In the eye of the storm? Mapping out a story of principals’ decision-making in an era of decentralisation and re-centralisation

ABSTRACT The aim of this article is to explore how Swedish principals experienced the decentralisation and re-centralisation reforms and how they affected principals’ autonomy and decision-making capacity. Data were obtained from three surveys of Swedish principals, carried out in 2005, 2012 and 2019. The results show that principals experienced a high degree of autonomy in their decision-making in 2005 and 2012 and also a balanced control from state and municipalities. At the time of the third study in 2019, principals continue to express a rather high degree of autonomy, but this autonomy is now combined with an increased degree of control. However, given the high degree of autonomy, in combination with low degree of conflicts between different stakeholders, the article concludes that the expression ‘in the eye of the storm there is calm’ appears to suit Swedish principals’ decision-making, at least, in the development of decentralisation and re-centralisation.