Purpose

This article investigates the practical implementation of the ecosystem approach in different branches of public management within an urban context. It explores how ecosystem thinking is introduced, disseminated and applied in a local government organization.

Design/methodology/approach

We utilize a qualitative case study methodology, relying on official documents and expert interviews. Our study focuses on the city of Espoo, Finland, which has actively embraced ecosystem thinking as a fundamental framework for its organizational development for almost a decade.

Findings

The case of Espoo highlights elements that have not been commonly attributed to the ecosystem approach in the public sector. These elements include (1) the significance of complementary services, (2) the existence of both collaborative and competitive relationships among actors in public service ecosystems and (3) the utilization of digital platforms for resource orchestration. Our study also emphasizes the need for an incremental adoption of ecosystem thinking in organizational contexts to enable its successful implementation.

Originality/value

The study provides valuable insights into the introduction and dissemination of ecosystem thinking in public management. It also further develops previously developed hypotheses regarding public service ecosystems.

中文翻译：

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公共管理中的生态系统方法：埃斯波市的见解

目的

本文研究了生态系统方法在城市环境下公共管理不同部门的实际实施。它探讨了生态系统思维如何在地方政府组织中引入、传播和应用。

设计/方法论/途径

我们采用定性案例研究方法，依靠官方文件和专家访谈。我们的研究重点是芬兰埃斯波市，近十年来，该市一直积极将生态系统思维作为其组织发展的基本框架。

发现

埃斯波的案例凸显了公共部门生态系统方法中不常见的因素。这些要素包括（1）互补服务的重要性，（2）公共服务生态系统中参与者之间存在协作和竞争关系，以及（3）利用数字平台进行资源编排。我们的研究还强调需要在组织环境中逐步采用生态系统思维，以使其成功实施。

原创性/价值

该研究为公共管理中生态系统思维的引入和传播提供了宝贵的见解。它还进一步发展了先前提出的有关公共服务生态系统的假设。