Abstract
Through a historization of the Swedish public sector together with vignettes grounded in interviews, this paper questions managerialism in the public sector. The chapter argues for leaderless management as a shift of attention from managerialism toward worker control. The chapter explores what nurses identify as central areas of conflict shaping their work, and what forms of change they view as necessary to create a more sustainable work situation, for themselves and the patients. Workers—not managers—within the public sector are key knowledge bearers in confronting the crisis of care. Inspired by Nancy Fraser’s idea of a care crisis, as well as Erik Olin Wright’s discussion on real utopia, the chapter analyzes how public sector workers frame their work-life. We use this to frame a vision of leaderless management. Specifically, we draw out three arguments for leaderless management of (1) time, (2) caring, and (3) resources.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Debating Leaderless Management |
Subtitle of host publication | Can Employees Do Without Leaders? |
Editors | Fredrik Hertel, Anders Örtenblad, Kenneth Mjølberg Jørgensen |
Publisher | Palgrave Macmillan |
Pages | 77-95 |
Number of pages | 29 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 978-3-031-04593-6 |
ISBN (Print) | 978-3-031-04592-9 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2023 Jan 6 |
Subject classification (UKÄ)
- Work Sciences
- Health Care Service and Management, Health Policy and Services and Health Economy