Steering and leadership in the room for manoeuvre between trust and control

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7577/nat.6137

Keywords:

trust-based management, trust, control, room for manoeuvre, institutional trust

Abstract

Nordic trust reforms are aimed at strengthening co-determination and professional autonomy in public sector organizations. The values are already present, but the use of trust is challenging when existing management systems are based on control. At the same time, this article argues that the balance between trust and control creates a room for manoeuvre for trust-based interaction. The results are based on a study of municipal manager’ experiences with leadership between trust and control and reveal that municipal managers exercise trust by using several trust-based leadership styles in the balance between having control and trust. They are also concerned with shielding employees so that they can carry out practice-based work. The article shows how such a trust-based management style requires institutional trust, rooted in trust-based management systems in the organization and its environment.

Author Biography

Rannveig Røste, Universitetet i Sørøst-Norge

Rannveig Røste er førsteamanuensis ved USN Handelshøyskolen. Røste har PhD i innovasjon og entreprenørskap fra Handelshøyskolen BI og Cand.polit. i statsvitenskap fra Universitetet i Oslo. Hennes forskningsinteresse er i det tverrvitenskapelige skjæringsfeltet om innovasjon, organisasjon og ledelse. Hun har lang erfaring som oppdragsforsker i instituttsektoren og med undervisning i organisasjon og ledelse, og var en av stifterne av nasjonalt forskernettverket for innovasjon i offentlig sektor. 

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Published

2025-09-14

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