| 1. |
- Brorström, Björn, et al.
(författare)
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Krisers innebörd och orsaker
- 2011
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Baserat på ett omfattande empiriskt material, sprunget från den så kallade Portalstudien i form av personliga intervjuer med ledande politiker och tjänstemän i 46 kommuner, har tre typer av kriser identifierats; ekonomisk kris, effektivitetskris samt existentiell kris. Den ekonomiska krisen hänger delvis samman med ett regelverk som förhindrar ekonomisk rationalitet, effektivitetskrisen förklaras av informella värderingar som förhindrar nödvändiga beslut och den existentiella krisen uppstår när de övriga kriserna förenas med ett handlingsförlamande misstroende i organisationen. I rapporten beskrivs de tre kriserna närmare genom en diskussion om förklaringar till hur och varför de uppstår. Vidare redovisas och skissas på vägar ut ur kriserna. Bland annat konstateras att ett effektivt institutionellt arrangemang behövs för att förhindra kriser. Med ett effektivt arrangemang avses att en koppling föreligger mellan formella regler och informella regler. Balanskrav och etablerade föreställningar om innebörden av en god ekonomi förhindrar effektivisering, informella regler och överenskommelser kan verka stabiliserande och skapa ordning, men kan långsiktigt innebära att nödvändig förnyelse hindras. De kriser som beskrivits kan alla relateras till hinder som skapas och som försvårar anpassning till förändrade förutsättningar. Den beskrivningsmodell som utvecklas i rapporten är möjlig att tillämpa i fortsatta studier av krisförlopp och därigenom kan modellens innebörd fördjupas och bekräftas.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Brorström, Sara, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Tre typer av kommunkriser
- 2011
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Ingår i: Kommunal Ekonomi. ; 6
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 4. |
- Krantz, Venus, 1988-
(författare)
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Exploring localisation of the Sustainable Development Goals : Focusing on municipal organisations in a Swedish context
- 2022
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Adopted in 2015, the 2030 Agenda and the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for integrated approaches and aim to “leave no one behind”. This licentiate thesis focuses on localisation of the SDGs in Swedish municipal organisations, and more specifically at early stages of SDG localisation processes. It investigates how the SDGs can be operationalised into municipal organisations and in what ways municipal organisations can engage with other actors in SDG localisation. The thesis takes it theoretical point of departure in governance, strategic planning, and management connected to sustainability and municipal organisations. This cover essay is based on three qualitative studies, mainly built on interviews but complemented with observations and document studies. The three studies explore SDG localisation from different perspectives. The first study focus on SDG operationalisation in a municipal organisation, the second on regional SDG collaboration and the third focuses on the intersection between SDG operationalisation and collaboration in municipal organisations. The findings (in this thesis) reveal that all studied municipalities showed ambitions to operationalise the SDGs holistically across sustainability dimensions (and sectors) through strategy and practices in the municipal organisation. The examples also show different levels and ways of how municipal organisations can engage with external actors in SDG localisation, from no specific external engagement to communicating the SDGs or initiating local SDG networks. In short, the SDGs can serve as a common denominator and contributes to learning, in both external and internal sustainability efforts. Moreover, the SDGs give municipal organisations an opportunity to approach a leader role to forward local sustainability. However, there is a tendency wanting to operationalise the SDGs internally before engaging with external actors, and hence, to act as a good example to have the credibility to engage other actors. Yet, this is challenging as the SDGs cover many areas. There is also a risk to get stuck in the details regarding operationalisation, hampering the municipal organisations to take a more active role in externally in SDG localisation. To manage this, it is suggested that SDG operationalisation and actor engagement should be approached as parallel (and intertwined) processes. This, and SDG localisation overall, puts a lot of pressure on municipal (SDG) process leaders, who need to have the mandate to act (i.e. placed centrally, organisational and political support) and have a generalist, flexible and open approach. This research contributes with knowledge and examples of SDG localisation and forwarding sustainability in municipal organisations, additionally it contributes theoretically to further understanding of the connections between sustainability management and local governance.
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| 5. |
- Adolfsson, Petra, 1970, et al.
