Governance challenges of different institutional logics and modes of organising: a Norwegian case study of municipal water supply

Figures & data

Table 1. Summarise our conceptual framing and illustrate the connections between the core concepts.

Typology →	Type 0	Type 1	Type 2
Definition	Traditional in-house delivery	In-house, semi-autonomous delivery	External, autonomous delivery, but under local government ownership
Example	Vertically integrated bodies/units	Bodies integrated politically, administratively disintegrated, e.g., in-house firm	Disintegrated bodies, often organised as public companies, e.g., inter-municipal company
Autonomy: -managerial -professional -legal	Professional	Managerial Professional	Managerial Professional Legal
Logics: -politics (democracy) -bureaucracy (hierarchy) -profession -community* -corporation -market**	Governance overall dominated by political and bureaucratic logics. Profession logics dominate operative service delivery.	Political logic dominates governance of service, while profession and corporation logics dominate within the service-providing body.	Profession and corporation (to some extent market) logics dominate the service-providing body. Political and bureaucratic logics important mostly as institutional context
Control: -input (I) -process (P) -output (O) -trust (T)	I: Investments through budgetary grants, operations through fees, decided annually by municipal council. National regulations. P: Frequent testing of water quality. Financial reporting. Intervention from municipal CEO possible. O: Performance reporting growing, primarily financial indicators. User feedback important. T: High, related to professional expertise.	I: The same + appointment of board. P: Same testing regime. Intervention from municipal council possible. O: Performance reporting through annual reports to owner. User feedback important. T: High, related to professional expertise.	I: Operations through fees, decided annually by municipal councils. Company agreement and appointment of owner assembly. Strategic decisions and large investments may require sanctions from owners. P: Same testing regime. O: The same as Type 1. T: High, related to professional expertise.

*Community logic important for all organisational modes because water is seen as a common good.

**Market logic not very relevant because water is a non-commercial commodity in Norway.