Governing Turbulence

Jarle Trondal and Christopher Ansell outline new analytical framework for understanding the effects of turbulence in public administration and governance in the newly launched journal Perspectives on Public Management and Governance.

Abstract

This article sets out three ambitions: First, it argues in favor of adopting “turbulence” as a conceptual device for understanding governance in times of dynamic interactive change. Second, the article distinguishes three types of turbulence: turbulent environments, turbulent organizations and turbulence of scale. These three types highlight different sources and dynamics of turbulence. Third, the article outlines an organizational-institutional approach to the governance of turbulence highlighting four key dilemmas public organizations must confront in stabilizing and adapting to turbulence: stability versus adaptation; anticipation versus resilience; tight(er) coupling versus decoupling; and integration versus differentiation. The article then synthesizes findings and arguments about how public organizations can manage these dilemmas.

Full info

Jarle Trondal and Christopher Ansell
Governing Turbulence: An Organizational-Institutional Agenda

Perspectives on Public Management and Governance, 2017, 1-15
DOI: 10.1093/ppmgov/gvx013

Open Access (link)

Published Nov. 20, 2017 11:35 AM - Last modified Jan. 30, 2022 2:08 AM