Translating trust as a magic concept in public sector reforms: A comparative study of the Danish and Swedish Trust reform

In response to growing criticism of new public management reforms, the
Nordic countries have introduced so-called trust reforms aimed at transforming
public sector management and leadership. There is, however, scarce
knowledge about the role of organizational concepts in national trust
reform and how they are translated, not least in a comparative perspective.
This study offers an in-depth analysis of how robustly “trust” as a concept
has been translated in Danish and Swedish public sector reforms. Drawing
on the literature on organizational translation, we use the translational diamond
as a theoretical framework for a comparative analysis based primarily
on document studies, triangulated with supplementary survey data and
interviews. Findings indicate that the Swedish reform has both a stronger
strategic and local anchoring as well as a more elaborate use of reflective
and experimental reform activities. However, the study also points to other
factors of importance to robust translations, such as long-term commitment
and political support.