| 1. |
- Adman, Per, 1970-, et al.
(författare)
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A field experiment on ethnic discrimination among local Swedish public officials
- 2017
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Ingår i: Local Government Studies. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0300-3930 .- 1743-9388. ; 43:1, s. 44-63
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study presents an innovative field experiment exploring ethnic discrimination in contacts between local public officials and members of Swedish society. Using a correspondence study design, fictitious individuals with Arabic-and Swedish-sounding names contacted Swedish municipalities via email, asking questions about access to preschools. The findings indicate disadvantageous treatment of individuals with Arabic-sounding names in terms of the informal tone of the replies, as Swedish-sounding names were replied to in a friendlier, more welcoming way. Regarding the more formal aspects of the emails - i.e., whether they were replied to at all and the questions posed were directly answered - no statistically significant signs of discrimination emerge (although differences were of some substantial size, to the disadvantage of Arabic-sounding names). Still, informal disadvantageous treatment is sufficient cause for concern and noteworthy in the case of Sweden, considering its reputation as being egalitarian, immigration friendly and democratically well functioning.
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| 2. |
- Ansell, Christopher, et al.
(författare)
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How Learning Aggregates : A Social Network Analysis of Learning between Swedish municipalities
- 2017
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Ingår i: Local Government Studies. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0300-3930 .- 1743-9388. ; 43:7, s. 903-926
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Using a unique data set of learning among all 290 Swedish municipalities, we use social network analysis to analyze how learning networks aggregate nationally. To facilitate this analysis, we describe five ideal-typical patterns of aggregation—core-periphery, small world, top-down regionalism, bottom-up regionalism, and urban hierarchy. Each of these ideal types has important implications for how ideas, information, and innovation will circulate among municipalities. Social network analysis allows us to both isolate these patterns and to appreciate composite patterns. The analysis indicates that Swedish municipalities are a small world network with clear regional and hierarchical elements. County seats serve an important role as network hubs.
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| 3. |
- Feltenius, David, 1974-
(författare)
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Multi-level governance as 'post-constitutional' politics : subnational actors and the Swedish constitution
- 2015
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Ingår i: Local Government Studies. - : Taylor & Francis Group. - 0300-3930 .- 1743-9388. ; 41:2, s. 301-319
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In 2011, an amendment was introduced to the Swedish constitution to provide stronger protection for local self-government. This article seeks to explain this amendment in the light of the development of central-local relations towards multi-level governance (MLG). It explores the adaptation hypothesis, i.e. the developments in MLG are followed by an adjustment in constitutional policy that is influenced by subnational actors, through an empirical study of the most prominent Swedish subnational actor - the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR). The research showed that SALAR developed an agenda for the regulation of central-local relations in the constitution. SALAR was able to exert influence with this agenda by participating in the policy-making process prior to the amendment of the constitution. The research findings underscore that even though MLG per se has little to do with constitutional policy, it has consequences for such policy due to the role played by subnational actors.
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| 4. |
- Guo, Ming, et al.
(författare)
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Swedish politicians preferences regarding the privatisation of elderly care
- 2017
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Ingår i: Local Government Studies. - : ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD. - 0300-3930 .- 1743-9388. ; 43:1, s. 1-21
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Since the 1990s, Sweden has embarked on a series of market reforms in public services, aiming for greater efficiency and better service quality. Nevertheless, the political debates do not seem to fade away and local politicians still have to decide on privatisation issues. We argue that attitude studies of local politicians are of importance and present a 2014 survey in this regard, using Swedish elderly care as one example. Our findings show that altitudinal difference between left-and right-wing politicians on private for-profit providers remains distinctive. Moreover, political orientations of individuals, political majority in the municipality, as well as privatisation level already achieved locally are identified as important factors in explaining local politicians willingness to privatise further. This case study serves as a good example to examine the market development of public welfare in advanced welfare states and also contributes to the contentious discussion of political roles in welfare reform.
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| 5. |
- Hanes, Niklas, 1969-
(författare)
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Amalgamation impacts on local public expenditures in Sweden
- 2015
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Ingår i: Local Government Studies. - : Taylor & Francis Group. - 0300-3930 .- 1743-9388. ; 41:1, s. 63-77
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper concerns amalgamation impacts on local public expenditures. The empirical analysis is based on the extensive 1952 municipal reform in Sweden. The 1952 reform amalgamated municipalities in a way that they had at least 2,000–3,500 inhabitants. This was done in the belief that larger municipalities would improve administration efficiency and public services by exploiting economies of scale. The results show that the reform had a negative impact on expenditures as long as the municipalities did not exceed a critical size.
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| 6. |
- Haraldsson, Mattias
(författare)
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When revenues are not revenues : the influence of municipal governance on revenue recognition within Swedish municipal waste management
- 2017
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Ingår i: Local Government Studies. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0300-3930 .- 1743-9388. ; 43:4, s. 668-689
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper explores the influence of municipal governance forms and structures on accounting compliance in municipal organisations. If municipal governance forms and structures influence accounting compliance, then understanding these relationships becomes important when discussing heterogeneous practice and efficient accounting regulation. The context and object of analysis is the practices of revenue recognition within the Swedish municipal solid waste management sector. Overall, this analysis identifies that financial accounting compliance is influenced by municipal governance forms and structures, and the results further highlight how financial accounting practices might diffuse through local intra-organisational processes. The results emphasise that municipal governance forms and structures are important factors when considering heterogeneous accounting practices in the municipal sector which complement the more conventional analysis of how external institutional, political and economic forces influence accounting choice and compliance.
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| 7. |
- Liff, Roy, 1951
(författare)
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Political board’s contribution to strategic management: a case study
- 2019
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Ingår i: Local Government Studies. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0300-3930 .- 1743-9388. ; 45:1, s. 43-63
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- © 2018, The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This study examines the support, control and strategic functions of an executive hospital political board from the perspective of how institutionalised internal procedures influence board functions. Board members and leading hospital managers were interviewed about politicians’ ways of working, managers’ preparation of decision issues and board work under the presidency model. The politicians strengthened the decision-making processes by requesting additional supporting documents, and by defending the hospital from public criticism. However, the board exercises weak strategic and control functions; it absorbs the responsibilities of the hospital managers and the upper political levels as it reaffirms its executive authority. Nonetheless, the study suggests that abolishing or replacing the board with a non-political board may not improve organisational governance. The study gives insights in politicians’ contribution to strategic public management, an aspect lacking in existing literature.
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| 8. |
- Nilsson, Jens
(författare)
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Local Political Decision-Making : A Case of Rationality or Appropriateness?
- 2015
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Ingår i: Local Government Studies. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0300-3930 .- 1743-9388. ; 41:6, s. 917-936
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The party and trustee principles are two representational styles used to describe how politicians make decisions. Swedish politicians have historically relied more on the party principle than the trustee principle. This article studies the decision-making practices of local Swedish politicians by exploring to what extent they rely on these principles when making decisions on two issues that diverge in political dignity: tax level and organisational change in the municipal administration. The study draws on new institutional theory, in which theories from rational choice and sociological institutionalism were used for modelling and performing a large study. The results indicate that, although Swedish politicians still rely on the party principle when making decisions, there is a significant difference as to what extent they do so in regard to the two policy issues. The trustee principle is more frequently used when deciding on organisational change than on tax levels. This result is valid for all Swedish parties, except for a relatively new political party at the extreme right of the ideological spectrum. Future research of the two decision-making principles in relation to other policy issues, as well as research that delves deeper into the deviant results of the different political parties, is encouraged.
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