International Journal of Public Sector Management

Kang, Seong; Mulaphong, Dhanakorn; Hwang, Eunjin; Chang, Chih-Kai

2019 International Journal of Public Sector Management

doi: 10.1108/ijpsm-01-2018-0001

Mounting fiscal constraints and increasing complexity of public services have led governments to search for alternative service delivery mechanisms. The public–private partnership (PPP) is one type of service arrangement in which the public and private sectors enter into a long-term cooperative relationship for the purpose of delivering a public good or service. Despite increasing private sector participation in developing nations, there is a need for more systematic assessment of PPPs in such countries. The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors that affect the adoption and implementation of projects in the context of developing countries.Design/methodology/approachA multiple case holistic design is employed to analyze 19 select projects across several developing countries to identify and pool clusters of variables that facilitate or impede PPPs.FindingsThe results indicate five broad categories of political, economic, legislative, financial and management requisites.Research limitations/implicationsA limitation of this research is that the cases were not selected at random. However, the projects are spread across several areas such as public health, public utilities, public works, transportation and water/wastewater infrastructure in different countries. This allows the authors to examine how the common factors apply across different contextual settings.Originality/valueThis paper seeks to contribute to the literature by examining several developing countries to identify and pool clusters of variables that facilitate or impede the effective implementation of PPP projects in the context of such regions.

Mei, Jixia; Kirkpatrick, Ian

2019 International Journal of Public Sector Management

doi: 10.1108/ijpsm-03-2018-0063

The purpose of this paper is to explore how far plans to “modernize” hospital management in China are converging toward a global model of new public management (NPM) or represent a distinctive pathway.Design/methodology/approachThis paper draws on a systematic review of available secondary sources published in English and Chinese to describe both the nature and trajectory of hospital management reforms in China.FindingsIn China, while public hospital reforms bear many of the hallmarks of the NPM, they are distinctive in two key respects. First, the thrust of current reforms is to partially reverse, not extend, the trend toward marketization in order to strengthen the public orientation of public hospitals. Second is a marked gap between the rhetoric and reality of empowering managers and freeing them from political control.Practical implicationsThis paper develops a framework for understanding the drivers and obstacles to hospital management reforms in China that is useful for managers, clinicians and policy makers.Originality/valueIn China, few authors have considered NPM reform in relation to healthcare. This paper contributes in better understanding current reforms taking place in China’s expanding healthcare sector and locates these within broader theoretical and policy debates.

Broccardo, Laura; Culasso, Francesca; Mauro, Sara Giovanna

2019 International Journal of Public Sector Management

doi: 10.1108/ijpsm-05-2018-0126

To address the growing pressure to foster effectiveness, sustainability and quality of life, local governments have focused on developing policies and initiatives designed to make their cities smarter. Despite the growing attention paid to this issue, an important but under-investigated issue is represented by the smart city governance. In this regard, in light of the claimed need for collaboration, the purpose of this paper is to investigate why and how different institutional works carried out by multiple actors may explain the way in which collaborative governance can be constructed in the context of a smart city.Design/methodology/approachA rich in-depth case study has been carried out exploring the experience of a smart city in the north of Italy. The study explores the institutional works done by multiple actors (Lawrence et al., 2013) and their influence on the governance of the smart city.FindingsCollaboration is perceived to be instrumental in making a city smart, during the design and implementation phase, while generating new challenges that must be overcome by an integration of the political, technical and, especially, cultural work of the collective actors involved.Originality/valueDespite governance is recognized as a crucial factor for realizing a smartness-orientation, it is scarcely investigated. The main value of the current research is thus its contribution to overcome this gap providing new empirical evidence on the role of multiple actors in the smart city context.

de Fine Licht, Jenny; Pierre, Jon

2019 International Journal of Public Sector Management

doi: 10.1108/ijpsm-08-2018-0193

Performance measurements have become a prominent part of government steering of public agencies. At the same time, they are increasingly criticized for creating heavy administrative burdens. The purpose of this paper is to argue that consent on part of the heads of agencies is vital for making performance measurement an efficient tool for not only control but also organizational learning.Design/methodology/approachThe paper reports a survey with a nearly total sample of Swedish Director Generals.FindingsFindings suggest that Director Generals who feel that they are able to influence the goals and indicators of their agencies are significantly more willing to consent to the government’s reporting requirements.Originality/valueThe paper suggests that a more encompassing, interactive and participatory process might increase agency consent with reporting requirements.

Aoki, Naomi

2019 International Journal of Public Sector Management

doi: 10.1108/ijpsm-10-2018-0215

According to a widely accepted narrative, managerial reforms associated with new public management (NPM) originated in wealthy market economies and liberal democracies and were then promoted globally. However, scientific and systematic cross-national evidence of NPM practices has remained limited in scope, and debates over their survival and prevalence remain unsettled. The purpose of this paper is to narrow this empirical gap.Design/methodology/approachUsing international data from public education in approximately 65 economies in 2012, this study systematically investigated the prevalence of managerial practices, namely, the managerial responsibilities of school principals, goal orientation in school management, and performance-based human resource management (HRM). It also tested correlations between the status of these practices and political and economic conditions across economies.FindingsAs of 2012, the top users of NPM practices were geographically spread across the world in regions that included Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. Economies exhibited dissimilarities in their deployment of managerial practices. Performance-based HRM tended to be used more extensively in less accountable and less wealthy economies.Originality/valueBy focusing on actual practices, this study offers an empirically valid, critical analysis of the global prevalence of NPM. The findings clarify some observers’ current understandings of NPM. They deliver a powerful message that debates on global reform waves can benefit greatly from empirical evidence drawn from world regions beyond one’s parochial focus.

Nam, Taewoo

2019 International Journal of Public Sector Management

doi: 10.1108/ijpsm-06-2018-0134

The purpose of this paper is to identify individual level perception-based determinants influencing participation in government innovation and to examine the moderating effect of innovation cynicism upon those determinants.Design/methodology/approachFocusing on the case of Government 3.0, a Korean National Government innovation initiative, this study analyzes survey data regarding local public employee perceptions of the initiative through ordered logistic regression.FindingsMultiple theoretical correlates of perceived desirability, perceived efficacy, performance expectancy, facilitating leadership, peer influence and demonstrable symbols have positive influences on participation in Government 3.0. Surprisingly, cynics of government innovation reported more active participation in Government 3.0 than non-cynics. While cynicism negatively moderates the influence of perceived desirability, performance expectancy and peer influence on Government 3.0 participation, the expected negative moderating effect does not correspond with the influence of perceived efficacy on innovation participation.Originality/valueThe study highlights the importance of innovation cynics, who are probably neither skeptics nor pessimists regarding recent changes but rather are concerned about recurring rhetoric and poor performance of government innovation.