Management

AKF researches into different forms of management within public authorities, e.g.:

• means
• evidence
• documentation
• results
• meta-management.

AKF's research into management deals with how certain types of means get the desired effect and whether they have undesired side effects. AKF has carried out research into management in many sector areas. Examples are the area of energy, involving voluntary agreements; the area of work environment, involving labelling and campaigns; and the social area, involving development funds.

More means at the same time

In the examples of management into which AKF has carried out research several means are used at the same time whether it is planned or not. For instance, it might be planned to use both management by values and management by economic incentives, but different means could also overlap each other for historical reasons, for instance when user influence, benchmarking and campaigns are used at the same time. 

Complex management systems and self-governing

AKF mainly deals with the effects of complex management systems and self-governing. Different means influence the behaviour either by reinforcing or weakening each other. What are the consequences? Today, much management takes place in the form of self-governing, where the organisations themselves actively have to keep the quality standards, the accreditation demands etc., for instance through self-governing and performance measurement. What are the consequences for the results which the public sector is responsible for?