ActewAGL: a genuine public‐private partnership?

Abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -There are two connected purposes: to reflect on the widespread current use and abuse of the term "public-private partnership", and to present a case study of an unusual joint venture associating a public and a private enterprise in delivering a multi-utility service in the Canberra region of Australia. Design/methodology/approach -The article combines the case study method with a review of relevant discourse about PPPs.Findings -On the case study evidence presented, the article concludes that this joint venture comes much closer to being a genuine public-private partnership than many arrangements loosely described as PPPs today. Practical implications -The article invites the practitioner/academic community to think more precisely about the factors that need to be considered before it is appropriate to claim that a PPP exists. Originality/value -The joint venture that is the subject of this case study has not previously been analysed in this way. The article suggests that it has value in serving as a model for the development of better thinking about PPPs.

Public–Private Partnerships and the Public Accountability Question

“…In place of vertical chains of authority in typical bureaucratic institutions, or principal–agent relations in short‐term contracts, the horizontal relations in PPP arrangements place unique challenges on public managers. PPPs display a variety of these horizontal relationships through collaborative mixing, consensual decision making, and other recognized characteristics of organizational partnerships (Wettenhall 2007, 395). While these characteristics vary, the nature of such agreements fosters organizational interdependence at greater levels than that achieved through short‐term contracts.…”

Closing doors (1780-1813): the liquidation process at General Company of Pernambuco and Paraíba

“…Due to an ambivalent decision, the PPC's liquidation process delayed. A similar argument is also present in the current literature on public-private partnerships (Coulson, 2005;McQuaid, 2009;Pongsiri, 2002;Wettenhall, 2007).…”

“…Rodrigues and Sangster (2012) consider the interface between the PPC and the Portuguese Crown as an early example of public-private partnership. The current literature does not find the practice of mixing public and private endeavors in business as something simple or without risk or effort (Coulson, 2005;McQuaid, 2009;Pongsiri, 2002;Wettenhall, 2007Wettenhall, , 2008. The mixing of two distinct organizations often leads to some adverse outcomes such as conflict over goals and objectives, loss of decision-making autonomy, information asymmetry, and oppression (Coulson, 2005;McQuaid, 2009;Pongsiri, 2002).…”

Managing Infrastructure Projects in Australia

“…While the literature highlights the role of contracting in the formation and operation of PPPs (Andrew & Cahill, 2009), Baxter and English (2010) note changes in the nature of contracting in Australian PPP models to promote long-term interorganizational collaboration. They, however, stress that lack of trust between parties can lead to difficulties in managing contractual relationships (Baxter & English, 2010).The term PPP is questioned by many in the context of long-term infrastructure-type projects (Hodge & Greve, 2010;Johnston, 2010;Wettenhall, 2007). This does not mean to say that the traditional forms of contractual arrangements are no longer valid or effective for managing large infrastructure projects.…”