In the eye of the beholder: Domain logic and goal perception in implementation processes within the Swedish municipal social services

Abstract: Implementation in public organizations is a complicated process. Previous research has shown that neither a top-down or bottom-up perspective is sufficient to explain why certain implementations succeed and others fail. Alternative models that take the complexity of implementation processes into account by among other things allowing for the interaction between both horizontal and vertical levels have been suggested. While new theories such as these have expanded scientific knowledge on implementation processes considerably, less attention has been accorded to factors connected to additional important variables such as competing organizational logics and perceptions. The aim of the following thesis is to explain the failure and success of the implementation of the LOKE model for systematic evaluation within the Swedish social services through the application of theories of organizational domains and differing logics of appropriateness within said organization combined with contemporary implementation research. Through a series of interviews the varying perceptions of the implementation process of the involved units are collected and analyzed, showing how the different underlying logics of the different units affect both their perception of the LOKE model as well as their willingness and ability to implement its constituent parts. This in turn serves to underline the importance of utilizing methods to bridge the understanding gap between domains during the early stages of implementation efforts in order to increase the chances of success.