Prof. Dr. Reto Steiner

Work at ZHAW

Position

Dean at ZHAW School of Management and Law, Member of the Executive Board and Head of Academic Affairs at ZHAW

Focus

Public Management, Digital Transformation, Artificial Intelligence in the Public Sector, Local and Regional Governance, Public Corporate Governance

Teaching

• University of Bern
• ETH Zurich

Experience

• Dean and Professor at ZHAW School of Management and Law
  ZHAW
  2017 - today
• Visiting Professor for Public Management
  University of Rome Tor Vergata (Italy)
  2020 - 2020
• Contract Professor for Strategic Management in the Public Sector
  Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Italy)
  2016 - 2018
• Founder and Managing Director
  Swiss Institute for Public Management
  2016 - 2017
• Member of the Management Board
  Center of Competence for Public Management at the University of Bern
  2002 - 2016
• Visiting Research Fellow
  Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore (NUS)
  2013 - 2013
• Visiting Research Fellow
  Department of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Hong Kong (SAR, China)
  2013 - 2013
• Visiting Professor for Business Administration in the Public Sector
  Vienna University of Economics and Business
  2008 - 2008

Education and Continuing education

Education

• Dr. rer. oec. / Management
  University of Bern
  1997 - 2002
• Mag. rer. pol. / Management
  University of Bern
  1991 - 1996

Network

Membership of networks

• Member of the Board of Governors of Beta Gamma Sigma. Representative of European Universities (USA)
• Chair of the Organizing Committee of the 44th Annual Colloquium of the European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS) in 2028
• Representative of Switzerland in the Group of Independent Experts on the European Charter of Local Self-Government at the Council of Europe (France)
• Member of the Scientific Board of the PhD Program in “Public Management and Governance” at the University of Rome Tor Vergata (Italy)
• Member of the commission "Education" of the chamber UAS of swissuniversities
• Chair of the Special Interest Group "Local Governance" of the International Research Society for Public Management (IRSPM)
• Member of the International Advisory Board of the Faculty of Business Administration at Prague University of Economics and Business (Czech Republic)
• Member of the International Advisory Board of the School of Business, Woxsen University (India)
• Member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the "International Journal of Public Sector Management"
• Member of the Advisory Board of the journal “Verwaltung & Management”
• European Academy of Management (EURAM) Conference Chair in 2022
• President of the Board at NMS Bern
• President of the Reformed Church Congregation of Langenthal

Social media

• Personal Website
• LinkedIn
• X

Projects

• The Relevance and Success of Co-Production in Local Governance / Team member / ongoing
• Digital Transformation at the Local Tier of Government in Europe: Dynamics and Effects from a Cross-Countries and Over-Time Comparative Perspective (DIGILOG) / Project leader / ongoing
• Data Monitoring Local Communities in Switzerland / Project leader / completed

Publications

• Ege, Jörn; Kaiser, Claire; Steiner, Reto,

  2025.

  Explaining patterns of co-creation in Swiss local governance.

  Public Management Review.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2025.2505149

• Machljankin, Jana; Neumann, Oliver; Steiner, Reto; Ege, Jörn,

  2024.

  Exploring the role of consulting in local government digital transformation.

  Public Money & Management.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2024.2414060

• Neumann, Oliver; Guirguis, Katharina; Steiner, Reto,

  2024.

  Exploring artificial intelligence adoption in public organizations : a comparative case study.

  Public Management Review.

  26(1), pp. 114-141.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2022.2048685

• Steiner, Reto; Notter, Marcel,

  2021.

  Verbreitung von Kirchgemeindefusionen in der Schweiz.

  Verwaltung & Management.

  27(2), pp. 51-58.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.5771/0947-9856-2021-2-51

• Eicher, Bernhard; Steiner, Reto,

  2020.

  Strategies as a basis for the development of hospital assets.

  Public Money & Management.

  40(1), pp. 21-30.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2019.1612204

• Steiner, Reto; Kaiser, Claire; Tapscott, Christopher; Navarro, Carmen,

  2018.

  Is local always better? Strengths and limitations of local governance for service delivery.

  International Journal of Public Sector Management.

  31(4), pp. 394-409.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-05-2018-226

• Bach, Tobias; van Thiel, Sandra; Hammerschmid, Gerhard; Steiner, Reto,

  2017.

  Administrative tradition and management reforms : a comparison of agency chief executive accountability in four continental Rechtsstaat countries.

  Public Management Review.

