Research focus areas

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Our research focuses primarily on the conditions, processes and effects of change in public administration. We investigate how administrative actors think, decide and act on an individual and interactive level - embedded in institutional and organizational contexts.

The focus is on employees, managers and teams in public organizations - especially in state and municipal administrations, but also in other areas of the public sector. We are interested in their perceptions, motivations, decision-making logics and patterns of action in everyday administrative activities. We work in an interdisciplinary manner and use experimental, quantitative and qualitative methods to capture complex processes in a differentiated way.

The aim of our research is to gain a deeper understanding of how changes in administration actually take place - for example in the course of digitalization, social expectations of participation, sustainability and transparency. This knowledge should not only be scientifically sound, but also relevant to practice and play a constructive role in shaping the discourse on contemporary administration.

Our research examines how societal and technological change transforms public organizations. At the core is the question of how administrative actors — particularly in professional and hybrid roles — perceive, shape, and manage transformation processes in their everyday work. We place special emphasis on the role of change agents, trust in new technologies, and the evolution of professional identities within a digital administration context.

In addition, we consider the perspective of citizens: How does their relationship with the state change through digital services? What expectations do they have of digital administration, and how can forms of digital participation and co-creation be promoted?

Examples of work on this topic include:

A key focus of our research is the handling of errors, uncertainty, and risk in the public sector. We examine how administrations can act experimentally and in a learning-oriented way under conditions of crises, technological change, and societal pressure. We are interested both in organizational cultures of error and risk tolerance and in the societal conditions that either foster or hinder a willingness to innovate.

Our research centers on questions such as: What role do error culture and risk appetite play in the introduction of new technologies in public administration? How do citizens respond to administrative experiments and uncertainty? And how can public administration find ways to act in an innovation-friendly yet responsible manner?

Examples of work on this topic include:

Cooperation is a key element for the performance and resilience of public organizations - especially in times of limited resources and growing demands. Our research focuses on forms of inter-organizational cooperation in the public sector, for example through shared infrastructures, shared resources or cross-institutional governance. We are particularly interested in the concept of resource pooling and its potential for efficiency, innovation and digital transformation.

At the micro and meso level, we also look at how collaboration can succeed under changing framework conditions. The focus is on topics such as shared leadership, collaborative working and the role of employee participation in change processes.

Exemplary work on this topic:

Our research examines how public administration affects society and democracy. We focus on how citizens experience public administration in their daily lives and how administrative decisions, procedures, and interactions shape their perceptions of the state, trust, and democratic legitimacy. In this context, we view public administration as an independent and actively influential component of democratic governance.

We place particular emphasis on the question of how public administration can contribute to democratic resilience. We examine the conditions under which public administration strengthens trust in state institutions, enables civic participation, and supports citizens’ ability to cope with uncertainty, conflict, and social change. We are particularly interested in the quality of administrative services, the transparency and clarity of government communication, and people’s experiences with administrative procedures and bureaucratic requirements.

Furthermore, we examine the role and significance of bureaucracy in democracy. We investigate how the understanding of bureaucracy changes under shifting social conditions and how bureaucracy is negotiated between necessary institutional order, the state’s capacity to act, and perceived overregulation. We are also interested in how notions of bureaucracy and public administration emerge in public discourse and what significance they hold for the perception and legitimacy of government institutions.

Examples of work on this topic: