Johan Olsen

Johan Peder Olsen (born August 14, 1939) is a Norwegian political scientist, and Professor Emeritus in Political Science at the University of Bergen, known for his work on new institutionalism.

Olsen obtained his MA om Political Science, with a minor in economics and political history, at the University of Oslo in l967. In 1971 he obtained his PhD at the University of Bergen. He obtained an Honorary Doctorate from the Åbo Akademi, Finland in, 1988, and from the University of Copenhagen in 1990.

Olsen has started his career as journalist and reporter for various Norwegian newspapers from l958 to 1963. He started his academic career as research assistant at the Institute of Political Science of the University of Oslo in l965. In 1969 he was appointed Assistant professor at the Institute of Sociology of the University of Bergen, in 1970 Associate professor, and in 1973 Professor in Public Administration and Organization Theory until 1993.

Olsen was also member of the Norwegian Research Council, and a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.He established ARENA (Advanced Research on the Europeanization of the Nation State) in 1994. He was Research Director at ARENA for many years, and is now .

Olsen is one of the developers of the systemic-anarchic perspective of organizational decision-making known as the Garbage Can Model.

• James G. March and J. P. Olsen, (eds.). Ambiguity and Choice in Organizations, Bergen Universitetsforlaget, 1976.
• Brunsson, Nils & Johan P. Olsen (eds.). Organizing organizations. Bergen-Sandviken, Norway: Fagbokförlaget, 1998.
• March, James G. & Johan P. Olsen. Democratic Governance. New York: The Free Press, 1995.
• Brunsson, Nils & Johan P. Olsen. The reforming organization. London & New York :: Routledge, 1993.
• March, James G. & Johan P. Olsen. Rediscovering Institutions. The Organizational Basis of Politics. New York: The Free Press. 1989

Articles, a selection

• Olsen, Johann P.; Michael D. Cohen, and James G. March, "A Garbage Can Model of Organizational Choice". Administrative Science Quarterly (l) 1972. p. 1-25
• March, James G., and Johan P. Olsen. "The new institutionalism: organizational factors in political life." American political science review 78.03 (1983): 734-749.