Public Sector Innovation as Governance Reform: A Comparative Analysis of Competitive and Collaborative Strategies in the Swedish Transport Sector. Issue 2 (February 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ek Österberg, Emma; Qvist, Martin
• Is Part Of: Administration & society. Volume 52:Issue 2(2020)
• Page Start: 292
• Page End: 318
• Publication Date: 2020-02
• Subjects: meta-governance -- public innovation -- procurement -- collaborative planning -- transport sector; Public administration -- Periodicals; 351
• DOI: 10.1177/0095399718789077
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0095-3997

Abstract

The constraining impact of bureaucracy on creative problem solving has been a recurring theme in research on public innovation, and public actors increasingly seek to "steer" innovation through interactive spaces for collaboration and competition. This article examines this form of "meta-governance" in the case of the Swedish Transport Administration and reveals a pattern where the initial opening of arenas for innovation is followed by a countermovement toward organization. Findings suggest that the introduction of elements of organization, such as hierarchy, rules, and membership, in governance spaces is a key strategy for coming to grips with a new innovation promoting role.