Institutional Change and System Support – Reforming the Executive in Norwegian Cities and Regions

Authors

  • Oddbjørn Bukve Western Norway University of Applied Sciences
  • Hans Petter Saxi Faculty of Social Sciences, Nord University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58235/sjpa.v21i2.11587

Keywords:

Parliamentary rule, Reform, Local government, Institutional change, Political leadership

Abstract

By studying the change from the alderman model to parliamentary rule in Norwegian cities and regions, this article analyses how and why reorganisation of political institutions influ- ences support for the institutions reformed. We adopt a mixed methods approach consisting of a survey of politicians in all seven reformed Norwegian local governments, combined with a case study of reorganised governments with high and low levels of support for par- liamentary rule. We find that support for the institutional model in the reformed local gov- ernments depends on the reform’s effect on different political positions. Politicians in power are more positive towards parliamentary rule than members in opposition are, and politicians from the big parties are more positive compared to representatives from smaller ones. Institutional change affects the interests of these groups in different ways. In turn, the effects that reform has on different interests influence their support for the reformed insti- tutions. System support is also affected by how the change process is implemented. An inclusive political leadership that builds oversized coalitions and allocates positions such as committee chairs to the opposition results in stronger support for parliamentary rule. The overall finding is that both “pure” institutional effects and contextual factors influence sup- port for parliamentary rule. Support increases when there is a high level of readiness and capacity for change. The reform must also include relevant actors in a way meeting de- mands for procedural fairness. The practical implication for reformers is that they must communicate why the organisation needs reform, arrange for sufficient implementation ca- pacity and include relevant participants in decision-making and change processes.

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Author Biographies

Oddbjørn Bukve, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences

Oddbjørn Bukve is a Professor at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. His main research interest and publications concern local and regional government as well as organisational and institutional reforms and change processes.

Hans Petter Saxi, Faculty of Social Sciences, Nord University

Hans Petter Saxi is an Associate Professor at the University of Nordland. He has researched and published on the effects of organisational reforms in local and regional government. Other research interests include resource management and regional development.

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Published

2017-06-15

How to Cite

Bukve, O., & Petter Saxi, H. (2017). Institutional Change and System Support – Reforming the Executive in Norwegian Cities and Regions. Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration, 21(2), 69–88. https://doi.org/10.58235/sjpa.v21i2.11587

Issue

Section

Original Articles

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