0000000000185662
AUTHOR
Roger Normann
Emergence of regional leadership – a field approach
ABSTRACTEmergence 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.
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 distinguishe...
Economic specialization and diversification at the country and regional level: introducing a conceptual framework to study innovation policy logics
While there has been a shared understanding that innovation policy is about rendering institutional change, there has been an emerging interest in identifying the institutional logics underlying in...
The role of local government in rural communities: culture-based development strategies
This paper discusses local development and various governance strategies that local governments can use to engage actors in rural communities and resources from a broader environment to achieve des...
Do general innovation policy tools fit all? Analysis of the regional impact of the Norwegian Skattefunn scheme
Background: The paper examines the regional effects of a general innovation policy, i.e. a policy tool that does not target specific industries or subnational regions. General policy tools are an important part of the portfolio of innovation policy measures. However, there is a question over whether general tools are equally relevant for all types of firms, irrespective of their size, sector and location. Findings: The economic geography and innovation study literature, as well as the EU’s Smart Specialization approach, are based on the view that innovation policy tools must be adapted to specific regional conditions. General policy tools are insufficient unless they are adapted to individu…
Designed for Regional Engagement? The Case of Telemark University College
Established in 1994 through a forced merger between various multiple regional education providers, Telemark University College (HIT) is one of the largest and most decentralised university colleges in Norway. This chapter investigates to what extent the adopted decentralised, multi-campus model has (a) had an effect on organisational dynamics more generally and (b) more specifically how it enables or constrains HIT’s regional role. In so doing, we cast light on a critical tension resulting from the so-called ambiguity of structure inherent in universities as organisations. Our findings show that HIT’s campuses enjoy considerable degrees of autonomy, have overlapping tasks and seemingly conf…
Action research strategies at the “third place”
Published version of an article in the journal: International Journal of Action Research. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1688/IJAR-2014-02-Johnsen This article discusses action research strategies in regional development. It argues that regional settings are complex, and conceptualises this as the “third place”. This complexity implies a democratic challenge. Furthermore, using regional leadership as a case, it argues that in order to approach this as action researchers, one needs to discuss the assumptions the research is based on. The article discusses two action research approaches: the socio-technical approach and the democratic dialogue approach, and argues …
Den tredje rollen : Fra distriktshøgskole til universitet
This chapter discusses the evolution of third-mission collaboration by tracking the historical unfolding of third-mission engagement in the Norwegian higher education sector and against the backdrop of changes in the institutional profiles and legal statuses of domestic providers. We categorise developments into four distinct phases and develop a novel typology on the evolution of third-mission roles and the tensions that emerge from this, to be empirically tested and applied in other geographical contexts. The research problem being addressed is: What characterises third-mission engagement in the transition from regional college to a full-fledged university? The findings are of relevance t…
Field analysis of industrial development in a peripheral region of Norway
The paper explores how industrial development can occur in a peripheral region through the gradual development of strategic coherence between organisations, materiality, and agency. In a longitudinal case study of how the mechatronics industry became a main area for regional development spanning 50 years in the region of Agder in Norway, the authors have followed how national and regional innmovation policies, individual actors, and organisational strategies eventually flow together and influence organisations and firms to collaborate towards new and shared aims. In the paper, the authors perform field theory analysis, with emphasis on the significance of the development of reciprocal relat…
Regional leadership: a systemic view
Published version of an article in the journal: Systemic Practice and Action Research. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11213-012-9268-2 New innovation and industrial policies contribute to the development of an informal economy and have increased collaborative processes across sectors and social spheres within regions. This paper addresses the role of regional leadership in the informal economy. By themselves, network processes increase complexity and create a series of uncertainties that differ from processes that are steered through the hierarchical procedures of public bureaucracy or regulated through the judicial and competitive mechanisms of the market.…