Explaining the Reactions of Swiss Municipalities to The 'Amalgamation Wave': At the crossroad of institutional, economic and political pressures

Public sector organizations are simultaneously subject to three types of environmental pressure: institutional, economic and political. How do these pressures influence the strategic behaviour of public organizations when confronted with efficiency-oriented reforms? We focus on the strategic behaviour of Swiss municipalities facing the amalgamation wave: a reform characterized by a strong economic rationale. Results confirm that the success of reforms depends not only on its matching with economic underpinnings. It is also necessary to take the political leadership and the responsibility of reform implementation. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC