Implementation and effects of user participation in playground management: a comparative study of two Swedish municipalities
Författare
Summary, in English
This paper describes and analyses how customer orientation strategies, with the focus on user participation, are implemented in playground management and their effects on managers’ attitudes
and work with physical playgrounds. A comparative case study was conducted in two Swedish municipalities that involve users in different ways: through a manager-driven participation process and
through informal user-initiated dialogue. The empirical material consisted of qualitative interviews with professionals in the management organisations and studies of local playgrounds. Implementation of strategies for user participation and tactical management activities appeared to be of importance. The manager-driven participation strategy was associated with a particularly positive attitude among managers, but also difficulties such as maintaining continuous dialogue with users. The small differences found in playground provision between the two municipalities give reason to question the physical effects of participation processes, and show the need for further research.
and work with physical playgrounds. A comparative case study was conducted in two Swedish municipalities that involve users in different ways: through a manager-driven participation process and
through informal user-initiated dialogue. The empirical material consisted of qualitative interviews with professionals in the management organisations and studies of local playgrounds. Implementation of strategies for user participation and tactical management activities appeared to be of importance. The manager-driven participation strategy was associated with a particularly positive attitude among managers, but also difficulties such as maintaining continuous dialogue with users. The small differences found in playground provision between the two municipalities give reason to question the physical effects of participation processes, and show the need for further research.
Avdelning/ar
Publiceringsår
2012
Språk
Engelska
Sidor
1-13
Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie
Managing Leisure
Volym
17
Issue
1
Länkar
Dokumenttyp
Artikel i tidskrift
Förlag
Taylor & Francis
Ämne
- Economics and Business
Nyckelord
- customer orientation
- Keywords: strategy implementation
- playgrounds
- public sector management
- user participation
Status
Published
Projekt
- Public Management Research
ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt
- ISSN: 1466-450X