Exploring the Interplay between ‘Fashion’ and ‘Evidence-based’ Policy:

A Comparative Account of Higher Education and Health Care in the Nordics

Authors

  • Rómulo Pinheiro Department of Political Science and Management, University of Agder
  • Laila Nordstrand Berg Department of Political Science and Management, University of Agder
  • Jouni Kekäle Department of Human Resources, University of Eastern Finland
  • Liina-Kaisa Tynkkynen Institute for advanced Social Research, University of Tampere

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58235/sjpa.v21i1.14884

Keywords:

Policy process, Reforms, Fashion following, Evidence-based policy, Healthcare, Higher education, Finland, Norway

Abstract

This paper takes a critical view of the interplay between two widespread approaches towards policy making and the ways in which they have played out in the critical realms of higher education and health care in the Nordic context over the last decade. It adopts a multiple case study design substantiated on a cross-sectorial and cross-national compara- tive approach. Empirically, we provide case evidence from Norway and Finland. The paper’s conceptual foundations are based on seminal work emanating from the policy- transfer literature combined with key insights from organisational theory and its neo- institutional tradition. We address recent calls for a better understanding of the policy- formation process across national jurisdictions and sectors of the economy.

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Author Biographies

Rómulo Pinheiro, Department of Political Science and Management, University of Agder

Rómulo Pinheiro is Professor in Public Policy and Administration at the University of Agder, Norway. He is also a Senior Researcher at Agderforskning, a Visiting Professor at the University of Tampere, Finland, Associate Member of the ExCID's research group at the University of Oslo, and a long-time collaborator of HEDDA - an European consortia of research centers in the field of higher education studies. Romulo's research interests lie at the intersection between public policy and administration, organizational studies, regional science and innovation, and higher education studies.

Laila Nordstrand Berg, Department of Political Science and Management, University of Agder

Laila Nordstrand Berg has a PhD in Public Policy and Administration. She is working as a senior researcher and project coordinator at University of Agder where she is participating in projects comparing management and governance of health and higher education in different countries. Laila’s interest is related to the intersection between public policy and administration, organizational studies, reforms, management and identities in the sectors.

Jouni Kekäle, Department of Human Resources, University of Eastern Finland

Jouni Kekäle is Professor and part time advisor to the Rector at the University of Eastern Finland. He also acts as Human Resources Director at the University of Eastern Finland. He is a docent in the field of Higher Education Studies both at the University of Tampere and Eastern Finland. His re- search interests have included leadership and quality in the context of different disciplinary cultures, changing operational environment for higher education, mergers and identities within universities.

Liina-Kaisa Tynkkynen, Institute for advanced Social Research, University of Tampere

Liina-Kaisa Tynkkynen is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Institute for Advanced Social Research, University of Tampere. She is also a part-time researcher at University of Oslo, Norway and visiting researcher at National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Finland. Her research interests include health care systems and health care reforms, primary health care practices, integrat- ed care, private health care services and marketization.

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Published

2017-03-01

How to Cite

Pinheiro, R., Nordstrand Berg, L., Kekäle, J., & Tynkkynen, L.-K. (2017). Exploring the Interplay between ‘Fashion’ and ‘Evidence-based’ Policy:: A Comparative Account of Higher Education and Health Care in the Nordics. Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration, 21(1), 33–55. https://doi.org/10.58235/sjpa.v21i1.14884

Issue

Vol. 21 No. 1 (2017): Responses to the Global Financial Crisis – Lessons From the Public Sector in the Nordic Countries

Section

Original Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2023 Rómulo Pinheiro, Laila Nordstrand Berg, Jouni Kekäle, Liina-Kaisa Tynkkynen

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Authors contributing to Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration agree to publish their articles under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC 4.0 license. This means means articles are free for anybody to read and download, and to copy and disseminate for non-commercial purposes as long as appropriate credit is given, a link is provided to the license, and any changes made are clearly indicated. Authors retain copyright of their work.

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