  19(6), pp. 765-784.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2016.1210205

• Steiner, Reto; Kaiser, Claire,

  2017.

  Effects of amalgamations : evidence from Swiss municipalities.

  Public Management Review.

  19(2), pp. 232-252.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2016.1153704

• Eicher, Bernhard; Steiner, Reto,

  2016.

  Realisierungsmodelle bei Krankenhausinvestitionen : Einflussfaktoren für deren Auswahl.

  Verwaltung & Management.

  22(6), pp. 315-321.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.5771/0947-9856-2016-6-315

• Steiner, Reto; Raess Brenner, Kathrin; Saxenhofer, Andrea,

  2015.

  Verbreitung und Effekte von Public-Corporate-Governance-Richtlinien am Beispiel der Schweizer Kantone.

  Verwaltung & Management.

  21(2), pp. 59-64.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.5771/0947-9856-2015-2-59

• Steiner, Reto; Raess Brenner, Kathrin; Saxenhofer, Andrea,

  2014.

  Effects of public corporate governance guidelines at the subnational level in Switzerland.

  Jahrbuch der Schweizerischen Verwaltungswissenschaften.

  pp. 139-161.

  Available from: http://www.sgvw.ch/wp-content/uploads/9_Steiner_Jahrbuch_2014.pdf

• Steiner, Reto; Kaiser, Claire,

  2013.

  Rolle der Kantone bei Gemeindefusionen in der Schweiz.

  Verwaltung & Management.

  19(3), pp. 144-149.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.5771/0947-9856-2013-3-144

• Steiner, Reto; Huber, Etienne,

  2012.

  Autonomy of the federal organizational units.

  Jahrbuch der Schweizerischen Verwaltungswissenschaften.

  pp. 141-160.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.5334/ssas.45

• Steiner, Reto; Ladner, Andreas; Kaiser, Claire; Haus, Alexander; Amsellem, Ada; Keuffer, Nicolas,

  2021.

  Zustand und Entwicklung der Schweizer Gemeinden : Ergebnisse des nationalen Gemeindemonitorings 2017.

  Glarus:

  Somedia Buchverlag.

  ISBN 978-3-7253-1072-2.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-3134

• Steiner, Reto; Ladner, Andreas; Reist, Pascal, eds.,

  2014.

  Reformen in Kantonen und Gemeinden.

  1. Auflage.

  Bern:

  Haupt.

  ISBN 978-3-258-07831-1.

• Geser, Hans; Meuli, Urs; Horber-Papazian, Katja; Ladner, Andreas; Steiner, Reto,

  2012.

  Les membres des exécutifs dans les communes suisses.

  Glarus:

  Rüegger.

  ISBN 978-3-7253-0982-5.

• Steiner, Reto; Ritz, Adrian, eds.,

  2012.

  Personal führen und Organisationen gestalten : Festschrift für Norbert Thom zur Emeritierung.

  Bern:

  Haupt.

  ISBN 978-3-258-07732-1.

• Kaiser, Claire; Steiner, Reto; Machljankin, Jana,

  2023.

  Corporatisation in Swiss local government.

  In:

  Van Genugten, Marieke; Voorn, Bart; Andrews, Rhys; Papenfuss, Ulf; Torsteinsen, Harald, eds.,

  Corporatisation in local government : context, evidence and perspectives from 19 countries.

  Cham:

  Palgrave Macmillan.

  pp. 221-242.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09982-3_10

• Steiner, Reto,

  2020.

  Territoriale Gliederung der Kantone.

  In:

  Diggelmann, Oliver; Hertig Randall, Maya; Schindler, Benjamin, eds.,

  Verfassungsrecht der Schweiz / Droit constitutionnel suisse (PrintPlu§) : Band I: Grundlagen Demokratie Föderalismus / Volume I: Fondements Démocratie Fédéralisme.

  Zürich:

  Schulthess.

  pp. 737-752.

• Steiner, Reto; Kaiser, Claire; Reichmuth, Lucas,

  2018.

  Consulting for the public sector in Europe.

  In:

  Ongaro, Edoardo; Van Thiel, Sandra, eds.,

  The Palgrave handbook of public administration and management in Europe.

  London:

  Palgrave Macmillan.

  pp. 475-495.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-55269-3_25

• Steiner, Reto; Kaiser, Claire,

  2018.

  Inter-municipal Cooperation in Switzerland.

  In:

  Teles, Filipe; Swianiewicz, Pawel, eds.,

  Inter-municipal cooperation in Europe : institutions and governance.

