Mid Sweden University

This study explores the adaptive capacity of managers in street-level organizations (SLOs) in response to global crises. Using a Swedish municipality as a case study, we explore the challenges encountered by managers during the extended COVID-19 pandemic. The abilities required to manage the crisis differ from the challenges and skills typically associated with professional crisis managers. We propose the term ‘turbulence manager’ to describe the unique challenges in SLOs and the skills required to navigate the situation, particularly the delicate balance between crisis management and regular duties. In conclusion, this study emphasizes the crucial role of SLO managers in crisis adaptation, highlighting their ability to mitigate the impact of turbulence by creatively adjusting their existing routines. 

This study aims to examine the ambiguity and uncertainty surrounding crisis management and the implementation of national recommendations in two public-sector organizations during the initial phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study is based on two case studies: a municipality and a county administrative board in Sweden. Data were collected through interviews, surveys, and participation in meetings, and they were analyzed using a practice theory lens. The results demonstrate a lack of knowledge and uncertainty regarding the crisis management structure, leading to conflicting interpretations of rules, recommendations, and decision-making procedures. The somewhat uncoordinated response from central authorities had a significant impact on local handling of the crisis, requiring higher management to spend considerable time interpreting the regulations and adjusting them to the local situation. The lack of clear decision procedures and support from higher management creates frustration and anxiety among operational managers. Organizations struggle to keep up with fast-changing guidelines and implement them effectively, resulting in an increased workload and challenges in prioritizing resources. The study also reveals concerns about the long-term consequences and ability to maintain quality in core activities during a wide-ranging crisis as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following COVID-19, the responsibility principle guiding emergency preparedness and crisis management in Scandinavian countries has once again faced criticism. In order to make sense of the current discussions surrounding this principle, this study uses Bacchi's framework of “What's the problem represented to be” to explore its development and perceived problems and effects in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The study examines how policy documents have problematized the responsibility principle and the historical contexts that prompted the adoption of the principle, tracing its evolution from 1989 to 2019, before the outbreak of COVID-19. It scrutinizes the role of key institutions, legislative changes, and historical events, such as crises and geopolitical shifts, in shaping crisis management practices. The analysis identifies several recurring issues in crisis management, highlighting two overarching problems: fragmented responsibilities and difficulties in balancing decentralization with centralization, both of which result in insufficient coordination. By comparing the experiences of these countries, this study provides valuable insights into the historical foundations and organization of crisis management systems in Scandinavia prior to COVID-19.

This paper examines the role of aviation in general and regional airports in particular for societal resilience and future development in geographical peripheral and sparsely populated areas. It concentrates on a Swedish case study that shows that the official Swedish transportation policy conveys a strong focus on passenger numbers, which lead to economic challenges for the smaller, regional airports and airlines in running a viable business. In addition, the study emphasizes that these regional airports in addition to other services play an important role for society’s ability to handle medical or traffic accidents, natural hazards like wild-fires, and security-related transports and to establish proper preparedness for ensuring resilience and territorial sovereignty (as required for the NATO membership). Despite of being an important part of a resilient transportation system, the regional airports are a high-cost factor for the Swedish municipalities that run them, while the benefit occurs at the societal level. This problem of the common good – that the costs and benefits are unevenly distributed – brings the risk that municipal operators choose to close the airports, which considerably affects societal resilience in rather remote and rural areas. Insights from the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic indicate that rescaling is a very difficult endeavor if robust maintenance has been neglected in times with low traffic volumes in addition to societal adaption. Future research could address how costs and responsibilities could be more evenly distributed to strengthen societal resilience in sparsely inhabited and geographical remote areas.