Rethinking Public Governance: A Qualitative Study on the Meanings, Practices, and Challenges of Contemporary Governance
Abstract
The transformation of contemporary public governance reflects a significant shift from traditional public administration toward more collaborative, participatory, and network-based approaches. Increasing institutional complexity, fragmented authority, and growing demands for transparency and accountability have prompted a rethinking of governance concepts and practices. This study aims to explore the meanings, practices, and challenges of public governance as perceived and experienced by key actors involved in governance processes. Adopting an interpretive qualitative approach with a multi-site case study design, the research draws on semi-structured interviews, policy and legal document analysis, and observations of governance practices across diverse institutional contexts. The findings reveal that public governance is understood in multiple and often contested ways, highlighting tensions among managerial, legal, and participatory dimensions. Governance practices frequently diverge from formal institutional designs, shaped by power relations, informal interactions, and varying actor capacities. Moreover, contemporary governance faces persistent challenges, including authority fragmentation, transparency deficits, and governance fatigue, which collectively undermine policy effectiveness and public legitimacy. This study contributes to governance scholarship by emphasizing the need for context-sensitive and adaptive governance frameworks and offers policy implications for strengthening legal and policy arrangements that support more inclusive, accountable, and sustainable public governance.
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