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Governing long-term policy problems

Dilemmas and strategies at a Dutch water authority

Bibliographic Data

ID21723749
AuthorsWieke Pot (0000-0001-8925-7539, Public Administration and Policy Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands, corresponding author), Art Dewulf (0000-0002-4171-7644, Public Administration and Policy Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands), Cjam Termeer (0000-0001-7396-1476, Public Administration and Policy Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands)
Year2022
Volume24
Issue2
Pages255-278
Publication date2022-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePublic Management Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1471-9037 • E-ISSN: 1471-9045
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/14719037.2020.1817531
OpenAlexW3086882267
LanguageEN
Citations received12
References cited72

Despite the increasing need to address long-term challenges, public sector organizations are incentivized to focus on short-term results. This article uses an ethnographic approach to analyse how members of a regional water authority understand and deal with long-term policy problems as part of their everyday practices. It reveals three specific dilemmas: investing in the realization of objects or objectives, adopting a stable or responsive approach, and taking a proactive or reactive stance towards the external environment. The concept of strategic agility enables organizations to respond proactively to unexpected developments by devising strategies to steer as well as to accommodate change

Business · Knowledge management · Political science · Process management · Public relations · Complex Systems and Decision Making · Computer Science · Evaluation and Performance Assessment · Public Policy and Administration Research

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Unique citing works12
Citations per year3
Citation span2022 - 2026 (5)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 12
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