The Wonderland of Public Administration Reforms

Abstract

The students of public sector organizations are often surprised by the phenomenon of repetitive, costly and inconclusive reforms, which seem to be an unavoidable part of the public sector landscape. One possible reaction to it is to make a rationalistic critique and then to issue recommendations for improvement. An alternative is to look for a different perspective in analyzing functions of reform. A study of Sub-municipal Committee reform in Swedish municipalities is analyzed in terms of a symbolic accomplishment. In the light of the results, it is somewhat doubtful whether so-called reforms change organizational forms, but they do help to re-shuffle power, achieve a renewed legitimacy, re-socialize organization members and, in general, introduce variety into routines of organizational life.