  Cham:

  Palgrave Macmillan.

  pp. 173-187.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62819-6_9

• Steiner, Reto; Kaiser, Claire,

  2017.

  Democracy and citizens' engagement.

  In:

  Klassen, Thomas R.; Cepiku, Denita; Lah, T. J., eds.,

  The Routledge handbook of global public policy and administration.

  London:

  Routledge.

  pp. 167-178.

  Routledge international handbooks.

• Steiner, Reto; Kaiser, Claire; Eythorsson, Gretar Thor,

  2016.

  A comparative analysis of amalgamation reforms in selected european countries.

  In:

  Kuhlmann, Sabine; Bouckaert, Geert, eds.,

  Local public sector reforms in times of crisis : national trajectories and international comparisons.

  London:

  Palgrave Macmillan.

  pp. 23-42.

  Governance and public management.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-52548-2_2

• Steiner, Reto; Fetz, Ursin; Käppeli, Stephan,

  2016.

  Gestaltung von Gemeindefusionsprozessen.

  In:

  Bergmann, Andreas; Giauque, David; Kettiger, Daniel; Lienhard, Andreas; Nagel, Erik; Ritz, Adrian; Steiner, Reto, eds.,

  Praxishandbuch Public Management.

  Zürich:

  WEKA.

  pp. 880-896.

• Steiner, Reto,

  2016.

  Interkommunale Zusammenarbeit.

  In:

  Bergmann, Andreas; Giauque, David; Kettiger, Daniel; Lienhard, Andreas; Nagel, Erik; Ritz, Adrian; Steiner, Reto, eds.,

  Praxishandbuch Public Management.

  Zürich:

  WEKA.

  pp. 897-914.

• Steiner, Reto; Kaiser, Claire,

  2016.

  Preventing corruption in the public administration : shown using the example of switzerland.

  In:

  Kovbasyuk, Y.; Fedorenko, VL, eds.,

  Anti-corruption policies and preventing and combating corruption in public service in state and local government.

  Kiev:

  NAPA.

  pp. 113-118.

• Steiner, Reto,

  2016.

  Strategische Aufgabenüberprüfung.

  In:

  Bergmann, Andreas; Giauque, David; Kettiger, Daniel; Lienhard, Andreas; Nagel, Erik; Ritz, Adrian; Steiner, Reto, eds.,

  Praxishandbuch Public Management.

  Zürich:

  WEKA.

  pp. 716-733.

• Ladner, Andreas; Steiner, Reto; Reist, Pascal,

  2014.

  Einleitung.

  In:

  Steiner, Reto; Ladner, Andreas; Reist, Pascal, eds.,

  Reformen in Kantonen und Gemeinden.

  Bern:

  Haupt.

  pp. 3-12.

• Steiner, Reto; Ladner, Andreas; Reist, Pascal,

  2014.

  Gestaltungsempfehlungen für Kantone und Gemeinden.

  In:

  Steiner, Reto; Ladner, Andreas; Reist, Pascal, eds.,

  Reformen in Kantonen und Gemeinden.

  Bern:

  Haupt.

  pp. 161-174.

• Steiner, Reto; Ladner, Andreas; Reist, Pascal,

  2014.

  Kommunale Reformprojekte und deren Auslöser.

  In:

  Steiner, Reto; Ladner, Andreas; Reist, Pascal, eds.,

  Reformen in Kantonen und Gemeinden.

  Bern:

  Haupt.

  pp. 83-110.

• Steiner, Reto; Kaiser, Claire,

  2013.

  Die Gemeindeverwaltungen.

  In:

  Ladner, Andreas; Chappelet, Jean-Loup; Emery, Yves; Knoepfel, Peter; Mader, Luzius; Soguel, Nils; Varone, Frédéric, eds.,

  Handbuch der öffentlichen Verwaltung.

  Zürich:

  Neue Zürcher Zeitung.

  pp. 149-166.

  NZZ Libro.

• Steiner, Reto; Kaiser, Claire,

  2012.

  Herausforderungen der Bürgerbeteiligung.

  In:

  Schröter, Eckhard; von Maravic, Patrick; Röber, Jörg, eds.,

  Zukunftsfähige Verwaltung? : Herausforderungen und Lösungsstrategien in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz.

  Opladen:

  Barbara Budrich.

  pp. 187-206.

• Steiner, Reto; Kaiser, Claire,

  2018.

