Tjänstemännens offentliga etos i skolans värld: En kvalitativ studie om rektorers förhållande till huvudmannen

Sammanfattning: The relationship between politicians and public servants constitutes a key area of interest within the study of public policy. Earlier theories considering how to interpret public servants' role in public administration are predominantly applicable to public servants working closely with citizens. Therefore, when considering the role high public servants play both within public administration and in politics, new theories are of interest. This study aims to fill the gap of earlier research by developing a new theory on the principal's function in public administration and their role in politics. It asks: Why do principals choose not to follow the directives of head authorities? Building on existing theories on the dynamics of public administration and politics, qualitative structured interviews were conducted with principals working in different municipalities in Sweden. Analyses of the interviews demonstrated that principals take on great responsibilities for their respective agency, and that they are relatively free from audit and supervision in their profession. The results indicate that the factors that influence the way in which principals implement directives of head authorities depends primarily on both their moral values and on their stereotypical role as a public servant. Further research is needed to empirically strengthen the validity of the presented theory.