‘Keeping politicians at arm’s length’: how managers in a collaborative organization deal with the administration–politics interface

Brorström, S., & Norbäck, M. (2019). “Keeping politicians at arm”s length’: how managers in a collaborative organization deal with the administration–politics interface. International Review of Administrative Sciences, 002085231882209. doi:10.1177/0020852318822090

Platform
Gothenburg
Publication type
Scientific article (peer-reviewed)
Projects
Embedded research of the River City process Formative evaluation of the implementation of the River City vision
DOI Title
‘Keeping politicians at arm’s length’: how managers in a collaborative organization deal with the administration–politics interface
Journal
International Review of Administrative Sciences
ISSN/ISBN
0020-8523 1461-7226
DOI
10.1177/0020852318822090
Author(s)
Sara Brorström Maria Norbäck
Published year
Subject
Sociology and Political Science Public Administration

 

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Abstract

This study examines the relationship between politicians and managers in a Swedish city. The context is a collaborative organization responsible for drafting and implementing the vision and strategies for a city organization, and for future development of the downtown river area. The article examines the efforts of city managers to manage the relationship with city politicians. We illustrate how the managers strive to manage an appropriate ‘arm’s-length’ relationship with the politicians by navigating in and out of the ‘purple zone’ of the politics–management interface, and how the context of collaborative organizations seems to increase the amount of time public managers spend in this zone.

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