Trust and Control within Governance

This illuminating book explores one of the central dilemmas of contemporary governance: how to build trust without losing accountability and control. Drawing on examples of Scandinavian governance, Bentzen and Johnsen evaluate the trust-control nexus in public organizations — and ask how far these models travel beyond the Nordic region. Bentzen and Johnsen offer key insight into how trust-based leadership plays out across multiple organizational levels — politicians, administrators and frontline leaders — and identify concrete pathways for a complementary interplay between trust and control. The book examines the paradoxes that emerge when trust and control are rebalanced and shows how organizational actors can cope constructively with these persistent tensions. Trust and Control within Governance is an essential read for students and scholars in governance, public administration, and public management. It is also highly relevant for policy-makers and practitioners specializing in trust reforms, leadership and change management in the public sector.