(författare)
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Concretization Sustainability in City Management and Urban Planning in Gothenburg: From Vague Vision to Social Inclusion Activities
- 2020
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Ingår i: Dilemmas of sustainable urban development: a view from practice / edited by Jonathan Metzger and Jenny Lindblad.. - New York : Routledge. - 9780429294457 ; , s. 50-66
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dilemmas of Sustainable Urban Development offers valuable insights into a difficult line of work whose practice inevitably requires a confrontation with fundamental conflicts between divergent goals, and therefore also demands difficult choices and compromises. With contributions from leading academics and expert practitioners, this book provides readers with diverse international case studies which highlight and examine the concrete challenges of practicing sustainable urban development. The examples in this book touch upon all aspects of sustainable urban development work, from City Hall to the local park. All of the cases unfold in their own specific contexts under particular circumstances—but from each one of them there are general lessons that can be used to inform practice. This book is essential reading for anyone who is active as a student, researcher, or practitioner in the field of urban development.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Brorström, Sara, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Att riva gränser genom att skapa nya – om samverkan i projektet ”Tillsammans för jobb och integration i Askimsviken”
- 2020
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Arbetet med att stödja nyanländas integration på arbetsmarknaden och i samhället har fått ökad betydelse i efterdyningarna av den så kallade ”flyktingkrisen” i Europa och ett stadigt växande antal initiativ och projekt har lanserats i Sverige och andra länder där offentliga aktörer samverka med privata företag och den ideella sektorn för att koordinera sina aktiviteter. I detta sammanhang har samverkan kommit att betraktas som central för att uppnå goda, effektiva resultat i integrationsarbetet. Samtidigt har flertalet studier visat på hur svårt det är att få samverkan att fungera i praktiken. I denna rapport belyser vi utmaningarna och möjligheterna med samverkan kring nyanländas integration genom att presentera resultat från en följeforskningsstudie av ”Tillsammans för jobb och integration i Askimsviken”-projektet i Göteborg. Projektet som drevs i samverkan mellan Göteborgs kommun, Stadsdelen Askim-Frölunda-Högsbo och Arbetsförmedlingen startades under 2018, men avslutades i förtid i december 2019 när samverkanspartnerna kom överens om att man inte rimligtvis skulle kunna uppnå sina mål innan projektets slut. Medan samverkan vanligtvis syftar till att ta bort gränser mellan organisationer visar denna rapport istället hur nya gränser uppstår genom samverkan och försvårar arbetet.
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Brorström, Sara, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Boundaries of collaboration – the case of a temporary housing complex for refugees in Sweden
- 2022
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Ingår i: Public Management Review. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1471-9037 .- 1471-9045. ; 24:4, s. 536-557
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Integration of recent refugees is gaining much attention in the aftermath of the European ‘refugee crisis’ and collaboration is often seen by public officials as vital to promoting integration. At the same time, achieving successful collaboration in practice is regarded as difficult. In this paper we explore the challenges in detail by tracing how collaborative work unfolds in practice as ongoing, dispersed and collective boundary work. We draw on a longitudinal study of a collaboration project involving a number of municipal and state organizations in Sweden, and aimed at integrating recent refugees into the labour market and society.
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
- Brorström, Sara, 1982
(författare)
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Det spelar ingen roll vad vi kommunicerar, folk frågar bara om Västlänken
- 2019
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Ingår i: Stadsutveckling & design för motstridiga önskemål. En bok om nödvändigheten av förändring i tanke och handling för sociala hållbarhetsprocesser. - Stockholm : Arkus Förlag. - 1652-6430. - 9789198042283
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
- Brorström, Sara, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Fast fashion: the rapid layering of management fashions in the Swedish city of Gothenburg
- 2024
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Ingår i: Public Management Review. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1471-9037 .- 1471-9045. ; 26:1, s. 245-264
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- By drawing on the institutional theory literature on management fashions paired with the layering literature, this paper shows how a city organization underwent rapid changes over a decade by continuously adopting fashions. This paper is based on a longitudinal study examining a city organization and its endeavours over ten years, including 108 interviews and about 650hours of observations. The paper shows how layering and fashion drive each other, and that fashion accelerates the layering process. The paper also shows how organizational actors struggled to realize intentions to change while being held back by previous layers and adopted management fashions.
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
- Brorström, Sara, et al.
