Implementation and effects of user participation in playground management : a comparative study of two Swedish municipalities

Abstract

This paper describes and analyses how customer orientation strategies, with the focus on user participation, are implemented in playground management and their effects on managers' attitudes and work with physical playgrounds. A comparative case study was conducted in two Swedish municipalities that involve users in different ways: through a manager-driven participation process and through informal user-initiated dialogue. The empirical material consisted of qualitative interviews with professionals in the management organisations and studies of local playgrounds. Implementation of strategies for user participation and tactical management activities appeared to be of importance. The manager-driven participation strategy was associated with a particularly positive attitude among managers, but also difficulties such as maintaining continuous dialogue with users. The small differences found in playground provision between the two municipalities give reason to question the physical effects of participation processes, and show the need for further research

Keywords

strategy implementation; customer orientation; playgrounds; public sector management; user participation

Published in

Managing Leisure
2012, volume: 17, number: 1, pages: 1-13
Publisher: Routledge

SLU Authors

• Jansson, Märit

  • Department of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Social Sciences
Landscape Architecture
Economics and Business

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13606719.2011.638204

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/37909