Karl Löfgren
Biographic Data
| ID | 355885 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Karl Löfgren |
| GIVEN NAMES | Karl |
| FAMILY NAME | Löfgren |
| SIGNATURE | LÖFGREN K |
| AFFILIATIONS | Victoria University of Wellington |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-9303-0895 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 24 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 68 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 24 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1983 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Performing change: The institutional logics of internal restructuring in the public sector
What does the practice of internal organizational restructuring reveal about the institutional logics that shape public sector reform? This study examines 356 restructuring cases in New Zealand’s public service (2018–2021) through a narrative analysis of formal consultation documents. It identifies how restructures are framed through symbolic rhetoric, implemented without supporting practices, and used to exercise managerial discretion. Rather th…
Managers, Professionals, or Public Servants? Organizational Professionals in the Public Sector as Hybrid Professionals
The expansion of organizational professionals in the public sector is often interpreted as a manifestation of increased managerial control and bureaucratisation, raising questions about shifting professional identities in public administration. This study contributes to research on hybrid professionalism and identity work by examining how organizational professionals themselves perceive this trend and how they justify their roles within public or…
Why are organisational professionals expanding in the Swedish public sector? The role of accountability
Recent research shows that new types of high-skilled administrators, what we in this article label organisational professionals, have amplified their presence in public sector organisations in relation to other types of public sector employees. Our purpose is to analyse how organisational accountability can be seen as a driver behind the expansion of organisational professionals. Intensified political and administrative pressures seem to be drivi…
In Memoriam: Miriam Lips (1967–2024): An Appreciation of Her Life
The Rise of a New Public Bureaucracy in New Zealand
One recurrent narrative in the discussion about managerial public sector reforms is the growth in organizational professionals as a response to new accountability regimes. New Zealand has experienced modest growth rates in the general public sector workforce. Less studied, though, is whether the composition of the public sector workforce has changed, with an increase in organizational functions supportive to management. Based on descriptive workf…
Who is leading China's family planning policy discourse in Weibo? A social media text mining analysis
The advent of digital social media in China has altered our understanding of who sets the policy agenda and forms public opinion. Using text mining analysis of more than 74,000 Weibo user comments (over 4 million words) on 6 years' worth of The People's Daily media coverage, this study investigates social media interactions on family planning policy issues between the state-run news media and individual users in China. Our analysis demonstrates t…
Producing deflective online strategies: Lessons from New Zealand women’s management of social media engagement
Public engagement is a gendered experience, whether offline or online, something which is reflected in women’s experiences of social media. In this article, we seek to systematically explore the experiences from politically engaged women Twitter users in New Zealand in order to draw some lessons, through a thematic and interpretative analytical approach, at four different strategic levels on how to deflect intimidating and aggressive behaviour. W…
The two‐community model in the New Zealand housing policy community – A bottom‐up perspective
The barriers and tensions between the world of academic research and the policy world have been a recurrent theme in policy research since the 1970s and has gained renewed interest in the light of the evidence‐based policymaking movement. Although there seem to be many good arguments to not exaggerate the gulf between what has been called ‘the two communities’, we will in this article demonstrate the persistence of the model from an inductive, bo…
Cross-platform comparison of framed topics in Twitter and Weibo: Machine Learning Approaches to Social Media Text Mining
The value of Big Data in government: The case of 'smart cities
The emergence of Big Data has added a new aspect to conceptualizing the use of digital technologies in the delivery of public services and for realizing digital governance. This article explores, via the ‘value-chain’ approach, the evolution of digital governance research, and aligns it with current developments associated with data analytics, often referred to as ‘Big Data’. In many ways, the current discourse around Big Data reiterates and repe…
Expectations, Trust, and ‘No Surprises’: Perceptions of Autonomy in New Zealand Crown Entities