(författare)
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Framtidens historia. : En studie av visioner, strategier
- 2012
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Framtiden kan förefalla märklig, det ända som med säkerhet kan sägas är att den blir inte som man har tänkt sig. Ändå produceras och används olika typer av planeringsinstrument i våra städer med allt större frekvens, och det är inte endast planer för hur resurser ska fördelas i den allmänna budgetprocessen, utan visioner, strategier och mål om hur städerna ska te sig om tjugo, trettio år eller ännu längre sikt. Det förefaller finnas en tro på att visioner, strategier och planer kan förändra staden till det bättre men det är också ett sätt att skapa engagemang kring stadens utveckling och mobilisera kraft inför framtiden. Denna rapport syftar till att klargöra hur visioner, strategier och planer (ViSP) används idag och har använts i våra tre stora städer. För även om ViSP inte är ett säkert tecken på vad som kommer att inträffa i framtiden spelar de en stor roll i våra städer, de är performativa (Kornberger och Clegg 2011) och får därigenom saker att inträffa – men kanske inte de som det planeras för. Vi argumenterar emellertid också för att ViSP är baserade på tidigare händelser och det är samspelet mellan dessa två som här står i fokus. Frågan som diskuteras är; Hur används ViSP i våra städer och vart leder det?
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| 21. |
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| 22. |
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| 23. |
- Brorström, Sara, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Getting integrative urban regeneration strategies done: Insights from Antwerp and Gothenburg
- 2021
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Ingår i: International Review of Administrative Sciences. - : SAGE Publications. - 0020-8523 .- 1461-7226. ; 89:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Integrative strategic management for urban regeneration involves reconciling conflicting demands and translating abstract concepts into concrete actions. This article examines how public-sector strategists address these dilemmas by developing a dynamic perspective that helps in understanding how they ‘strategize’. This perspective was applied to two urban regeneration projects in Gothenburg (Sweden) and Antwerp (Belgium). Our findings illustrate how actors strategize at different locations and times, putting middle-management strategists, in particular, on the horns of a dilemma. Acting quickly through establishing experimentation spaces could result in innovative outcomes, but politicians and local residents may feel bypassed; however, waiting until strategic visions are translated into detailed actions may eventually result in no action at all. This article helps us understand the disconnect between planning, implementation and performance in strategic management.
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| 24. |
- Brorström, Sara, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Gränsöverskridande organisering för hållbar utveckling
- 2019
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Ingår i: Innovation och stadsutveckling : en forskningsantologi om organiseringsutmaningar för stad och kommun / Red. Jessica Algehed, Erica Eneqvist, Christian Jensen & Jenny Lööf.. - Borås : Research Institute of Sweden (RISE). - 9789189049086 ; , s. 149-162
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- För att skapa en framtida hållbar stad krävs ambitioner, mål och en tydlighet angående vart staden är på väg och hur förvaltningar och bolag tillsammans ska ta sig dit. Över tid har hållbarhetsfrågan mer och mer kommitatt handla om organisation: hur ska våra organisationer se ut och hur skade arbeta för att kunna hantera alla de utmaningar vi står inför? ForskarnaMoldavanova och Goerdel (2018) menar till exempel att en organisationmåste vara ”self-sustainable”, för att kunna hantera stora utmaningar ochhöga ambitioner. Det innebär att en organisation måste ha kapacitet för attkunna hantera en så stor utmaning som hållbarhet är. När vi pratar om organiseringen av hållbarhetsfrågan har diskussionen rört sig till en ”meso-nivå”, det vill säga en organisationsnivå. Det finns idag en kritik mot attmoderna organisationer ofta är kortsiktigt fokuserade, något som förstärksav New Public Management-paradigmet. Att utvärderas och kontrolleras på kort sikt men samtidigt arbeta motlångsiktiga mål är en problematik som vi har stött på i våra studier avsvenska städer och deras hållbarhetsarbete. Vi möter också ofta uttalandensom tyder på att det tar upp mycket tid och kraft för tjänstepersoner attfundera på hur organisationen ska se ut, vem som ska ingå i olika projekt,hur beslut fattas och hur kultur kan förändras. Våra studier visar också attmånga komplexa frågor som handlar om hur staden ska te sig i framtidenbehandlas i gränsöverskridande samverkan. Detta är i sig inte förvånande,många har konstaterat att de samhälleliga utmaningar vi står inför inte kanhanteras av en organisation enskilt, utan måste hanteras över gränser (Williams, 2012). Men förutom att hållbarhetsfrågan är utmanande i sig, finnsdet också flertalet utmaningar som har att göra med själva organiseringen.I det här kapitlet beskriver vi utmaningarna som uppstår i organisationersom har att arbeta med hållbarhetsfrågan. Vi kommer att utgå från två olikastudier av två städer, där organiseringen skiljer sig åt och där man därförhar valt två olika sätt att lösa ett problem, eller snarare att möta en utmaning. Vi inleder med att först kortfattat beskriva de två städernas arbete föratt sedan beskriva utmaningarna.
