IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/scaman/v34y2018i3p225-232.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Strategy work in the public sector—A balancing act of competing discourses

Author

Listed:
  • Höglund, Linda
  • Svärdsten, Fredrik

Abstract

This study uses the concept of interpretative repertoires, i.e., localized discourses, to examine how facts are constructed about strategic work in a central government agency. It analyzes strategic work in relation to the public sector context and draws attention to power struggles among different discourses in this context. The identified repertoires can be related to wider public sector management discourses that civil servants need to balance in their strategic work. These discourses can both enable and constrain strategy work, and we conclude that strategy in the public sector needs to be understood in relation to these discourses.

Suggested Citation

  • Höglund, Linda & Svärdsten, Fredrik, 2018. "Strategy work in the public sector—A balancing act of competing discourses," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 225-232.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:scaman:v:34:y:2018:i:3:p:225-232
    DOI: 10.1016/j.scaman.2018.06.003
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956522116301713
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.scaman.2018.06.003?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Saku Mantere, 2013. "What Is Organizational Strategy? A Language-Based View," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(8), pages 1408-1426, December.
    2. Eero Vaara & Virpi Sorsa & Pekka Palli, 2009. "Strategy as text and discursive practice : a genre-based approach to strategizing in city administration," Post-Print hal-02313255, HAL.
    3. Said Elbanna & Rhys Andrews & Raili Pollanen, 2016. "Strategic Planning and Implementation Success in Public Service Organizations: Evidence from Canada," Public Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(7), pages 1017-1042, August.
    4. Jens Weiss, 2017. "Trust as a key for strategic management? The relevance of council–administration relations for NPM-related reforms in German local governments," Public Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(10), pages 1399-1414, November.
    5. Saku Mantere & Eero Vaara, 2008. "On the Problem of Participation in Strategy: A Critical Discursive Perspective," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 19(2), pages 341-358, April.
    6. Stephen P. Osborne, 2006. "The New Public Governance?-super-1," Public Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(3), pages 377-387, September.
    7. Christof Brandtner & Markus A. Höllerer & Renate E. Meyer & Martin Kornberger, 2017. "Enacting governance through strategy : A comparative study of governance configurations in Sydney and Vienna," Post-Print hal-02312001, HAL.
    8. Eero Vaara & Virpi Sorsa & Pekka Palli, 2010. "On the force potential of strategy texts : a critical discourse analysis of a strategic plan and its power effects in a city organization," Post-Print hal-02312559, HAL.
    9. Christof Brandtner & Markus A Höllerer & Renate E Meyer & Martin Kornberger, 2017. "Enacting governance through strategy: A comparative study of governance configurations in Sydney and Vienna," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 54(5), pages 1075-1091, April.
    10. Brian William Head, 2010. "Public Management Research," Public Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(5), pages 571-585, September.
    11. Jesper Rosenberg Hansen & Ewan Ferlie, 2016. "Applying Strategic Management Theories in Public Sector Organizations: Developing a typology," Public Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(1), pages 1-19, January.
    12. Chris Carter & Stewart Clegg & Martin Kornberger, 2010. "Re‐framing strategy: power, politics and accounting," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 23(5), pages 573-594, June.
    13. Eero Vaara, 2014. "Struggles over legitimacy in the Eurozone crisis : Discursive legitimation strategies and their ideological underpinnings," Post-Print hal-02313233, HAL.
    14. Julia Balogun & Claus Jacobs & Paula Jarzabkowski & Saku Mantere & Eero Vaara, 2014. "Placing Strategy Discourse in Context: Sociomateriality, Sensemaking, and Power," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(2), pages 175-201, March.
    15. Cynthia Hardy & Robyn Thomas, 2014. "Strategy, Discourse and Practice: The Intensification of Power," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(2), pages 320-348, March.
    16. Julia Balogun & Claus Jacobs & Paula Jarzabkowski & Saku Mantere & Eero Vaara, 2014. "Placing Strategy Discourse in Context : Sociomateriality, Sensemaking, and Power," Post-Print hal-02313123, HAL.
    17. Linda Rouleau & Julia Balogun, 2011. "Middle Managers, Strategic Sensemaking, and Discursive Competence," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48, pages 953-983, July.
