Roger Normann

Who Can Govern? Comparing Network Governance Leadership in Two Norwegian City Regions

What social and structural mechanisms determine where hands-on leadership of city-region governance networks is anchored? In this article, we discuss the origin of city-region governance leadership in two Norwegian city regions. Based on empirical analysis, we argue that variations in terms of leadership practices cannot be fully explained in terms of levels of trust, social capital and institutional set-up. Issues related to how power is institutionalized needs to be explored and explained in order to improve our understanding of processes associated with the construction of leadership of governance networks. We also recognize that where this type of leadership is anchored can have important implications for both regional economic development as well as defining the qualities of local democracy.

Emergence of regional leadership – a field approach

ABSTRACT Emergence of regional leadership – a field approach. Regional Studies. The complex processes associated with the emergence of regional leadership are interpreted in this paper through a field theoretical framework, and are discussed with example cases relating to green economy developments in four Nordic regions. It is argued that macro- and meso-level processes create opportunities and constraints for local agency, and how local agency can respond to this is discussed. Field theory offers a novel perspective on regional leadership because it helps one gain a deeper understanding of the various forms regional leadership can take.

Municipalities as Governance Network Actors in Rural Communities

The concept of rural network governance can include different practices, and it is important to gain insight into governance role formation processes. The ability of rural municipalities to effectively perform their role as governance network actors is significantly influenced by municipal organization and norms. Small differences can have big consequences and lead municipalities into different types of governance network roles. This is important to consider in situations where rural communities are facing imbalances and the municipalities increasingly are expected to engage in new roles and take more responsibility for local development. Effective strategies for using local network structures can help rural communities achieve sustainable development. We develop four different governance network models and discuss how the municipal authorities and citizen groups in two rural communities in Setesdal, Norway, perceive the current governance role of the municipality as well as their views on how this role ideally should be performed. We conclude that explanations for the different strategies relate mainly to norms and processes that are endogenous to the communities, which may indicate that rural municipalities have a great deal of autonomy in deciding how to use local network resources.

Reflexive democracy: creating actionable knowledge through regional development coalitions

This article seeks to develop a new theory of reflexive democracy, based on practical cases of action research in regional development, with particular reference to regional development coalitions. Reflexive democracy is located in the context of the debate on Scandinavian worklife, emphasising knowledge, dialogue, and legitimacy.

Can regions learn? Critical assessment of regions as arenas for regional development

SummaryThe article locates work on regional development, and in particular action research, within the context of debates on neo-liberalism and democracy. The “learning regions” approach is explored, but the scale of the challenges to overcome is emphasised.

Regional industrial restructuring resulting from individual and system agency

The article discusses mechanisms and policy that stimulate regional economic restructuring. Economic restructuring is conceptualised through the notion of path development. The article distinguishes four types of path development: the extension and upgrading of existing regional industries are two types, diversification of existing industries and the creation of new industry paths are the two others and more substantial path developments. A main idea in the article is that new path development requires industry actors who initiate new firms or innovation activities in existing firms, i.e. firm level agency, but that restructuring also requires action by actors operating in the regional support system, i.e. system level agency. System level agency, understood as actions or intervention to transform regional innovation systems to better support economic restructuring, is particularly important for the two most ‘radical’ types of restructuring, i.e. path diversification and creation, and in regions with thin and specialised knowledge and industrial structure.

Management strategies in cluster projects: Cases and discussion

In this chapter, we address the relationship between the evolutionary process of cluster development and the strategies used by cluster project managers. The determinants of the relationship between a cluster project’s life-cycle stage and the network steering strategies applied are examined. Both the regions and the firms participating in regional cluster projects are different, and one should not expect to find a single approach to cluster project management equally applicable in every context. However, does this mean that everything relating to cluster project management is unique and local? Here we ask what characterizes the relationship between a cluster project’s life cycle and the network steering strategies applied.

The contradictory nature of knowledge: a challenge for understanding innovation in a local context and workplace development and for doing action research

The argument in this article is that knowledge is an important phenomenon to understand in order to discuss development and innovation in modern workplaces. Predominant theories on knowledge in organisation and innovation literature, we argue, are based on a dualist concept of knowledge. The arguments found in these theories argue for one type of knowledge in contrast to another. The most prevailing dualism is that between local and universal knowledge. We believe that arguing along this line does not bring us further in order to understand what knowledge is and what it does. We argue that there are contradictory arguments in the dualist conception of knowledge. We discuss how to move beyond this. We present a framework for discussing what knowledge is. We discuss what type of meta perspective will allow us to compare different knowledge kinds. We argue that insight into this has implications for understanding knowledge generation and innovation.

The Agder story

This article introduces the work of the research team in Agder, providing a context for the seven following articles. The writers have been personally engaged in the processes which they describe, and seek to draw general conclusions from their experience. Agder is a prosperous region, which has not experienced crisis, and is able to devote considerable resources to regional development.

University Collaboration at a Cross-Road: Evolution and Tensions in Third-Mission Engagement

In this chapter, we discuss the evolution and tensions of third-mission collaboration in Southern Norway. We follow the unfolding of third-mission engagement through university college mergers and the establishment of a university. Four distinct phases in the evolution of third-mission engagement are identified, and a typology of third-mission roles is developed. Based on this, we ask: How does third-mission engagement evolve, and does it create additional ambiguities in young higher education institutions?