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| 25. |
- Brorström, Sara, 1982
(författare)
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How numbers of the future are shaping today: The role of forecasts and calculations in public sector strategic thinking
- 2018
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Ingår i: Financial Accountability and Management. - : Wiley. - 0267-4424 .- 1468-0408. ; 34:1, s. 17-29
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article examines the role of numbers in forming a city strategy in the case of Gothenburg, Sweden. The article illustrates how numbers make people act and react and shape the strategy process. The study is situated between the theoretical fields of accounting and strategy processes in cities. By relating them to the concept of ‘governmentality’, numbers are seen as helping render the city governable. Because strategizing is seen as concerning the future, the actors involved in drafting the strategy feel free to challenge historically institutionalized practices. The effect is paradoxical: the future-looking strategy process becomes a forum for solving current problems.
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| 26. |
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| 27. |
- Brorström, Sara, 1982
(författare)
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Hållbara Kvillebäcken – en studie om innovativa lösningar
- 2014
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This paper reports a study of Kvillebäcken, a city district in Gothenburg that has got financial support by the Delegation for Susta inable Cities to develop sustaina ble innovative solutions. The aim of the financial support is to create a sustainable city based on the three dimensions of sustainabil ity, the economic, the ecologic and the social. The support was , in the case of Kvillebäcken, granted for six projects that will be evalutated after the project s are reported in the end of 2014. The research focuses on how innovative ideas can be created and implem ented in an urban context and what the hinders as well as possibilities are. Interviews and observations have been carried throught during the process, and it has thus been possible to follow the pro jects in real time. The data - collection is based on a embedded - reserarch design. The analyse in this paper is based on litterature of cities and innovations. The aim is also to discuss how public organisations can be innovative and co ntribute to litteratu re with this focus .
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| 28. |
- Brorström, Sara, 1982
(författare)
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Hållbara Kvillebäcken – en studie om innovativa lösningar
- 2014
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This paper reports a study of Kvillebäcken, a city district in Gothenburg that hasgot financialsupport by the Delegation for Sustainable Cities to developsustainable innovative solutions. The aim of the financial support is to create asustainable citybased on thethree dimensions of sustainability, the economic, theecologic and the social.The support was, inthe case ofKvillebäcken,granted forsix projectsthat will be evalutated afterthe projects arereportedin the end of2014.The researchfocuses on how innovative ideas can be created and implemented inan urban context and what the hinders as well as possibilities are.Interviewsandobservations have been carried throughtduring the process, and it has thus beenpossible to follow the projects in real time.The data-collection is based on aembedded-reserarch design.Theanalyse in thispaper is based on litterature of cities and innovations. The aimisalsoto discuss how public organisations can be innovativeand contribute tolitterature with this focus.
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| 29. |
- Brorström, Sara, 1982
(författare)
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Implementing innovative ideas in a city: good solutions on paper but not in practice?
- 2015
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Ingår i: International Journal of Public Sector Management. - 0951-3558. ; 28:3, s. 166-180
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose – This paper examines innovation implementation in the public sector. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the “black box” of implementation of innovations and then answer questions of hindrances and opportunities when it comes to implementing innovative ideas in the public sector. Design/methodology/approach – The specific context in this case is a city organization that received funding from the Delegation for Sustainable Cities to put six innovative ideas into practice in a city district. The data collection methods consisted of interviews and observations of meetings where the implementation phase was discussed. Findings – The findings imply that innovative ideas that seemed best on paper often proved to be difficult to implement. The possibility of funding, for example, provided a reason to think “outside the box”, but the system for presenting the ideas in order to obtain the funding was time consuming. The resulting delay meant that, by the time the applications were evaluated, the submitted ideas were no longer necessarily the best available. The findings also imply that one important role of public organizations in implementing innovations is to facilitate the response by its users, here the inhabitants. Research limitations/implications – When discussing innovations and implementation the time aspects is a limitation, the future might imply other effects than the ones visible here. Practical implications – Public sector managers possibilities of organizing to be more innovative can be discussed. From a management perspective focus might thus be on facilitate the implementation of the innovation, since the demand of the new solutions might be other than expected. Social implications – The users of public sector innovations, here the inhabitants, might demand other things that expected, which highlights the need of an ongoing dialogue between city managers and inhabitants. Originality/value – The methodology of following projects in real time proved to be a unique approach for understanding the ”black box” of implementing innovative ideas. The existing paradoxes of managing public sector organizations are thus illustrated.