How autonomous are New Zealand Crown entities really? Although agencification and the autonomy of governmental agenda has been high on the research agenda in most modern industrialised jurisdictions since the mid‐1990s, the discussion in New Zealand on the role of the Crown entities has more indirectly touched upon this issue. Based on the international literature on agency autonomy, this article presents new empirical evidence. The study is base…
Introduction: Privacy and Surveillance Policy in a Comparative Perspective
The Privacy Advocates. Resisting the Spread of Surveillance by Colin J. Bennett
Lessons Learned from the Danish National Ph.D. Programme POLFORSK
There are many advantages in establishing National Ph.D. programmes, but so are the challenges in getting them in motion. These challenges are caused by the intensified competition between departmental Ph.D. programmes, which is a product of the emergence of the audit society. The Danish national political science programme POLFORSK has managed to deal with these difficulties and has established a very successful programme that raises the quality…
The history of the future: Changes in Danish e-government strategies 1994–2010
This article presents an historical account of the governing principles of e-government in Denmark from 1994 to the present day. Our theoretical point of departure has been five policy analytical themes, and the study is based on empirical data retri
Policy innovation, convergence and divergence: Considering the policy transfer regulating privacy and data protection in three European countries
This article examines policy activity surrounding the implementation of privacy regulations in three European countries, Denmark, Sweden and the UK, following the ratification of the 1995 European Union Directive on Data Protection. It highlights the convergence and divergence of policy embedded in the policy transfer process and stresses not only the complexity of policy transfer, but also the degree to which policy innovation is shaped by exist…
Introduction: New Network Modes of Nordic Local Governance
This introduction to the special issue on local governance networks in the Nordic countries has got two aims. First, we discuss how local governance networks partly can be conceived as a novel mode of local governance, partly must be seen as a continuation of already existing patterns of governance in Nordic local governance. Second, we discuss how the concept of network governance can be employed for internally comparing the Nordic countries
Is there a Nordic Approach to Questions of Democracy in Studies of Network Governance
The notion of democratic network governance has attracted growing interest among students of local and regional governance in all the Nordic countries since the 1990s. This article examines whether research in this area reflects a particular Nordic account of democracy. The Nordic countries have strong traditions of local autonomy, local networks and the inclusion of civil society associations. The authors find reason to expect that the Nordic tr…
Democratic Assessment of Collaborative Planning Processes
Collaborative planning is often mentioned as one of the most appropriate planning theories in relation to the network society owing to its focus on creating fair and inclusive institutional settings for deliberations among public and private stakeholders. Even though this theoretical framework discusses potential outcomes, the actual democratic effects of collaborative planning processes are notably overlooked in the literature. The central quest…
The Governance of E-government: A Governance Perspective on the Swedish E-government Strategy
Around the world, there are several governmental attempts, by means of new information — and communication technologies (ICTs) — to regenerate the relationship between citizen/business and governments. This article explores the Swedish electronic government reform attempts of transforming functionally specialized governmental agencies into a more coherent and integrated network administration — the so-called `24/7 Agency'. Based on a theoretical …
The rise and decline of a visionary policy: Swedish ICT-policy in retrospect
During the 1990s a new policy area – ICT-policy – evolved in Swedish politics. It manifested itself through a number of unprecedented initiatives from the government including a new type of institutional set-up. These initiatives all encompassed an u
The state we are in: E-democracy in Denmark
The Danish parliament going virtual
Journal Article The Danish parliament going virtual Get access K LÖfgren, K LÖfgren Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar KV Andersen, KV Andersen Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar MF Sørensen MF Sørensen Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Parliamentary Affairs, Volume 52, Issue 3, July 1999, Pages 493–502, https://doi.org/10.1093/pa/52…
The Faustmann-Ohlin Theorem: A Historical Note
Research Article| June 01 1983 The Faustmann-Ohlin Theorem: A Historical Note Karl G. Löfgren Karl G. Löfgren Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google History of Political Economy (1983) 15 (2): 261–264. https://doi.org/10.1215/00182702-15-2-261 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Permissions Search Site Citation Karl G. Löfgren; The Faustmann-Ohlin Theorem: A Historical Note. History of Political Ec…
