misshushållning

Misshushållning is a Swedish term used in economics, public administration, and everyday language to describe the inefficient, wasteful, or improper management of resources, funds, or assets. It covers both household economy and organizational governance, and implies a failure to apply prudent, economical stewardship consistent with accepted norms of efficiency and accountability.

In households, misshushållning can refer to overspending, poor budgeting, or misallocation of time and material goods. In politics or business, it denotes wasteful spending, misallocation of capital, or weak controls that allow fraud or corruption, leading to higher costs and reduced service quality.

Causes include insufficient planning, information asymmetries, misaligned incentives, fragmentation of responsibilities, and weak governance. Consequences range from higher expenses and lower welfare to reduced trust in institutions and foregone opportunities for investment or improvement.

Prevention relies on transparent budgeting, regular auditing, clear governance structures, performance measurement, and incentives aligned with long-term outcomes. The concept is closely related to hushållning (thrift and prudent resource management) and is commonly invoked in discussions of public finances and corporate governance.

History and usage: In Swedish, hushållning denotes prudent management of resources; misshushållning marks deviation from that standard. While the term is widely used in policy debates, its exact meaning can vary by context and is often assessed against norms of efficiency and accountability.