Examining the Covid 19 driven changes in public administration and their longevity: the case of Czechia

Although some literature mapping Covid 19 induced changes in public administration is available, few authors have focused on the longevity of these changes, i.e. whether the changes were temporary or continued after the pandemic and why. In this article, the authors explore what Covid 19 induced changes were made in three Czech ministries and two national agencies, if they have endured and what has determined their longevity. The selection of these organization types was deliberate, with the expectation that ministries would be more bureaucratic and agencies more flexible. To identify specific determinants/factors, the authors used individual elements included in the organizational model of Nograšek and Vintar (Citation2014), which views an organization as a system composed of ‘people’, ‘structure’, ‘processes’, and ‘culture’ interconnected by the element of ‘technology’. The data obtained through 33 semi-structured interviews indicate that the main intra-organizational factors driving the changes and their longevity are related to people and culture.