000 01455pab a2200181 454500
008 180718b2012 xxu||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d
100 _aTorsteinsen, Harald
245 _aWhy does post - bureaucracy lead to more formalisation?
260 _c2012
300 _ap.321-344.
362 _aJun
520 _aThis paper discusses and tries to explain the paradoxical observation that a local government reform aimed at reducing or even removing bureaucracy actually leads to more formalisation, not less. During the last 10οΎ–15 years more than 40 per cent of Norwegian municipalities have adopted an organisational model that makes the administration more disaggregated, decentralised and flat. The reform has been promoted by strong post- or even anti-bureaucratic rhetoric, arguing for increased managerial autonomy at the operational level. The basic idea is that greater autonomy will create better performance. The paradox of increased formalisation is discussed on the basis of rhetoric, unintended consequences, diagnostic problems and linguistic problems. The paper concludes by pointing out the need for a more nuanced conception of bureaucracy than the dichotomous approach of post-bureaucracy can offer. It also outlines a couple of supplementing explanations for increased formalisation. - Reproduce
650 _aLocal government
650 _aAdministrative reform
773 _aLocal Government Studies
908 _aN
909 _a96944
999 _c96944
_d96944