Photo: Laura Tammisto
How do performance governance and culture influence each other in public administration? In his doctoral dissertation, Master of Administrative Sciences Mika Luhtala focuses on two key areas: the organization of infrastructure services and the management of local government sustainability. The research shows that culture conditions performance governance, but performance governance also shapes culture – particularly through performance metrics and the behavioral effects of measurement. “Performance governance is not a neutral tool—it shapes organizational culture and can steer behavior in ways we do not always anticipate. The stronger the steering, the greater the risk of unintended behavioral consequences. That is why values and multi-actor collaboration must be at the heart of its design and implementation,” Luhtala emphasizes.
M.Sc. (Admin) Mika Luhtala's doctoral dissertation, in the field of Administrative Sciences, titled Shaping Culture through Performance Governance: Studies on infrastructure service delivery and local government sustainability will be publicly examined at the Faculty of Management and Business at Tampere University on Friday 30 January 2026.
The Opponent will be Professor Wouter Van Dooren from University of Antwerp, Belgium. The Custos will be Professor Jarmo Vakkuri from the Faculty of Management and Business, Tampere University.