“Samskaping” i norsk offentlig sektor: Endringer, opportunisme eller symbolpolitikk?

Abstract

The Norwegian word for co-creation, “samskaping”, is a new-constructed word that during the last 5 years has become a key concept in the public sector. How to understand this conceptual change? By leaning on theories about organizational diffusion and translation, the article explores to what extent we are witnessing a real versus more symbolic change. The article analyses the spread of co-creation based in web-searches in Norwegian public websites. The analysis shows that while “samskaping” at the national level mostly relates to welfare services (elderly care), the local level displays a more mixed picture where “samskaping” also relates to regional and local development. Relating to translation theory, this preliminary analysis indicates that the drive towards co-creation is propelled by a mixture of different motivations, spanning from more interaction with citizens, opportunistic use of co-creation, and more symbolic functions.