  Amalgamation and inter-municipal cooperation: alternative or consecutive re-form strategies? : an analysis based on an empirical longitudinal study of Swiss local governments[paper].

  In:

  ECPR General Conference, Hamburg, Germany, 22-25 August 2018.

  Available from: https://ecpr.eu/Filestore/PaperProposal/83997573-83e4-491e-937f-45c95f5c09eb.pdf

• Steiner, Reto; Kaiser, Claire; Reichmuth, Lukas,

  2015.

  What structural factors influence public service delivery? : lessons learned from a study of swiss municipalities[paper].

  In:

  Minderman, Goos; Reddy, Purshottama Sivanarain, eds.,

  Innovation for the urban age : innovative approaches to public governance for the new urban age.

  Innovation in the Urban Age, 2014.

  The Hague:

  Eleven International Publishing.

  pp. 99-128.

  The Winelands Papers ; 2014.

• Steiner, Reto; Huber, Etienne,

  2012.

  Building empires? : the strategies of state-owned enterprises limiting governmental influence[paper].

  In:

  Minderman, Goos; Raman, Venkat; Cloete, Fanie; Woods, Gavin, eds.,

  Good, bad and next in public governance : the Winelands papers 2012.

  13th International Winelands Conference, Stellenbosch, 2-4 April, 2012.

  The Hague:

  Eleven International Publishing.

  pp. 99-109.

• Kaiser, Claire; Machljankin, Jana; Steiner, Reto,

  2021.

  Les communes déplorent une constante perte d’autonomie.

  Schweizer Gemeinde.

  2021(1/2), pp. 36-37.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-22068

• Machljankin, Jana; Kaiser, Claire; Steiner, Reto,

  2021.

  Les hommes dominent la politique communale.

  Schweizer Gemeinde.

  2021(1/2), pp. 26-27.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-22067

• Steiner, Reto; Kaiser, Claire; Machljankin, Jana,

  2020.

  Parteilose regieren die Schweiz : Ältere bestimmen vermehrt das politische Leben.

  Neue Zürcher Zeitung.

  241(244), pp. 9.

  Available from: https://www.nzz.ch/schweiz/gemeinden-parteilose-maenner-und-aeltere-sind-in-exekutive-ld.1581787

• Steiner, Reto; Kaiser, Claire; Machljankin, Jana,

  2020.

  Come prende forma la politica nei comuni svizzeri.

  Schweizer Gemeinde.

  2020(12), pp. 14-29.

  Available from: https://schweizer-gemeinde.cld.bz/12-20

• Steiner, Reto; Saxenhofer, Andrea; Kaiser, Claire; Räss Brenner, Kathrin,

  2020.

  Die Public Corporate Governance der Schweizer Kantone und grösseren Städte : eine empirische Analyse.

  KPM-Schriftenreihe

  ; 58.

  Bern:

  KPM-Verlag.

  ISBN 978-3-906798-57-8.

  Available from: https://www.kpm.unibe.ch/unibe/portal/center_generell/a_title_strat_forschung/k_kpm/content/e69701/e69704/e139214/pane1313321/e1313404/SR_58_online_ger.pdf

• Schwarz, Daniela; Steiner, Reto; Fivaz, Jan,

  2020.

  Mitwirkungsmöglichkeiten des Urner Landrats bei der Ausarbeitung von Konkordaten und anderen interkantonalen Vereinbarungen : Bericht im Auftrag der Justizdirektion des Kantons Uri.

  KPM-Schriftenreihe

  ; 63.

  Bern:

  KPM-Verlag.

  ISBN 978-3-906798-62-2.

• Steiner, Reto; Kaiser, Claire,

  2020.

  Wider den Moral Hazard : Lehren aus der Finanzkrise.

  KPM-Schriftenreihe

  ; 57.

  Bern:

  KPM-Verlag.

  ISBN 978-3-906798-56-1.

• Steiner, Reto; Ladner, Andreas,

  2016.

  Kunden- und Bevölkerungsbefragungen.

  In:

  Bergmann, Andreas; Giauque, David; Kettiger, Daniel; Lienhard, Andreas; Nagel, Erik; Ritz, Adrian; Steiner, Reto, eds.,

  Praxishandbuch Public Management.

  Zürich:

  WEKA.

  pp. 298-310.

• Bergmann, Andreas; Giauque, David; Kettiger, Daniel; Lienhard, Andreas; Nagel, Erik; Ritz, Adrian; Steiner, Reto, eds.,

  2016.

  Praxishandbuch Public Management.

