Abstract
Purpose
This study explores how street-level professionals translate and implement a co-production strategy, formulated by top management, in their professional practices, focusing on conflicts that arise during this process and the effectiveness of the coping strategies employed by these professionals to manage them.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is based on a lower-level inquiry into three care services in Denmark. It adopted the translation perspective in organizational research to analyze the consequences of street-level professionals' translation choices. Data were collected through interviews and observations.
Findings
This study found that street-level professionals' translation choices contribute to conflicts of varying forms and extents. The finding suggests that the way conflicts are managed makes the difference between the actual organizational change and the more symbolic acceptance of co-production.
Originality/value
This study contributes to discourses on challenges in co-production implementation by deepening knowledge about the role of coping behavior and translation in sustainable implementation of co-production.
This study explores how street-level professionals translate and implement a co-production strategy, formulated by top management, in their professional practices, focusing on conflicts that arise during this process and the effectiveness of the coping strategies employed by these professionals to manage them.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is based on a lower-level inquiry into three care services in Denmark. It adopted the translation perspective in organizational research to analyze the consequences of street-level professionals' translation choices. Data were collected through interviews and observations.
Findings
This study found that street-level professionals' translation choices contribute to conflicts of varying forms and extents. The finding suggests that the way conflicts are managed makes the difference between the actual organizational change and the more symbolic acceptance of co-production.
Originality/value
This study contributes to discourses on challenges in co-production implementation by deepening knowledge about the role of coping behavior and translation in sustainable implementation of co-production.
| Originalsprog | Engelsk |
|---|---|
| Tidsskrift | International Journal of Public Sector Management |
| Vol/bind | 37 |
| Udgave nummer | 1 |
| Sider (fra-til) | 91-107 |
| Antal sider | 17 |
| ISSN | 0951-3558 |
| DOI | |
| Status | Udgivet - 2 jan. 2024 |
Bibliografisk note
Nanna Møller Mortensen is an assistant professor of co-production and evaluation at the Department ofCulture and Learning at Aalborg University, Denmark. Her research includes topics such as user
participation in evaluation, professionalism and implementation of co-production in public services. She
specializes in co-production and the new roles that are ascribed to both professional and nonprofessional
co-producers. Nanna Møller Mortensen can be contacted at: nannamm@ikl.aau.dk
Emneord
- Conflicting interest
- Coping strategies
- Organizational translation
- Scandinavian Institutionalism
- Street-level implementation