Managing Nordic Local Governments

“The book provides a comprehensive analysis of a central role in the machinery of local government in the Nordic countries – that of the chief administrative officer.” —Harald Baldersheim Professor Emeritus, Department of Political Science, University of Oslo, Norway “This book is a lighthouse for all those who seek to understand the multifaceted landscape of Nordic local government.” —Sabine Kuhlmann, Professor, Potsdam University, Germany. “Nordic local governments always have been champions in trustworthy governance. This empirically rich comparative book shows how their model anticipates turbulence and adapts to remain effective and legitimate… Make sure to have it on your desk.” —Geert Bouckaert, Professor, KU Leuven, Belgium. This open access book examines the roles of municipal chief executive officers in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Whilst it has long been recognised that local authorities in these countries are often more autonomous than most other local authorities around the world, we still lack an integrated overview of leadership in Nordic local government, and the development of its top administrative management. This book ameliorates this lack of knowledge by providing a thorough, extensive and updated assessment of the role of municipal chief executive officers in the five Nordic states, as well as their interactions and relations with internal and external actors. Comparative in nature, it will appeal to all those interested in local and urban governance, public administration, public management, and leadership studies. Eva Marín Hlynsdóttir is Professor of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Iceland. Morten Balle Hansen is Professor in Public Management, SDU University and Director of the Research program in Management, UCL University College, Denmark Anna Cregård is Associate Professor in the Department of Work Life and Social Welfare, University of Borås, Sweden. Dag Olaf Torjesen is Professor in the Department of Political Science and Management, University of Agder, Norway. Siv Sandberg is Lecturer in Public Administration at Åbo Akademi University, Finland.