public sector? What are the key features of the Nordic administrative reforms?

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ahlbäck Öberg, S., and H. Wockelberg. 2015. The Public Administration and the Courts. In The Oxford Handbook of Swedish Politics, ed. J. Pierre, chapter 10. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baldersheim, H., and K. StÃ¥hlberg. 2002. From Guided Democracy to Multi-Level Governance: Trends in Central-Local Relations in the Nordic Countries. Local Government Studies 28(3): 74–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bertelsmann Stiftung. 2016. Sustainable Governance Indicators. Governance Capacity. http://www.sgi-network.org/2015/Governance/Executive_Capacity. Accessed 29 Jan 2016.

  • Christensen, T., and P. Lægreid, eds. 2001. New Public Management. The Transformation of Ideas and Practice. Aldershot: Ashgate.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———, eds. 2007a. Transcending New Public Management. The Transformation of Public Sector Refroms. Aldershot: Ashgate.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2009a. Living in the Past?—Tenure, Roles, and Attitudes in the Central Civil Service. Public Administration Review 69(5): 951–961.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2009b. Public Management Reform in Norway—Reluctance and Tensions. In International Handbook on Public Management Reform, eds. S. Goldfinch, and J. Wallis. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2010. Increased Complexity in Public Organizations—The Challenges of Combining NPM and Post-NPM. In Governance of Public Sector Organizations, eds. P. Lægreid, and K. Verhoest. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———, eds. 2011a. The Ashgate Research Companion to New Public Management. Aldershot: Ashgate.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2011b. Beyond NPM? Some Development Features. In The Ashgate Research Companion to New Public Management, eds. T. Christensen, and P. Lægreid. Aldershot: Ashgate.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2011c. Complexity and Hybrid Public Administration—Theoretical and Empirical Challenges. Public Organization Review 11(4): 407–423.

    Google Scholar 

  • The Economist. 2011. The Nordic Countries as the Next Super Model? February 3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ejersbo, N., and C. Greve. 2014. Moderniseringen af den offentlige sektor. 3. udgave. København: Akademisk Forlag Business.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foss Hansen, H. 2011. NPM in Scandinavia. In The Ashgate Research Companion to New Public Management, eds. T. Christensen, and P. Lægreid. Aldershot: Ashgate.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greve, C., and N. Ejersbo. 2016. Denmark: Towards the Neo-Weberian State in the Digital Era. In Public Administration Reforms in Europe: The View from the Top, eds. G. Hammerschmid, S. Van de Walle, R. Andrews, and P. Bezes. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, P 2015. The Swedish Administrative Model. In The Oxford Handbook of Swedish Politics, ed. J. Pierre. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jensen, L. 2003. Den store koordinator—Finansministeriet som moderne styringsaktør. København: DJØF Forlaget.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jensen, L 2008. Væk fra afgrunden: Finansministeriet som økonomisk styringsaktør. Odense: Syddansk Universitetsforlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kettl, D.F 2005. The Global Public Management Revolution, 2nd edn. Washington, DC: Brookings.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knudsen, T., and B. Rothstein. 1994. State Building in Scandinavia. Comparative Politics 26(2): 203–220.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lægreid, P 2016. Nordic Administrative Traditions. In The Routledge Handbook on Scandinavian Studies, eds. P. Nedergaard, and A. Wivel. London: Routledge. Forthcoming.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lægreid, P., and L.H. Rykkja. 2016. Norway: Managerialism, Incrementalism and Collaboration. In Public Administration Reforms in Europe. The View from the Top, eds. S. Van de Walle, G. Hammerschmid, R. Andrews, and P. Bezes. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Forthcoming.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lægreid, P., P.G. Roness, and K. Rubecksen. 2006. Performance Management in Practice—The Norwegian Way. Financial Accountability and Management 22(3): 251–270.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lægreid, P., V.W. Rolland, P.G. Roness, and J.-E. Ã…tgones. 2010. The Structural Anatomy of the Norwegian State: Increased Specialization or a Pendulum Shift? In Governance of Public Sector Organizations, eds. P. Lægreid, and K. Verhoest. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Lodge, M., and K. Wegrich. 2014. Administrative Capacities. In The Governance Report 2014, ed. The Hertie School, 27–48. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lynn, L. 2006. Public Management Old and New. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matthiasson, P. 2014. Icelandic Public Sector Reform. Manuscript December 2014.

    Google Scholar 

  • Niklasson, B. 2012. Sweden. In Government Agencies. Practices and Lessons from 30 Countries, eds. K. Verhoest, S. van Thiel, G. Bouckaert, and P. Lægreid. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nordic Council of Ministers. 2016. Fakta om Norden. http://www.norden.org/da/fakta-om-norden/politik. Accessed 1 Feb 2016.

