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Nya välfärdsprofessioner i offentlig förvaltning: En studie av rollen som kommunal digitaliseringsstrateg

Werkström, Johan LU (2024) WPMM43 20241
Department of Political Science
Abstract
Local governments are today facing an increasingly complex reality marked by financial restraints, new demands from citizens and a growing competition with the private sector in providing welfare services. This complexity has led local governments to seek new types of competence, knowledge and skills among employees. Consequently, new roles have emerged within local government, with the strategist being a prominent example. Prior research has shown that this position is filled with uncertainty and often met by skepticism from the surrounding organization. The aim of this thesis is to enhance our understanding of new professions in the welfare sector, with the digital strategist in local government as an empirical case. A framework... (More)
Local governments are today facing an increasingly complex reality marked by financial restraints, new demands from citizens and a growing competition with the private sector in providing welfare services. This complexity has led local governments to seek new types of competence, knowledge and skills among employees. Consequently, new roles have emerged within local government, with the strategist being a prominent example. Prior research has shown that this position is filled with uncertainty and often met by skepticism from the surrounding organization. The aim of this thesis is to enhance our understanding of new professions in the welfare sector, with the digital strategist in local government as an empirical case. A framework combining prior theoritizations of new professions with institutional logics is employed to deepen our understanding of the development as well as of tensions associated with the role. The analyzed material consists of job advertisements and explorative interviews with current practitioners. The main findings reveal that the role largely aligns with the characteristics of a new type of profession, but is often far from a natural element in the organization. This tension can to large extent be attributed to conflicting institutional logics, which the strategists learn to navigate to some extent but which also hinders their professional practice. (Less)
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author
Werkström, Johan LU
supervisor
organization
course
WPMM43 20241
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Welfare Professions, Strategists, Local Government, Digitalization, Institutional Logics
language
Swedish
id
9171239
date added to LUP
2024-10-01 11:22:52
date last changed
2024-10-01 11:22:52
@misc{9171239,
  abstract     = {{Local governments are today facing an increasingly complex reality marked by financial restraints, new demands from citizens and a growing competition with the private sector in providing welfare services. This complexity has led local governments to seek new types of competence, knowledge and skills among employees. Consequently, new roles have emerged within local government, with the strategist being a prominent example. Prior research has shown that this position is filled with uncertainty and often met by skepticism from the surrounding organization. The aim of this thesis is to enhance our understanding of new professions in the welfare sector, with the digital strategist in local government as an empirical case. A framework combining prior theoritizations of new professions with institutional logics is employed to deepen our understanding of the development as well as of tensions associated with the role. The analyzed material consists of job advertisements and explorative interviews with current practitioners. The main findings reveal that the role largely aligns with the characteristics of a new type of profession, but is often far from a natural element in the organization. This tension can to large extent be attributed to conflicting institutional logics, which the strategists learn to navigate to some extent but which also hinders their professional practice.}},
  author       = {{Werkström, Johan}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Nya välfärdsprofessioner i offentlig förvaltning: En studie av rollen som kommunal digitaliseringsstrateg}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}