“My Identity is as a Professional Leader”; The Practice of Leadership of Child Welfare Managers in Norway

Abstract

This article explores how leadership in child welfare is practised in a context with co-existing institutional logic. The article is based on a qualitative design using document analyses and semi-structured interviews. The document analysis is based on seven documents and interviews with 20 child welfare managers (CWM). The data indicate that CWMs practice leadership in line with professional logic, and let professional logic be decisive for managerial assessments. They relate to the managerial logic governing national expectations, but only when necessary. The managerial logic is strengthened in the ongoing child welfare reform in Norway. The CWMs’ leadership practice does not seem to contribute to the expected professionalisation of leadership because of a gap between the local context, where the professional work takes place, and the national context, where expectations appear. We contribute to the child welfare management literature by providing insights and knowledge about how CWMs relate to and respond to co-existing institutional logic because of reforms. We also contribute to the institutional logic literature by identifying how CWMs respond to the strengthening of managerial logic through reforms. A practical implication of this study is to provide insights and knowledge for policymakers and other actors in close contact with child welfare services.