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| 30. |
- Brorström, Sara, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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‘Keeping politicians at arm’s length’: how managers in a collaborative organization deal with the administration–politics interface
- 2020
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Ingår i: International Review of Administrative Sciences. - : SAGE Publications. - 0020-8523 .- 1461-7226. ; 86:4, s. 657-672
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study examines the relationship between politicians and managers in a Swedish city. The context is a collaborative organization responsible for drafting and implement- ing the vision and strategies for a city organization, and for future development of the downtown river area. The article examines the efforts of city managers to manage the relationship with city politicians. We illustrate how the managers strive to manage an appropriate ‘arm’s-length’ relationship with the politicians by navigating in and out of the ‘purple zone’ of the politics–management interface, and how the context of collaborative organizations seems to increase the amount of time public managers spend in this zone.
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| 33. |
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| 34. |
- Brorström, Sara, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Managing a grand challenge at the local level: The case of especially vulnerable neighbourhoods in a Swedish city
- 2023
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Ingår i: The Routledge Handbook of Public Sector Accounting. - : Taylor and Francis. - 9781000967159 ; , s. 32-45
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The focus of this chapter is on managing grand challenges strategically in public sector organizations. This builds on an increased research interest in how to tackle grand challenges - challenges that cut organizational boundaries and responsibilities. When attempting to tackle grand challenges, there is no time to wait for large structural initiatives; instead, action from the bottom up and at the local level is needed. The chapter discusses an ongoing strategic process within the city of Gothenburg with the ambition to tackle criminality and segregation. The chapter further discusses what new routines are established and how performance can be measured and managed in an organizational setting across boundaries but with a long-term, shared, goal. In sum, the chapter focuses on grand challenges in the public sector, strategic management, inclusiveness, measurability and accountability.
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| 35. |
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| 36. |
- Brorström, Sara, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Managing urbanisation at the local level
- 2016
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Ingår i: 20th International Research Society on Public Management Conference 2016 13th-15th April, Hong Kong..
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Urbanisation causes a strong divide between urban areas and larger cities, which grow fast, and rural areas that experience a shrinking population. In year 2050 75 per cent of all people are believed to live in urban areas, in 2009 it was 50 per cent. Whether a local government faces growth or a shrinking population is obviously a challenge for everyday management practices. Hence, it affects local government strategies, plans, resources, and place image. In this paper, we use qualitative data from local governments of various-sized areas in Sweden. Our data cover municipalities that have grown as well as those dealing with a shrinking population. We hence explore how municipalities act to meet the challenges that come with urbanisation. Drawing upon literature on public sector strategic management and innovations, respectively, we attempt to identify new solutions and innovations, initiated within the municipality organisation or in co-operation with the local society. Our empirical data reveal that in order to deal with the upcoming challenges, local government needs to be managed wider and in longer perspectives. Hence, urbanisation is not an issue for one department, or for one local government, but rather a challenge that must be dealt with over traditional boundaries, beyond traditional organisational structures. At the same time, a focus on the long-term, urbanisation and climate change among other topical issues provide an additional set of challenges to the core public services provided by local governments. These issues will affect the world in which the municipalities act for a long time, hence, there is a need for vertical and horizontal collaboration in longer perspectives. This in turn implies that the politics in local governments might have to change over time, since there is a need of agreeing over time and space in new ways.
