Shaping Management in Gendered Work – A Comparative Study in the Swedish Public Sector

Authors

  • Tina Forsberg Department of Work Science, Dalarna University, Sweden
  • Annika Härenstam Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Sweden; Department of Sociology and Work Science, University of Gothenburg, Sweden

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58235/sjpa.v26i2.7030

Keywords:

gendered work, horizontally segregated, public sector, public management practices, type of work

Abstract

By exploring management in a study of different municipal departments, this paper contributes to a theoretical and empirical understanding of how the type of work shapes and reproduces management practices and inequality in working conditions within a horizontally segregated public sector. A structural theoretical model guides the design of the empirical qualitative study within education, elderly care and water supply in several Swedish municipalities. The comparative analysis shows that, while managers within water supply take control over management and are allowed to do so, managers in education and care are instructed to take personal responsibility when handling goal conflicts and lack of resources. Gendered norms and values inscribed in the type of work seem to be fundamentally integral to management practices, which affect the local manager’s authority and actions. The results of this study illustrate how management is practiced and reinforces differences in status between different types of work.

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Author Biographies

Tina Forsberg, Department of Work Science, Dalarna University, Sweden

Tina Forsberg, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Department of work science, Dalarna university. Her interests are primarily in management, organization and working life in the public sector. She has a special interest in developing knowledge about public work and inequalities.

Annika Härenstam, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Sweden; Department of Sociology and Work Science, University of Gothenburg, Sweden

Annika Härenstam, PhD, is a Professor of Work Science, now working at the Department of Psychology, Stockholm University. Her research has focused on work organization and work environment for women and men as well as methodological issues in work life research.

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Published

2022-06-15

How to Cite

Forsberg, T., & Härenstam, A. (2022). Shaping Management in Gendered Work – A Comparative Study in the Swedish Public Sector. Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration, 26(2), 89–112. https://doi.org/10.58235/sjpa.v26i2.7030

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Original Articles

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