15 April 2025

To understand how governance and leadership functioned in Nordic municipalities during the pandemic, a research team at Linköping University has been involved in examining the management of the pandemic in Sweden and other Nordic countries. The results are summarised in the book Crisis Management, Governance and COVID-19, offering insights for future crises.

People with face masks
The pandemic accelerated the digitalisation of communication and governance platforms. Elin Wihlborg and her colleagues have investigated how digitalisation has impacted meeting structures, decision-making, and information dissemination at the local level. Photographer: Magnus Johansson

The book focuses on how municipal leaders, politicians, and civil servants managed the pandemic. Through a survey study, leaders at various levels of local government, from municipal council chairs to managers in elderly care and childcare, shared their perspectives on how restrictions and decisions were communicated and implemented. The book not only provides insights into how the pandemic was managed but also offers lessons on how society can better prepare for future challenges.

At Linköping University, Elin Wihlborg, Professor in Political Science, led the Swedish part of the study together with Carl-Johan Sommar, Fredrik Garcia, and Johan Nordensvärd. Several students also contributed to the project.

The rise of digitalisation

woman in front om bookshelf
Elin Wihlborg, Professor in Political Science at Linköping University.Photographer: David Brohede
The pandemic accelerated the digitalisation of communication and governance platforms. Elin Wihlborg and her colleagues have investigated how digitalisation has impacted meeting structures, decision-making, and information dissemination at the local level. A key insight is that digital competence became crucial for municipalities' crisis management. Managers were forced to quickly develop new digital solutions to coordinate actions, requiring flexibility and adaptation. At the same time, staff, users, and everyone else had to learn to use the technology to solve tasks together in new digital environments.

"The pandemic highlighted the need for increased digital competence, not only to manage the crisis but also to build a more resilient administration for future challenges," says Elin Wihlborg.

They are continuing their research on how digital transformation is reshaping society in RIDE – a research environment focusing on resilient institutions in a digital era.

A model for the future

An important lesson from the pandemic is how different governance models functioned. In Sweden, a model often described as "soft governance" was adopted, where trust in citizens and encouragement of voluntary measures took precedence over strict restrictions. This model has faced global criticism, but Elin Wihlborg argues that it proved successful in the long term.

"Working with soft governance mechanisms created systems that allowed us to adapt in various ways, which in turn enabled us to build resilience together for future challenges," says Elin Wihlborg. She also points out that societies that closed borders and imposed strict rules did not foster trust, nor did they build more sustainable crisis preparedness.

Open book, Crisis Management, Governance and COVID-19
The book is also a platform for further research. The research group is working on the project RIDE (Resilient Institutional Design), which investigates how societal institutions can become more resilient and adaptable in the face of future crises.

"The model of soft governance is based on trust and the belief that people are capable of making their own decisions. Despite a high mortality rate early on, it turned out that Sweden adapted better than countries with stricter governance and tougher rules."

In conclusion, Elin Wihlborg asserts that the pandemic has shown us that we need to rethink how we build societies and manage crises. For future crises, we need institutions that are open and adaptable, where a shared value system fosters cooperation and builds trust.

Contact

Read more about the project and participants

Organisation

Latest news from LiU

Honorary doctors celebrated their collaborations with LiU

Speaker of the Riksdag Andreas Norlén and Professor Angela Woods praised their collaborations with Linköping University when they were conferred honorary doctorates at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Jan-Ingvar Jönsson and Kristina Edlund on stage

The whole of Östergötland congratulates LiU on its 50th anniversary

When LiU turns 50, the whole county joins forces and gives a present of one Swedish krona per inhabitant. The money will be awarded to selected research projects with the aim of contributing to a better society.

People walking through a park

A festive day with royal splendour

Almost 50 years to the day since he inaugurated Linköping University, His Majesty The King returned to attend the festivities on Campus Valla. The day was filled with lectures, meetings, speeches and music.