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International Review of Administrative Sciences
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Fragmentation and coordination in the Scandinavian railway sector

Silvia Olsen

Institute of Transport Economics, Oslo, Norway

New Public Management (NPM) is a package of organizational reforms which have been implemented in large parts of the world. NPM reforms hold elements of centralization as well as of fragmentation. This article focuses on the balance between these elements, providing a comparative perspective by analysing the railway sector in each of the Scandinavian countries. The empirical basis is document analyses and qualitative research interviews. The article has two aims. First, attention is directed towards understanding the mixture of fragmentation and coordination in each country. Second, efforts are made to explain differences in national mixtures. Explanations are derived from four analytical perspectives: (1) fragmentation and coordination trajectory; (2) path dependency; (3) the punctuated equilibrium metaphor and (4) political orientation. The differences seem to find their cause in divergent political-administrative traditions, as well as in current events. No single analytical perspective, however, provides a comprehensive explanation on all differences observed.

Key Words: comparative • coordination • fragmentation • New Public Management • path dependency • punctuated equilibrium metaphor • reform

International Review of Administrative Sciences, Vol. 73, No. 3, 349-364 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0020852307081146
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