Democratic Assessment of Collaborative Planning Processes
Collaborative planning is often mentioned as one of the most appropriate planning theories in relation to the network society owing to its focus on creating fair and inclusive institutional settings for deliberations among public and private stakeholders. Even though this theoretical framework discusses potential outcomes, the actual democratic effects of collaborative planning processes are notably overlooked in the literature. The central quest…
The history of the future: Changes in Danish e-government strategies 1994–2010
This article presents an historical account of the governing principles of e-government in Denmark from 1994 to the present day. Our theoretical point of departure has been five policy analytical themes, and the study is based on empirical data retri
The value of Big Data in government: The case of 'smart cities
The emergence of Big Data has added a new aspect to conceptualizing the use of digital technologies in the delivery of public services and for realizing digital governance. This article explores, via the ‘value-chain’ approach, the evolution of digital governance research, and aligns it with current developments associated with data analytics, often referred to as ‘Big Data’. In many ways, the current discourse around Big Data reiterates and repe…
Is there a Nordic Approach to Questions of Democracy in Studies of Network Governance
The notion of democratic network governance has attracted growing interest among students of local and regional governance in all the Nordic countries since the 1990s. This article examines whether research in this area reflects a particular Nordic account of democracy. The Nordic countries have strong traditions of local autonomy, local networks and the inclusion of civil society associations. The authors find reason to expect that the Nordic tr…
The Faustmann-Ohlin Theorem: A Historical Note
Research Article| June 01 1983 The Faustmann-Ohlin Theorem: A Historical Note Karl G. Löfgren Karl G. Löfgren Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google History of Political Economy (1983) 15 (2): 261–264. https://doi.org/10.1215/00182702-15-2-261 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Permissions Search Site Citation Karl G. Löfgren; The Faustmann-Ohlin Theorem: A Historical Note. History of Political Ec…
Introduction: New Network Modes of Nordic Local Governance
This introduction to the special issue on local governance networks in the Nordic countries has got two aims. First, we discuss how local governance networks partly can be conceived as a novel mode of local governance, partly must be seen as a continuation of already existing patterns of governance in Nordic local governance. Second, we discuss how the concept of network governance can be employed for internally comparing the Nordic countries
The rise and decline of a visionary policy: Swedish ICT-policy in retrospect
During the 1990s a new policy area – ICT-policy – evolved in Swedish politics. It manifested itself through a number of unprecedented initiatives from the government including a new type of institutional set-up. These initiatives all encompassed an u
The Danish parliament going virtual
Journal Article The Danish parliament going virtual Get access K LÖfgren, K LÖfgren Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar KV Andersen, KV Andersen Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar MF Sørensen MF Sørensen Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Parliamentary Affairs, Volume 52, Issue 3, July 1999, Pages 493–502, https://doi.org/10.1093/pa/52…
Cross-platform comparison of framed topics in Twitter and Weibo: Machine Learning Approaches to Social Media Text Mining
The state we are in: E-democracy in Denmark
The Rise of a New Public Bureaucracy in New Zealand
One recurrent narrative in the discussion about managerial public sector reforms is the growth in organizational professionals as a response to new accountability regimes. New Zealand has experienced modest growth rates in the general public sector workforce. Less studied, though, is whether the composition of the public sector workforce has changed, with an increase in organizational functions supportive to management. Based on descriptive workf…
Policy innovation, convergence and divergence: Considering the policy transfer regulating privacy and data protection in three European countries
This article examines policy activity surrounding the implementation of privacy regulations in three European countries, Denmark, Sweden and the UK, following the ratification of the 1995 European Union Directive on Data Protection. It highlights the convergence and divergence of policy embedded in the policy transfer process and stresses not only the complexity of policy transfer, but also the degree to which policy innovation is shaped by exist…
The Governance of E-government: A Governance Perspective on the Swedish E-government Strategy
