Den offentliga sektorns omorganisering: Förändrade genus- och etnicitetsrelationer

Abstract

Projektets syfte är att beskriva och analysera omorganiseringen av den svenska offentliga sektorn ur genus-, ålders- och etnicitetsperspektiv. Den svenska offentliga sektorn genomgår en omfattande omorganisering. De omorganiseringar som nu sker är ofta lokala tolkningar av internationella New Public Management-koncept. Eftersom välfärdstjänster är en obligatorisk uppgift för de svenska kommunerna så måste empiriska studier genomföras på den lokala nivån. Mer demokrati och mer valfrihet för invånarna är ofta mål som eftersträvas i omorganiseringarna, liksom lägre kostnader för lokalsamhället och en utveckling av nya marknader. Dessa nya marknader förväntas uppmuntra lokala entreprenörer och framförallt tidigare anställda i sektorn. Eftersom kvinnor är överrepresenterade bland de anställda finns föreställningar om att de nya strategierna skall bli särskilt positiva för kvinnor, och som en konsekvens av efterfrågan från kunderna, etnicitetsspecialister. Inom ramen för projektet genomförs studier med hjälp av olika metoder.

Keywords:

Description

This project aims at describing and analysing the reorganization of the Swedish public sector from ethnic, gender and age perspectives. The Swedish public sector is in a process of transformation. The current changes are often in line with the international New Public Management trend. As the welfare services in Sweden are an obligation to the 290 municipalities, empirical studies have to be conducted on the local level. Improved democracy in terms of freedom of choice to the citizens, increased diversity in services available, lower costs for the local community, and development of new markets are often the aspired goals from the promoters of the changes. These new markets are expected to encourage local entrepreneurs and especially former employees. As women are overrepresented among the employees, the new strategies are expected to be very positive for women and, due to an assumed demand from the clients, for 'ethnic specialists'. This means that the reorganization might entail new possibilities for entrepreneurs with a business profile different from 'the mainstream entrepreneur' but to this point we see a clear domination of large organizations in the constructed markets investigated (c.f. Sundin & Tillmar, 2010). These findings are interpreted as signs of the destruction of the welfare state by the opponents to the changes. This is a highly politicized question.

In this project, various research methods are used. Statistics from Statistics Sweden is of importance but not enough. Questions concerning individuals and enterprises losing their job and orders in competition have to be answered with the help of Louise-data. The database will also be used to describe and analyse how the sectors in focus develop over time and space and how the position of SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises) changes. The data-bases of the municipalities are also used as well as annual reports of the companies involved, local and national papers as well as unpublished written material, like applications to the municipalities. Interviews will also be of importance and is done, and will be done, with individuals in all actor groups like owners of SMEs, managers and employees of big suppliers, both private and public, politicians, intermediaries and civil servants. Comparisons will be done to other European countries representing different welfare-regimes including the Scandinavian countries through the network Norma-Care.

Publications

Sköld B. (forthcoming). "Vad hände? Kvinnors företagande och de strukturella villkoren. En studie i spåren av den offentliga sektorns omvandling", doktorsavhandling, Institutionen för ekonomisk och industriell utveckling, Linköping: Linköpings universitet.

Högberg L. & Sundin E. (2014). "Innovative practices in work, organization and regional development - problems and prospects. Introduction to the special issue", Vol. 18, No. 4, P. 3-8. Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration. http://ojs.ub.gu.se/ojs/index.php/sjpa/article/view/3051

Högberg L, Schölin T, Ram M & Jones T (2014). "Categorising and labelling entrepreneurs ?Business support organisations constructing the Other through prefixes of ethnicity and immigrantship", International Small Business Journal. doi:10.1177/0266242614555877

Högberg L (2013) "Entrepreneurs who care: Identity work as discursive positioning in relation to ?entrepreneurship? and ?diversity? in home-help service to ?elderly immigrants?", 8th International Conference in Critical Management Studies (the Critical Entrepreneurship Studies track), Manchester 10-12 July 2013.

Sköld, B. (2013). "Strukturerna och företagandet: en longitudinell studie av kvinnors och mäns företagande i spåren av den offentliga sektorns omvandling". Licentiate thesis, Linköping: Linköping University.

Sundin, E. (2011) "Entrepreneurship and the reorganization of the public sector: A gendered story". Economic and Industrial Democracy, 32(4), 631-653.

Sundin, E. & M. Tillmar (2011) "Kvinnors företagande i spåren av den offentliga sektorns omvandling". In E. Blomberg, G. Hedlund & M. Wottle (Eds.), Kvinnors företagande - mål eller medel? Stockholm: SNS Förlag.

Sundin, E. & Tillmar, M. (2010) "Masculinisation of the public sector: local level studies of public sector outsourcing in elder care". International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 2, 1, 49-67. Institutional perspectives on gender and entrepreneurship. Guest editors: Helene Ahl and Teresa Nelson.

Sundin, E. & M. Tillmar (2010) "Uppföljning av 'Eget val' inom hemtjänsten i Linköpings kommun?Utförarperspektiv", Helix Working Papers. Linköping: Linköping University.

Sundin, E. & M. Tillmar (2010) "Är det något särskilt med offentlig sektor?", Nordiske Organisasjonsstudier, 12(4), 3-17.

Sundin, E., M. Tillmar & M. Renstig (2010) "Varför ska kvinnor starta företag inom vård och omsorg?" Stockholm: Tillväxtverket.

Other Academic Output

The progress of the project as well as the results has been discussed at international conferences like Gender Work and Organization and Critical Management Studies as well as at national conferences such as the Annual Research Conference on Immigrant Entrepreneurship. The results have also been discussed in workshops with representatives of the or