MMTC research examines the role of first-line managers in Swedish social services

First-line managers occupy an important position in social services, translating policy and organisational priorities into everyday practice while balancing legal requirements, financial and staffing constraints, employee needs and responsiveness to service users. The study examines this role in the context of New Public Management, where expectations around efficiency, performance measurement and accountability exist alongside the relational and professional values of social work.

Based on interviews with 18 senior managers and an analysis of internal organisational documents from a large Swedish municipality, the researchers identify two interconnected processes through which the first-line manager role is shaped: amplification and standardization.

Amplification describes how senior managers emphasise and justify the importance of first-line management, connecting effective leadership with issues such as staff well-being, staff retention, organisational performance and the quality of services provided to citizens. Standardization describes how these ideas are translated into concrete organisational structures and tools, including common role descriptions, onboarding materials and follow-up routines.

Importantly, the study shows that standardization does not simply mean prioritising managerial control. The role expectations examined in the research combine requirements relating to efficiency, budgets, compliance and systematic follow-up with professional priorities such as trust-based leadership, healthy working environments, staff development and quality of care.

Beyond its theoretical contribution, the study offers several considerations for organisations seeking to strengthen first-line management. The findings suggest that formal tools such as role descriptions can be more effective when underpinned by a shared understanding of what the managerial role is intended to accomplish, encompassing both operational reliability and client-centred quality. Involving managers and practitioners in interpreting role expectations can also help maintain their relevance across different organisational contexts.

The research further highlights the value of combining clear baseline expectations with room for local adaptation. In social services, this can help organisations maintain coherence and accountability while preserving the professional judgement needed to respond to different service areas and client needs. The organisation studied also used approaches including structured onboarding, mentorship and collegial supervision to support first-line managers and create opportunities for shared learning.

These insights extend beyond the immediate social services setting and connect with MMTC’s research on leadership and organisational transformation. The study illustrates how organisational change involves not only strategies and formal structures, but also how organisational priorities are interpreted, communicated and translated into everyday roles and practices. In doing so, it contributes to understanding how organisations can navigate competing managerial and professional demands while developing leadership structures that remain responsive to their organisational context.