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| 37. |
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| 41. |
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| 42. |
- Brorström, Sara, 1982
(författare)
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Perspektiv på kommunal identitet
- 2009
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Ingår i: Kommunal ekonomi. ; :Nummer 2
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 43. |
- Brorström, Sara, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Plans and situated actions in urban renewal projects: The role of governance devices in realizing projects
- 2021
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Ingår i: Environment and Planning C-Politics and Space. - : SAGE Publications. - 2399-6544 .- 2399-6552. ; 39:3, s. 646-663
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Municipalities and city administrations have the jurisdiction to determine the use of land and real estate, but must collaborate with various actors, including real estate developers, construction companies, and financial institutions, to realize stated goals. When implementing initiatives such as urban renewal projects, plans and situated actions may be loosely coupled during the early stages, when visions of the future are being articulated; over time, however, the information needed to calculate whether illiquid assets are attractive investment objects must be introduced. As such information is generated, the gap between plans and situated actions closes, having material effects under favourable conditions. This article presents an empirical study of an urban renewal project in a metropolitan area that initially gained external recognition via a prize awarded for visionary planning work. The project eventually encountered considerable difficulties, as a shortage of accurate information hampered production activities. The study underlines the importance of robust governance practices and accompanying governance devices in effectively transforming illiquid assets into, for example, housing.
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| 44. |
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| 45. |
- Brorström, Sara, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Power of the Vague: How Vision Statements Have Mobilized Change in Two Swedish Cities
- 2022
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Ingår i: Administration & Society. - : SAGE Publications. - 0095-3997 .- 1552-3039. ; 54:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper investigates the role of strategic artifacts in realizing change in two Swedish cities. Drawing from qualitative studies of city development projects we illustrate how ambiguous formulations in vision statements constitute a powerful basis for legitimizing actions. As part of establishing linkages between future-oriented vision statements and concrete actions here and now, we highlight the role of materialization. We provide three examples of how the vision statements studied materialized-into organizational structures, management control systems, and communication efforts-and discuss how such materialization implies that only some parts of broad vision statements are translated into practice.
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| 46. |
- Brorström, Sara, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Putting social sustainability into practice – Close the gap and get lost in translation
- 2018
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Ingår i: 21th International Research Society on Public Management Conference, Edinburgh.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Relevance Nowadays cities face the great and overlapping challenges of urbanization and social fragmentation. Policy makers and city managers plan and build “smarter cities” by experimenting new forms of governance (Meijer and Bolívar, 2016). However, good intentions, especially in terms of ensuring sustainability, are not always realized in practice. Various actors interpret the meaning of becoming smarter and more sustainable in different ways (Brorström, 2015). Consequently, in complex city networks there is the constant risk for a gap between “what is being said” and “what is actually done” with detrimental effects on the sustainable and smart city development. Significance It is argued that social sustainability is the dimension in which contemporary cities face greatest challenges (Gerometta et al., 2005; Cassier and Kesteloot, 2012). Social sustainability is often associated with urban planning and design principles, such as density, sustainable transport, and greening, which may not necessarily lead to sustainable outcomes, suggesting that social sustainability might be difficult to achieve (Eizenberg and Jabareen, 2017). This paper contributes to such debates given that there is a lack of research that addresses social sustainability (Dempsey et al., 2009; Kim and Larsen, 2016) in the smart city scenario. Theory, Research Question and Method By combining elements of Latour’s (1987) Actor Network Theory (ANT) with literature on the various dimensions of sustainability (Vallance et al., 2011), this paper aims to investigate how gaps in the implementation of social sustainability city strategies emerge, and how those gaps are dealt with by various actors involved. The research questions addressed in this paper are: what gaps emerge when social sustainability strategies are implemented in practice? What are the effects of those gaps on city management and strategy? We focus on how social sustainability, as was put out by a smart strategy in the city of Gothenburg in Sweden, is turned into practice, translated by the actors involved in its concretization, and then potentially altered the way the city is being managed. We therefore consider two different projects within the city of Gothenburg and focus on how the concept of social sustainability was interpreted in different ways, thus leading to different actions, even though it was derived from the same strategy. The data collection is based on interviews with key-actors and observations of meetings. Results The findings suggest that when the concept of social sustainability is vaguely defined in plans, it becomes even vaguer when put into practice. Actors negotiate and activate complex processes of translation which lead to the transformation of the original concept of social sustainability. This is possible in the case of a lack of management, or when different parts of the organization need different steering mechanisms. This can further lead to the definition of performance measurement systems that try to measure social sustainability, which are used in a way that suits the interpretations made by specific actors. The case of Gothenburg shows how social sustainability can be turned into an organizational issue, being at the same time “lost” during the process of its translation into practice.
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