Innovative Public Governance. The Finnish Welfare State Model

Abstract

Background: The rationality of developing citizen-friendly solutions is demonstrated by the state helping citizens, Finland has own pattern of public governance based inter alia on the ideals of New Public Management. As a peripheral country quite remote from the largest European centres of power such as Germany or France, it represents unique way of innovation in the welfare state model.
 Research objectives: The paper discusses the specifics of Finnish solutions in the field of public management. The present analysis was carried out based on the dependence of those solutions on cultural conditions.
 Research design and methods: The choice of Finland is justified by its leading position in various world rankings regarding its commitment to traditional regional values related to open public administration, the transparency of its operations, and public participation in governance processes, the social welfare state. The study uses secondary sources and applies systematic analysis.
 Results: Finland is seen as a latecomer in developing a welfare state, in part because of its rural and agrarian social structure. This process was strengthened by Finland’s special position between East and West during the Cold War.
 Conclusions: Finnish administrative culture stems directly from the innovative forms of public management developed among the Nordic countries. Finland is a model example of a country exhibiting rational, knowledge-driven progress and maintaining simplicity in developing citizen-friendly solutions