Sustainability in administrative action
Sustainable action is a key issue of our time, not least in view of climate change, and is demanded and promoted by various social and political actors. Public administration must also integrate the principle of sustainability into its actions. In addition to taking ecological, economic, and social aspects into account, sustainable action must also consider the interests of current and future generations. Sustainable administrative action plays a role in various areas. The spectrum ranges from the “green” procurement of environmentally friendly products, e.g., green IT, the generation of energy using renewable energy sources, the planning of climate-neutral public buildings, the organization of mobility, to municipal care planning or sustainable investments, for example, in healthcare (“green/blue hospital,” etc.). Although numerous administrative law regulations establish sustainability as a criterion to be taken into account, it still does not receive the attention it deserves in administrative action. This is partly due to the complexity of the concept of sustainability, but also to the need to weigh it against other concerns such as economic efficiency. A concept of sustainability to be developed within the framework of good administration must therefore go beyond legislation and involve all stakeholders in the analysis.
Doctoral project
The doctoral project addresses the questions of what factors have so far prevented the implementation of sustainability in administrative action, what degree of sustainability is possible when weighing up conflicting interests, and what scope for action the administration has in this regard. Ultimately, the aim is to develop strategies and control instruments that can achieve the goal of sustainability in public administration.
Doctoral researcher: Dr. Charlotte Krause
Mentors: Prof. Dr. Gerald G. Sander (Public Law), Prof. Dr. Frank Brettschneider (Communication Science), Prof. Dr. Birgit Schenk (Organizational Management and Administrative Informatics), Prof. Dr. Felix Hammer (Law)
Citizen participation and administrative action
Sustainable, socially viable solutions – such as in construction and infrastructure projects, as well as in the development of municipal sustainability or digitalization strategies – require a well-organized trilogue between politics, public administration, and citizens. Communication and dialog-oriented formats of citizen participation can play an important role in preparing decisions. Public administration is often responsible not only for preparing and conducting these participatory processes, but also for processing and integrating their results. In this context, structures, cultures, actors, and project characteristics all play a role.
Doctoral project
The doctoral project aims to describe and explain the decisions made before and during the implementation of participation and/or the emergence of a “participatory footprint” in administrative action.
Doctoral researcher: Lukas Keßler-Steiert
Mentors: Prof. Dr. Frank Brettschneider (Communication Studies), Prof. Dr. Volker M. Haug (Public Law), Prof. Dr. Angelika Vetter (Political Science)
Social twin transition – social sustainability of AI implementation in public administration
The “twin transition” refers to the simultaneous transformation toward a digital and sustainable society. It emphasizes that technological innovation (e.g., digitalization) and social as well as environmental sustainability must be designed together. For public administration, this means that digitalization is essential to accelerate processes, conserve resources, and improve services for citizens. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the effects of this transformation on public-sector employees are taken into account, particularly with regard to working conditions, as they are the ones who must carry and implement digital transformations in everyday practice. Only if social sustainability and digitalization are considered jointly can the transformation succeed optimally.
Doctoral project
The planned doctoral project uses empirical quantitative methods to examine how psychological factors—such as the experience of psychological safety, and other indicators of perceived social sustainability in the workplace—are influenced by the implementation of digital tools in public administration. Workplace-related contextual factors, such as support from supervisors, are also taken into account. The aim is to analyze to what extent these contextual conditions moderate the relationship between the introduction of digital technologies and perceived social sustainability. The findings are intended to contribute to the socially responsible (i.e., socially sustainable) design of digitalization processes in public administration.
Doctoral researcher: Nicolas Neef
Mentors: Prof. Dr. Siegmar Otto (Psychology), Prof. Dr. Birgit Schenk (Organizational Management), Prof. Dr. Bernhard Boockmann (Economics)