Johan Peder Olsen (born August 14, 1939) is a Norwegian
political scientist
Political science is the science, scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of politics, political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated c ...
, and professor emeritus in political science at the
University of Bergen
The University of Bergen ( no, Universitetet i Bergen, ) is a research-intensive state university located in Bergen, Norway. As of 2019, the university has over 4,000 employees and 18,000 students. It was established by an act of parliament in 194 ...
, known for his work on
new institutionalism
New institutionalism (also referred to as neo-institutionalist theory or institutionalism) is an approach to the study of institutions that focuses on the constraining and enabling effects of formal and informal rules on the behavior of individuals ...
.
Life and work
Olsen obtained his MA in political science, with a minor in economics and political history, at the University of Oslo in 1967. In 1971 he obtained his PhD at the
University of Bergen
The University of Bergen ( no, Universitetet i Bergen, ) is a research-intensive state university located in Bergen, Norway. As of 2019, the university has over 4,000 employees and 18,000 students. It was established by an act of parliament in 194 ...
. He obtained an honorary doctorate from the Åbo Akademi, Finland in, 1988, and from the University of Copenhagen in 1990.
Olsen has started his career as journalist and reporter for various Norwegian newspapers from 1958 to 1963. He started his academic career as research assistant at the Institute of Political Science of the University of Oslo in 1965. In 1969 he was appointed assistant professor at the Institute of Sociology of the University of Bergen, in 1970 associate professor, and in 1973 professor in public administration and organization theory until 1993.
Olsen was also member of the Norwegian Research Council, and a member of the
Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters ( no, Det Norske Videnskaps-Akademi, DNVA) is a learned society based in Oslo, Norway. Its purpose is to support the advancement of science and scholarship in Norway.
History
The Royal Frederick Univer ...
. He established ARENA (Advanced Research on the Europeanization of the Nation State) in 1994. He was research director at ARENA for many years, and is now.
Olsen is one of the developers of the systemic-anarchic perspective of organizational decision-making known as the
Garbage Can Model.
In 2015, Olsen was elected as a fellow of the
National Academy of Public Administration.
Selected publications
Books
*
March, James G. and Johan P. Olsen, (eds.). ''Ambiguity and Choice in Organizations'', Bergen Universitetsforlaget, 1976.
*
March, James G. & Johan P. Olsen. ''Rediscovering Institutions: The Organizational Basis of Politics''. New York: The Free Press, 1989
*
Brunsson, Nils
Nils Gustav Magnus Brunsson (born 1946) is a Swedish organizational theorist and Professor in Management at Uppsala University. He is most known for his works in the field of new institutionalism, such as "The organization of hypocrisy" (1989), " ...
& Johan P. Olsen. ''The Reforming Organization''. London: Routledge, 1993.
*
March, James G. & Johan P. Olsen. ''Democratic Governance''. New York: The Free Press, 1995.
*
Brunsson, Nils
Nils Gustav Magnus Brunsson (born 1946) is a Swedish organizational theorist and Professor in Management at Uppsala University. He is most known for his works in the field of new institutionalism, such as "The organization of hypocrisy" (1989), " ...
& Johan P. Olsen (eds.). ''Organizing Organizations''. Bergen-Sandviken, Norway:
Fagbokförlaget, 1998.
Articles
*
Cohen, Michael D.,
James G. March
James Gardner March (January 15, 1928 – September 27, 2018) was an American political scientist, sociologist, and economist. A professor at Stanford University in the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Stanford Graduate School of Educat ...
, and Johan P. Olsen
A Garbage Can Model of Organizational Choice. ''
Administrative Science Quarterly
''Administrative Science Quarterly'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering the field of organizational studies. The journal was established in 1956 and is published by SAGE Publications for the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Manage ...
'', 17 (l) (1972): p. 1-25
* March, James G., and Johan P. Olsen.
The new institutionalism: organizational factors in political life" ''American Political Science Review'', 7 (3) (1983): 734-749.
References
External links
Johan P. Olsen CV
{{DEFAULTSORT:Olsen, Johan
1939 births
Living people
Norwegian business theorists
Norwegian political scientists
Public administration scholars
Members of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
Foreign associates of the National Academy of Sciences