Regulatiivinen pilari hallinnon institutionaalisessa muutoksessa: Tapaustutkimus Suomen ortodoksisen kirkon työsuhdekäytännöistä

The purpose of this article is to advance empiri-cally grounded understanding about the institu-tional change of Finnish public administration. The review focuses on the employment practic-es, employing Scott’s institutional theory of the three institutional pillars, and highlighting the role of the regulative element. The subject of the case study is the Finnish Orthodox Church, which operates as a public entity, and which in 2006 transferred from the civil servant sys-tem to an employment contract-based system. Longitudinal case analysis demonstrates how the meaning of employment practices gradually shifts from new public management emphases, first towards emphasis on professional norms, and finally towards a preoccupation with the principles of regulatory and legal appropriate-ness. The case study shows how the legal and regulatory aspects of employment can become a leading issue in determining the legitimacy of a public sector organization. Implications for further study on institutional change and em-ployment practices are discussed.