  1.

  Zürich:

  WEKA.

  ISBN 978-3-297-00936-9.

• Steiner, Reto; Kaiser, Claire,

  2016.

  Switzerland.

  In:

  Merloni, Francesco, ed.,

  Regionalisation trends in european countries 2007-2015 : a study by members of the group of independent experts of the european charter of local self-government.

  Strasbourg:

  Council of Europe.

  pp. 208-213.

• Steiner, Reto; Kaiser, Claire; Reichmuth, Lukas,

  2015.

  Entwicklungsoptionen für den Zukunftsraum Aarau : Bericht im Auftrag der 11 Gemeinden Aarau, Biberstein, Buchs (AG), Densbüren, Erlinsbach (AG), Küttigen, Muhen, Oberentfelden, Schönenwerd (SO), Suhr und Unterentfelden.

  KPM-Schriftenreihe

  ; 61.

  Bern:

  KPM.

• Steiner, Reto; Kaiser, Claire,

  2013.

  Administration communale.

  In:

  Ladner, Andreas; Mader, Luzius; Emery, Yves; Knoepfel, Peter; Varone, Frédéric; Chappelet, Jean-Loup; Soguel, Nils, eds.,

  Manuel d'administration publique suisse.

  Lausanne:

  Presses Polytechniques et Universitaires Romandes.

  pp. 143-160.

• Steiner, Reto,

  2013.

  Die Eigensteuerung von Post, SBB und Swisscom durch den Bund auf dem Prüfstand.

  In:

  Public Governance - Entwicklungen und Herausforderungen : Jubiläumsschrift zum 10-jährigen Bestehen des KPM.

  Bern:

  KPM.

  pp. 47-59.

  KPM-Schriftenreihe ; 50.

• Ladner, Andreas; Steiner, Reto; Horber-Papazian, Katia; Fiechter, Julien; Jacot-Descombes, Caroline; Kaiser, Claire,

  2013.

  Gemeindemonitoring 2009/2010 : Bericht zur fünften gesamtschweizerischen Gemeindeschreiberbefragung.

  Bern:

  KPM.

  KPM-Schriftenreihe ; 48.

  ISBN 978-3-906798-47-9.

• Steiner, Reto, ed.,

  2013.

  Public Governance - Entwicklungen und Herausforderungen : Jubiläumsschrift zum 10-jährigen Bestehen des KPM.

  Bern:

  KPM.

  KPM-Schriftenreihe ; 50.

  ISBN 978-3-906798-49-3.

• Steiner, Reto,

  2013.

  Strukturen der Hauptstadtregion Schweiz auf dem Prüfstand.

• Steiner, Reto, ed.,

  2013.

  The crisis : challenges for public management.

  KPM-Schriftenreihe

  ; 41.

  Bern:

  Publ. House.

  ISBN 978-3-906798-40-0.

• Steiner, Reto; Huber, Etienne,

  2012.

  Autonomiegrad der Organisationseinheiten des Bundes : eine empirische Untersuchung.

  KPM-Schriftenreihe

  ; 47.

  Bern:

  KPM.

  ISBN 978-3-906798-46-2.

• Steiner, Reto; Finger, Matthias; Huber, Etienne; Reist, Pascal,

  2012.

  Praxis des Bundes bei der Steuerung von Post, SBB und Swisscom.

  KPM-Schriftenreihe

  ; 46.

  Bern:

  KPM.

  ISBN 978-3-906798-45-5.

• Bergmann, Andreas; Giaque, David; Nagel, Erik; Lienhard, Andreas; Ritz, Adrian; Steiner, Reto,

  2006.

  Managementleitfaden öffentliche Verwaltung : Grundlagen, Mustervorlagen, Checklisten.

  Zürich:

  WEKA.

  ISBN 978-3-297-44200-5.

• Bergmann, Andreas; Giaque, David; Nagel, Erik; Lienhard, Andreas; Ritz, Adrian; Steiner, Reto,

  2006.

  Managementleitfaden öffentliche Verwaltung : Grundlagen, Mustervorlagen, Checklisten.

  Zürich:

  WEKA.

  ISBN 978-3-297-44200-5.

Research data

Steiner, Reto; Ladner, Andreas; Kaiser, Claire; Haus, Alexander; Amsellem, Ada; Machljankin, Jana, 2019. Gemeindemonitoring der Schweizer Gemeinden. SWISSUbase. Available from: https://doi.org/10.23662/FORS-DS-1116-1

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