Around the world, there are several governmental attempts, by means of new information — and communication technologies (ICTs) — to regenerate the relationship between citizen/business and governments. This article explores the Swedish electronic government reform attempts of transforming functionally specialized governmental agencies into a more coherent and integrated network administration — the so-called `24/7 Agency'. Based on a theoretical …
The Faustmann-Ohlin Theorem: A Historical Note
Research Article| June 01 1983 The Faustmann-Ohlin Theorem: A Historical Note Karl G. Löfgren Karl G. Löfgren Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google History of Political Economy (1983) 15 (2): 261–264. https://doi.org/10.1215/00182702-15-2-261 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Permissions Search Site Citation Karl G. Löfgren; The Faustmann-Ohlin Theorem: A Historical Note. History of Political Ec…
The Danish parliament going virtual
Journal Article The Danish parliament going virtual Get access K LÖfgren, K LÖfgren Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar KV Andersen, KV Andersen Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar MF Sørensen MF Sørensen Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Parliamentary Affairs, Volume 52, Issue 3, July 1999, Pages 493–502, https://doi.org/10.1093/pa/52…
The state we are in: E-democracy in Denmark
The rise and decline of a visionary policy: Swedish ICT-policy in retrospect
During the 1990s a new policy area – ICT-policy – evolved in Swedish politics. It manifested itself through a number of unprecedented initiatives from the government including a new type of institutional set-up. These initiatives all encompassed an u
The Governance of E-government: A Governance Perspective on the Swedish E-government Strategy
Around the world, there are several governmental attempts, by means of new information — and communication technologies (ICTs) — to regenerate the relationship between citizen/business and governments. This article explores the Swedish electronic government reform attempts of transforming functionally specialized governmental agencies into a more coherent and integrated network administration — the so-called `24/7 Agency'. Based on a theoretical …
Democratic Assessment of Collaborative Planning Processes
Collaborative planning is often mentioned as one of the most appropriate planning theories in relation to the network society owing to its focus on creating fair and inclusive institutional settings for deliberations among public and private stakeholders. Even though this theoretical framework discusses potential outcomes, the actual democratic effects of collaborative planning processes are notably overlooked in the literature. The central quest…
Policy innovation, convergence and divergence: Considering the policy transfer regulating privacy and data protection in three European countries
This article examines policy activity surrounding the implementation of privacy regulations in three European countries, Denmark, Sweden and the UK, following the ratification of the 1995 European Union Directive on Data Protection. It highlights the convergence and divergence of policy embedded in the policy transfer process and stresses not only the complexity of policy transfer, but also the degree to which policy innovation is shaped by exist…
Introduction: New Network Modes of Nordic Local Governance
This introduction to the special issue on local governance networks in the Nordic countries has got two aims. First, we discuss how local governance networks partly can be conceived as a novel mode of local governance, partly must be seen as a continuation of already existing patterns of governance in Nordic local governance. Second, we discuss how the concept of network governance can be employed for internally comparing the Nordic countries
Is there a Nordic Approach to Questions of Democracy in Studies of Network Governance
The notion of democratic network governance has attracted growing interest among students of local and regional governance in all the Nordic countries since the 1990s. This article examines whether research in this area reflects a particular Nordic account of democracy. The Nordic countries have strong traditions of local autonomy, local networks and the inclusion of civil society associations. The authors find reason to expect that the Nordic tr…
Lessons Learned from the Danish National Ph.D. Programme POLFORSK
There are many advantages in establishing National Ph.D. programmes, but so are the challenges in getting them in motion. These challenges are caused by the intensified competition between departmental Ph.D. programmes, which is a product of the emergence of the audit society. The Danish national political science programme POLFORSK has managed to deal with these difficulties and has established a very successful programme that raises the quality…
The history of the future: Changes in Danish e-government strategies 1994–2010
This article presents an historical account of the governing principles of e-government in Denmark from 1994 to the present day. Our theoretical point of departure has been five policy analytical themes, and the study is based on empirical data retri
The Privacy Advocates. Resisting the Spread of Surveillance by Colin J. Bennett
Introduction: Privacy and Surveillance Policy in a Comparative Perspective
