Title: Policy entrepreneurs in networks: implementation of two Swedish municipal contact centres from an actor perspective

Authors: Iréne Bernhard; Elin Wihlborg

Addresses: School of Business, Economics and IT, University West, Gustava Melins Gata 2, SE-461 86 Trollhättan, Sweden ' Department of Management and Engineering, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden

Abstract: This study aims to elaborate on the meanings of policy entrepreneurs and through the conceptualisation analysing implementation of local municipal contact centres - a Swedish local e-governmental initiative. The paper builds on qualitative case studies including interviews, observations and document analysis, all analysed through the perspective of policy entrepreneurs. Local policies are implemented in relation to local cultures, norms and economic structures. The networked governance structure demands entrepreneurial actors to combine resources and interests into a change. Here we identified both theoretically and practical, two types of such entrepreneurial actors. The issue entrepreneur focuses on the issue as such and focuses on the solution to a single problem. The political entrepreneur, on the other hand, focuses on core values and long term structural changes. The emerging networked governance structure asks for improved knowledge on policy entrepreneurship both for analytical and practical improvements. The findings may provide useful information for municipal e-government planning specifically when planning for implementing contact centres. The study enriches the existing literature on policy entrepreneurs in networks expanding the roles to include also local e-government contexts.

Keywords: policy entrepreneurs; municipal contact centres; networks; local e-government; Sweden; local planning; networked governance structures; electronic government; entrepreneurship; local government; local policies.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2014.060893

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2014 Vol.21 No.3, pp.288 - 302

Published online: 07 Jun 2014 *

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