Purpose
The study investigates how local governance mechanisms affect quality development among private kindergarten providers in Norway. It explores the role of municipally-led quality and competence-developing networks (QCDNs) as arenas where local authorities and private providers interact. The study seeks to highlight how different forms of isomorphic pressure – coercive, normative, and mimetic – contribute to shaping practices and strategies in the kindergarten sector. The research question is: How do municipally-led quality and competence-developing networks affect private kindergarten providers’ strategies for quality development, and what mechanisms help create isomorphic pressure in the sector?
Result
The study finds that QCDNs play a crucial role in unifying practices across the public and private sectors. Municipal networks help reduce variation in quality among providers through guidance, resource sharing and professional collaboration Small private actors more easily adapt to municipal expectations to gain access to support, while larger chains often use the networks to advocate for stricter national standards. The study concludes that isomorphic pressure within the networks both integrates and homogenises practices while also allowing for institutional changes at the national level.
Design
The data were collected through in-depth interviews with 18 key informants, including municipal employees in the kindergarten sector and representatives of various private providers. The analysis was based on neoinstitutional theory. In the study, the researchers investigate the interaction between governance strategies and isomorphic pressures, focusing on how quality and practice are developed in local networks.
References
Haugset, A. S., & Finne, H. (2024). Governing early childhood education and care quality development among diverse private ECEC providers in Norway. Education Inquiry, 15(1), 85–103.
Online year: 2023
Issue year: 2024
Review year: 2023