Navigating the aftermath : evaluating COVID-19’s lasting effects – multiple case studies from Slovenian public administration

Vrbek, Sanja (avtor), Jukić, Tina (avtor)

Purpose – The paper adopts a holistic approach to studying the scale and scope of organisational change resulting from the COVID-19 crisis within the Slovenian public administration. It aims to go beyond the relatively narrow research focus of existing literature, which is confined to short-term responses to the crisis affecting specific organisational aspects of public administration. Design/methodology/approach – Theoretically underpinned by Nograšek and Vintar’s (2014) upgrade of Leavitt’s diamond model, the paper employs a multi-case study design to explore the long-term implications of COVID-19-induced changes within the Slovenian public administration. Findings – The findings reveal an uneven impact of the COVID-19 crisis across Slovenian state administration organisations in terms of the scale and scope of changes, noting that the two key long-term changes – telework and new digital communication channels – have not become equivalent alternatives to traditional work and communication methods. Moreover, the paper identifies changes within the element “people” as the primary disruptors of organisational equilibrium, triggering a ripple effect of changes within other organisational elements. Originality/value – The paper debunks the myth about the “radical” impact of COVID-19 by concluding that long-term changes have not altered the essence of (Slovenian) public organisations, characterised as traditional public administration. Theoretically, it demonstrates the need for a new adaptation of Leavitt’s diamond model to explain organisational changes in turbulent/crisis times.

• Jezik: Angleški jezik
• Ključne besede: COVID-19, organisational change, digital transformation, public administration, Leavitt’s diamond model, Slovenia
• Vrsta gradiva: Članek v reviji
• Tipologija: 1.01 - Izvirni znanstveni članek
• Organizacija: FU - Fakulteta za upravo
• Status publikacije: Objavljeno
• Različica publikacije: Objavljena publikacija
• Leto izida: 2026
• Št. strani: Str. 25-44
• Številčenje: Vol. 39, no. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-177839
• UDK: 35:004:005(494.4)
• ISSN pri članku: 1758-6666
• DOI: 10.1108/IJPSM-05-2024-0136
• COBISS.SI-ID: 223985155
• Datum objave v RUL: 09.01.2026

Gradivo je del revije

• Naslov: International journal of public sector management
• Skrajšan naslov: Int. j. public sect. manag.
• Založnik: Emerald
• ISSN: 1758-6666
• COBISS.SI-ID: 188748035

Licence

• Licenca: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Priznanje avtorstva 4.0 Mednarodna
• Povezava: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.sl
• Opis: To je standardna licenca Creative Commons, ki daje uporabnikom največ možnosti za nadaljnjo uporabo dela, pri čemer morajo navesti avtorja.

Sekundarni jezik

• Jezik: Slovenski jezik
• Ključne besede: koronavirus, organizacijske spremembe, digitalna transformacija, javna uprava, Leavittov diamantni model, Slovenija

Projekti

• Financer: ARIS - Javna agencija za znanstvenoraziskovalno in inovacijsko dejavnost Republike Slovenije
• Številka projekta: P5-0093
• Naslov: Razvoj sistema učinkovite in uspešne javne uprave

• Financer: ARIS - Javna agencija za znanstvenoraziskovalno in inovacijsko dejavnost Republike Slovenije
• Številka projekta: J5-3105
• Naslov: Vplivi COVIDA-19 na organizacijske spremembe in digitalizacijo v javni upravi