The Fragmented State – the Challenges of Combining Efficiency, Institutional Norms and Democracy
Year: 2004
Type: report
Abstract: In this paper we describe the emergence of a leaner, more fragmented state brought about by the transformation of public-sector organisations from integrated multifunctional entities into autonomous and single-purpose organisations. This shift has taken place under the auspices of the New Public Management (NPM) movement, which has dominated administrative reforms both in OECD countries and in many developing countries over the past 20 years. We relate this development to structural devolution and to changes in cultural norms and values, but also to a dominant neoliberal ideology. We then discuss the effects and implications of these new organizational forms of the modern state and the trade-off between different norms and values, such as democracy, freedom, equity, justice and efficiency, in the public sector. A special focus will be on the balance between political governance, control and accountability on the one hand and managerial autonomy, flexibility and efficiency on the other hand. Finally we discuss the challenges of introducing NPM reforms in countries with different starting points for administrative reforms in their respective political-administrative systems. A central argument is that context matters, and here we focus on the importance of ethical capital, corruption and administrative culture. As its theoretical basis the paper uses an institutional perspective that focuses on national polity features, domestic administrative culture and external constraints from technical and institutional environments as the parameters for governmental reform. This approach stresses the complex interplay between various internal and external factors as a key to understanding the organisational transformation and its effects. We illustrate the development using empirical data from Norway and from other countries.
Authors: Tom Christensen, Per Lægreid
Language: English
Subfield: Public Administration
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1123276174