Subversive Action in Context

Abstract

This chapter discusses what contexts tend to give rise to subversive action. The main conclusion is that subversion is a fairly common phenomenon `under the surface' in the daily life of public organizations: on different levels of organization, in different policy areas, and among various policy actors. However, we can expect subversive actions to be particularly likely and important in institutional contexts where value dilemmas and conflicts are sharp and difficult to handle and in those instances we can also expect subversive action from the outside of organizations. In cases with difficult value dilemmas and conflicts, subversive action will likely continue over time, while in other cases where strong value conflicts are temporary, we can expect subversive actions to decline more or less.