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Minskad administration - för ökad tillit?

Hjorth, Klara LU (2026) STVM25 20261
Department of Political Science
Abstract
Trust-Based Governance and Leadership (TBGL) has been proposed as an alternative to New Public Management (NPM) to mitigate its negative effects on working conditions, service quality, and professional autonomy in public administration. This thesis examines a Swedish municipality seeking to become a national forerunner in TBGL. Based on an interview study, it analyses a municipal initiative aimed at reducing teachers’ administrative burden in accordance with TBGL principles. The study contributes to the literature on the adoption and prospects of TBGL in local governance. The findings show that the initiative resulted in some positive changes, including reduced documentation requirements and greater control over working time. Surprisingly,... (More)
Trust-Based Governance and Leadership (TBGL) has been proposed as an alternative to New Public Management (NPM) to mitigate its negative effects on working conditions, service quality, and professional autonomy in public administration. This thesis examines a Swedish municipality seeking to become a national forerunner in TBGL. Based on an interview study, it analyses a municipal initiative aimed at reducing teachers’ administrative burden in accordance with TBGL principles. The study contributes to the literature on the adoption and prospects of TBGL in local governance. The findings show that the initiative resulted in some positive changes, including reduced documentation requirements and greater control over working time. Surprisingly, administrative tasks are largely perceived as legitimate by teachers. Instead, insufficient resources and high student-to-adult ratios are identified as the primary sources of workload strain. Since resource allocation remains governed by NPM principles, efforts to implement TBGL have stalled. The study concludes that NPM still remains deeply institutionalized and influential. Drawing on historical institutionalism, this persistence is understood as a consequence of NPM’s adaptability and capacity to absorb new ideas without impacting its core principles. (Less)
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author
Hjorth, Klara LU
supervisor
organization
course
STVM25 20261
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Tillitsbaserad styrning och ledning, New Public Management, NPM, historisk institutionalism, skola, administration
language
Swedish
id
9223956
date added to LUP
2026-05-20 16:10:48
date last changed
2026-05-20 16:10:48
@misc{9223956,
  abstract     = {{Trust-Based Governance and Leadership (TBGL) has been proposed as an alternative to New Public Management (NPM) to mitigate its negative effects on working conditions, service quality, and professional autonomy in public administration. This thesis examines a Swedish municipality seeking to become a national forerunner in TBGL. Based on an interview study, it analyses a municipal initiative aimed at reducing teachers’ administrative burden in accordance with TBGL principles. The study contributes to the literature on the adoption and prospects of TBGL in local governance. The findings show that the initiative resulted in some positive changes, including reduced documentation requirements and greater control over working time. Surprisingly, administrative tasks are largely perceived as legitimate by teachers. Instead, insufficient resources and high student-to-adult ratios are identified as the primary sources of workload strain. Since resource allocation remains governed by NPM principles, efforts to implement TBGL have stalled. The study concludes that NPM still remains deeply institutionalized and influential. Drawing on historical institutionalism, this persistence is understood as a consequence of NPM’s adaptability and capacity to absorb new ideas without impacting its core principles.}},
  author       = {{Hjorth, Klara}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Minskad administration - för ökad tillit?}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}