    18. Karin Berglund & Anders W. Johansson, 2007. "Constructions of entrepreneurship: a discourse analysis of academic publications," Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 1(1), pages 77-102, April.
    19. Dalvir Samra‐Fredericks, 2003. "Strategizing as Lived Experience and Strategists’ Everyday Efforts to Shape Strategic Direction," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(1), pages 141-174, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kari Jalonen & Henri Schildt & Eero Vaara, 2018. "Strategic concepts as micro‐level tools in strategic sensemaking," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(10), pages 2794-2826, October.
    2. Virpi Sorsa & Eero Vaara, 2020. "How Can Pluralistic Organizations Proceed with Strategic Change? A Processual Account of Rhetorical Contestation, Convergence, and Partial Agreement in a Nordic City Organization," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 31(4), pages 839-864, July.
    3. Eero Vaara & Juha-Antti Lamberg, 2016. "Taking historical embeddedness seriously : Three historical approaches to advance strategy process and practice research," Post-Print hal-02276732, HAL.
    4. Lionel Garreau & Raphaël Maucuer, 2015. "The mise-en-sens tactics of civil society organizations to influence strategy," Post-Print hal-01787991, HAL.
    5. Shameen Prashantham & Mark P. Healey, 2022. "Strategy as Practice Research: Reflections on its Rationale, Approach, and Contributions," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(8), pages 1-17, December.
    6. Kari Jalonen & Henri A. Schildt & Eero Vaara, 2018. "Strategic concepts as micro‐level tools in strategic sensemaking," Post-Print hal-02312245, HAL.
    7. Valérie-Inès de La Ville & Eléonore Mounoud, 2015. "A Narrative to Approach to Strategy as Practice: strategy making from texts and narratives," Post-Print halshs-01390100, HAL.
    8. Van Assche, Kristof & Gruezmacher, Monica & Summers, Bob & Culling, Joshua & Gajjar, Shaival & Granzow, Michael & Lowerre, Andrew & Deacon, Leith & Candlish, Jared & Jamwal, Abhimanyu, 2022. "Land use policy and community strategy. Factors enabling and hampering integrated local strategy in Alberta, Canada," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    9. Marion Varlet & Florence Allard-Poesi, 2015. "Les Conditions de Performativité du Discours Stratégique Analyses et apports d'Austin, Searle, Butler et Callon," Post-Print hal-01490627, HAL.
    10. Butler, Nick, 2018. "Fantasies of strategy: Žižek, discourse and enjoyment," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 79-88.
    11. Linden, Erik, 2021. "Pandemics and environmental shocks: What aviation managers should learn from COVID-19 for long-term planning," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    12. Ashish Arora & Michelle Gittelman & Sarah Kaplan & John Lynch & Will Mitchell & Nicolaj Siggelkow & Philip Gylfe & Henrika Franck & Curtis Lebaron & Saku Mantere, 2016. "Video methods in strategy research: Focusing on embodied cognition," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(1), pages 133-148, January.
    13. Valérie-Inés de la Ville & Eléonore Mounoud, 2015. "A Narrative Approach to Strategy as Practice," Post-Print hal-01377985, HAL.
    14. Eero Vaara & Laura Fritsch, 2022. "Strategy as language and communication: Theoretical and methodological advances and avenues for the future in strategy process and practice research," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(6), pages 1170-1181, June.
    15. Julia Balogun & Claus Jacobs & Paula Jarzabkowski & Saku Mantere & Eero Vaara, 2014. "Placing Strategy Discourse in Context: Sociomateriality, Sensemaking, and Power," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(2), pages 175-201, March.
    16. Martin Kornberger & Renate E Meyer & Markus A Höllerer, 2021. "Exploring the long-term effect of strategy work: The case of Sustainable Sydney 2030," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 58(16), pages 3316-3334, December.
    17. Brorström, Sara, 2017. "The paradoxes of city strategy practice: Why some issues become strategically important and others do not," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 213-221.
    18. Elisa Alt & Justin B. Craig, 2016. "Selling Issues with Solutions: Igniting Social Intrapreneurship in for-Profit Organizations," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(5), pages 794-820, July.
    19. Winston Kwon & Ian Clarke & Ruth Wodak, 2014. "Micro-Level Discursive Strategies for Constructing Shared Views around Strategic Issues in Team Meetings," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(2), pages 265-290, March.
    20. Demir, Robert, 2014. "Strategic Activity as Bundled Affordances," Ratio Working Papers 243, The Ratio Institute.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:scaman:v:34:y:2018:i:3:p:225-232. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/872/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.