  • OECD. 2015a. General Government Debt (Indicator). doi:10.1787/a0528cc2-en. https://data.oecd.org/gga/general-government-debt.htm. Accessed 14 Jul 2015.

  • ———. 2015b. Government at a Glance. Paris: OECD. http://www.oecd.org/governance/govataglance.htm. Accessed 1 Feb 2016.

  • Olsen, J.P. 1996. Norway: Slow Learner or Another Triumpf of the Tortoise? In Lessons from Experience. Experimental Reforms in Eight Democracies, eds. J.P. Olsen, and B.G. Peters, 180–213. Oslo: Scandinavian University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Olsen, J.P 2010. Governing through Institution Building. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Open Government Partnership. 2016. http://www.opengovernmentpartnership.org. Accessed 1 Feb 2016.

  • Pedersen, O.K. 2011. Konkurrencestaten. Copenhagen: Hans Reitzels.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pierre, J 2001. Debating Governance. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pollitt, C 2001. Convergence, the Useful Myth? Public Administration 79(4): 933–947.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ———, ed. 2013a. Context in Public Policy and Management. The Missing Link? Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

    Google Scholar 

  • ——— 2013b. What Do We Know about Public Management Reform? Concepts, Models and Some Approximate Guidelines. Paper Supporting a Presentation to the Conference and Workshop. Towards a Comprehensive Reform of Public Governance, Lisbon, January 28–30, 2013.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pollitt, C., and G. Bouckaert. 2004. Public Management Reform. A Comparative Analysis, 2nd edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2011. Public Management Reform. A Comparative Analysis: New Public Management, Governance, and the Neo-Weberian State, 3rd edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pollitt, C., S. van Thiel, and V. Homburg, eds. 2007. The New Public Management in Europe. Adaptation and Alternatives. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Radin, B. 2012. Federal Management Reform in a World of Contradictions. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salminen, A., O. Viinamäki, and J. Sokisuu. 2012. Finland. In Government Agencies: Practices and Lessons from 30 Countries, eds. K. Verhoest, S. Van Thiel, G. Bouckaert, and P. Lægreid, 223–233. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Samhent stjórnsýsla (Coordinated Administration). 2010. Report of a Committee Appointed by the Prime Minister to reconsider the Ministerial Act of Iceland. Prime Minister’s Office. http://www.forsaetisraduneyti.is/media/Skyrslur/lokaskyrsla-stjornarradslaganefnd.pdf

  • Sundström, G. 2003. Stat pÃ¥ villovägar. Resultstyringens framvaxt i et historisk-instituitonelt perspektiv. Dissertation, Department of Political Science, Stockholm University

    Google Scholar 

  • Sundström, G. 2015. Administrative Reform. In The Oxford Handbook on Swedish Politics, ed. J. Pierre, chapter 23. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Transparency International. 2016. Corruption Perception Index. http://www.transparency.org. Accessed 1 Feb 2016.

  • Verhoest, K., S. Van Thiel, G. Bouckaert, and P. Lægreid, eds. 2012. Government Agencies: Practices and Lessons from 30 Countries. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Virtanen, T. 2016. Finland: Active Reformer Looking for More Centralisation and Horisontal Coordination. In Public Administration Reforms in Europe. The View from the Top. Eds. G. Hammerschmid, S. van der Walle, R. Andrews, P. Bezes. Chelthenham: Edward Elgar (forthcoming).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wockelberg, H., and S. Ahlbäck Öberg. 2016. Reinventing the Old Reform Agenda: Public Administrative Reform and Performance According to Swedish Top Managers. In Public Administration Reforms in Europe: The View from the Top, eds. G. Hammerschmid, S. Van de Walle, R. Andrews, and P. Bezes. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Bank. 2016. World Wide Governance Indicators. http://info.worldbank.org/governance/wgi. Accessed 1 Feb 2016.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Business and Politics, Copenhagen Business School, Frederiksberg, Denmark

    Carsten Greve

  2. KORA, Danish Institute for Local and Regional Government Research, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Niels Ejersbo

Authors
  1. Carsten Greve
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Niels Ejersbo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carsten Greve .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Copenhagen Business School, Frederiksberg, Denmark

    Carsten Greve

  2. University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

    Per Lægreid

  3. Uni Research Rokkan Centre, Bergen, Norway

    Lise H. Rykkja

Copyright information

© 2016 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Greve, C., Ejersbo, N. (2016). Reform Context and Status. In: Greve, C., Lægreid, P., Rykkja, L. (eds) Nordic Administrative Reforms. Public Sector Organizations. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56363-7_3

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation