Making sense of complexity in governance: the case of local public management in the City of Stockholm

Abstract

This study found that the problem-solving capacity of a public organization can be understood in terms of the legitimacy of the formulated problems and solutions. Increasing the problemsolving capacity depends on not only the acceptance of problems and how to solve them but also on formal structures and processes. Sensemaking and framing are important keys to unlocking how legitimacy is built, and consequently, how problem-solving capacity is built in a complex organization. We contend that although governance theory recognizes complexity through concepts such as networks and multi-levelness, empirical research tends to downplay what complexity can entail, thus limiting the theoretical development and practical usability of governance theory. Using complexity as a sensemaking framework, we analyze how the top-tier managers of a capital understand the challenges and solutions of coping with rapid growth. We argue that although complexity theory is no panacea to unlocking the difficulties of public sector challenges, it can be a valuable guide to future research on governance.

A Brief Introduction to Complexity Theory in Managing Public Services

“…But in can be used as a sense-making framework in fostering problem-solving capacities in complex organisations, and so contribute to the legitimacy of governance. 44 Expressed in another way, complexity theory can be used to achieve the appropriate balance between autonomy and control in the increasingly hybrid and complex organisational structures through which public services are designed, produced and delivered. 45 Two of the main works cited here conclude with very different approaches to these issues.…”

Participatory governance and the capacity to engage: A systems lens

“…For example, using complexity to explore how public officials adapt to solve problems in rapidly changing urban environments, Kvilvang et al. (2020) note the reciprocity between processes and outcomes. They observe how in complex settings such as cities, officials decide what issues to pay attention to and what actions to take.…”

“…To answer these questions, we take a systems perspective to explore the capacity of city institutions to be responsive (Kvilvang et al., 2020). A systems perspective can elucidate how different institutional elements interact and produce unpredictable (even unintended) outcomes (Williams et al., 2017).…”