Expectations, Trust, and ‘No Surprises’: Perceptions of Autonomy in New Zealand Crown Entities
How autonomous are New Zealand Crown entities really? Although agencification and the autonomy of governmental agenda has been high on the research agenda in most modern industrialised jurisdictions since the mid‐1990s, the discussion in New Zealand on the role of the Crown entities has more indirectly touched upon this issue. Based on the international literature on agency autonomy, this article presents new empirical evidence. The study is base…
The value of Big Data in government: The case of 'smart cities
The emergence of Big Data has added a new aspect to conceptualizing the use of digital technologies in the delivery of public services and for realizing digital governance. This article explores, via the ‘value-chain’ approach, the evolution of digital governance research, and aligns it with current developments associated with data analytics, often referred to as ‘Big Data’. In many ways, the current discourse around Big Data reiterates and repe…
Who is leading China's family planning policy discourse in Weibo? A social media text mining analysis
The advent of digital social media in China has altered our understanding of who sets the policy agenda and forms public opinion. Using text mining analysis of more than 74,000 Weibo user comments (over 4 million words) on 6 years' worth of The People's Daily media coverage, this study investigates social media interactions on family planning policy issues between the state-run news media and individual users in China. Our analysis demonstrates t…
Producing deflective online strategies: Lessons from New Zealand women’s management of social media engagement
Public engagement is a gendered experience, whether offline or online, something which is reflected in women’s experiences of social media. In this article, we seek to systematically explore the experiences from politically engaged women Twitter users in New Zealand in order to draw some lessons, through a thematic and interpretative analytical approach, at four different strategic levels on how to deflect intimidating and aggressive behaviour. W…
The two‐community model in the New Zealand housing policy community – A bottom‐up perspective
The barriers and tensions between the world of academic research and the policy world have been a recurrent theme in policy research since the 1970s and has gained renewed interest in the light of the evidence‐based policymaking movement. Although there seem to be many good arguments to not exaggerate the gulf between what has been called ‘the two communities’, we will in this article demonstrate the persistence of the model from an inductive, bo…
Cross-platform comparison of framed topics in Twitter and Weibo: Machine Learning Approaches to Social Media Text Mining
The Rise of a New Public Bureaucracy in New Zealand
One recurrent narrative in the discussion about managerial public sector reforms is the growth in organizational professionals as a response to new accountability regimes. New Zealand has experienced modest growth rates in the general public sector workforce. Less studied, though, is whether the composition of the public sector workforce has changed, with an increase in organizational functions supportive to management. Based on descriptive workf…
In Memoriam: Miriam Lips (1967–2024): An Appreciation of Her Life
Performing change: The institutional logics of internal restructuring in the public sector
What does the practice of internal organizational restructuring reveal about the institutional logics that shape public sector reform? This study examines 356 restructuring cases in New Zealand’s public service (2018–2021) through a narrative analysis of formal consultation documents. It identifies how restructures are framed through symbolic rhetoric, implemented without supporting practices, and used to exercise managerial discretion. Rather th…
Managers, Professionals, or Public Servants? Organizational Professionals in the Public Sector as Hybrid Professionals
The expansion of organizational professionals in the public sector is often interpreted as a manifestation of increased managerial control and bureaucratisation, raising questions about shifting professional identities in public administration. This study contributes to research on hybrid professionalism and identity work by examining how organizational professionals themselves perceive this trend and how they justify their roles within public or…
Why are organisational professionals expanding in the Swedish public sector? The role of accountability
Recent research shows that new types of high-skilled administrators, what we in this article label organisational professionals, have amplified their presence in public sector organisations in relation to other types of public sector employees. Our purpose is to analyse how organisational accountability can be seen as a driver behind the expansion of organisational professionals. Intensified political and administrative pressures seem to be drivi…
Political science (19 works) · Computer Science (11 works) · Law (11 works) · Politics (11 works) · Sociology (11 works) · Public relations (10 works) · Business (9 works) · Economics (9 works) · Law (9 works) · Public Administration (9 works)