Att alltid återvända till grunduppdraget - brukarna : En kvalitativ studie om hur chefer inom LSS leder vid organisatoriska krav på effektiviseringar

Sammanfattning

The purpose of the study was to find out how managers in the public sector in Sweden navigate between the organizations’ demands for efficiency and their professional responsibility towards users, and how managers use communication as a tool in change processes. Data were collected through qualitative interviews with five managers in the public sector area of the law on support and services (LSS). The empirical material has been analyzed with a thematic analysis. In the analysis, Pierre Bourdieus capital theory and the concepts of habitus and field have been used together with the theory of adoption communication. The results showed that political decisions were based on the privatization of municipal operations and financial savings as part of streamlining the organizations. The managers applied their leadership in streamlining through various influencing processes. Managerial presence, empathy and responsiveness, as well as clarity and systematicity were required of the managers in streamlining. Communication was seen as a central part of being able to implement changes. In addition, transparency was seen as an important factor. Communication was directed by the managers towards individual employees and towards work groups, and was adapted based on the needs of users and employees. Obstructive communication factors were linked to information that led to difficult conversations for the managers, as well as information that changed rapidly. The results showed that the main challenge in streamlining was staff cuts. This was followed by an increased number of activities for managers, which reduced manager presence. The consequence of the managers absence was that employees did not work as actively with user support. Qualitative user interventions could be maintained through an integrated basic structure with user routines, social documentation that was systematically followed up, and pedagogical tools. Exemplary contact with users and returning to the basic mission were strongly emphasized by the managers.