The ‘service turn’ in a new public management context: a street-level bureaucrat perspective
Journal article, 2024

It is increasingly argued that public management should build on a service logic instead of the prevailing manufacturing logic of New Public Management (NPM). Drawing from three cases in Swedish public healthcare, key features of a service logic such as value creation, co-production, and collaboration are prominent in formal documents and everyday talk. However, the 67 interviews in this study reveal that the service logic ideal is practically unreachable in a context impregnated by NPM. Instead, we suggest that street-level bureaucrats often need to address service logic expectations (public values, relationship-building, etc.) using an NPM logic (measurements, control, etc.).

new public management

healthcare

Sweden

Public service logic

Author

Erik Eriksson

University of Borås

Chalmers, Technology Management and Economics, Service Management and Logistics

Thomas Andersson

University of Skövde

VID Specialized University

Public Management Review

1471-9037 (ISSN) 14719045 (eISSN)

Vol. 26 7 2014-2038

Subject Categories

Public Administration Studies

Business Administration

Social Work

DOI

10.1080/14719037.2023.2241051

More information

Latest update

6/29/2024