Boundary-spanning Management

Important results from the project

In this project, we investigate how the increased need for boundary-spanning work affects leadership in the form of changed demands on how the role of leader is practiced and how operations are structured and managed

Expected long term effects

The results of the project are increased knowledge of boundaryspanning leadership in practice and how such leadership can be developed and aspired to. Previous research has not dealt with the conditions and forms of boundary-spanning leadership to any great extent.

Approach and implementation

Within the framework of the project, managers from different levels and functions take part. On the managerial level of the district, there are a number of line managers such as district managers, managers of individual and family care, training managers (top management). The administrative and financial function is led by a financial manager. There are operational managers in the form of principals and those responsible for school health services and there are support efforts in the form of resource teams as well as departmental managers in individual and family care and recreational activities (middle management). These managers will meet at work meetings and experience seminars on their own managerial level and between levels in order to build structures in the form of boundary-spanning management teams, steering groups, and support functions which reinforce and stimulate the boundary-spanning work occurring between staff within social services, recreational activities, compulsory school (years 69) and child and adolescent psychiatry (floor management). Work meetings with managers at which problems and opportunities are discussed will periodically be conducted in order to support progress in this work. These work meetings have the primary purpose of supporting the concrete work of developing forms of reinforcing and stimulating the boundary-spanning work that is underway and under development within the organisations. The researchers role is to act as a sounding board, offer process support, and, in some cases, come up with ideas or present theoretical frames of reference.