The perceived efficacy of public-private partnerships: A study from Canada

Opara, Michael; Rouse, Paul

doi:10.1016/j.cpa.2018.04.004

Cited by 37 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…Accounting-related PFI research has focused on the macro (policy) perspective and pre/early operational decision-making (Andon, 2012), particularly with respect to how “risk” and “value for money” (VFM) are conceptualized and operationalized (Opara and Rouse, 2019). While there is evidence that PFI projects have not provided VFM (Acerete et al , 2011), letting projects fail is not good for any party, especially in terms of maintaining public service delivery and the reputation of government (Burke and Demirag, 2015; Shaoul et al , 2012), with it being accepted that intervention must be carefully considered to ensure the appropriate use of public money and avoid setting a precedent.…”

Section: Prior Research On Operational Pfismentioning

confidence: 99%

Toward an understanding of strategic control at a distance in public service delivery

Ahmad

Connolly

Demirag³

2020

AAAJ

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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how localized (organization-level) actors of policy initiatives that are inspired by neoliberal ideologies use management accounting and control practices. Specifically, it addresses the operational stages of a case study Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract within the United Kingdom's (UK's) transport sector of roads for embedding government objectives in the underlying project road.Design/methodology/approachThis paper adopts Dean's (2010) analytics of government to unpack the accounting-based control practices within the case study contract in order to articulate how, at the micro level, the government's objective of improving road-users' safety is enacted, modified and maintained through such regimes.FindingsDrawing on a content-based analysis of UK government PFI policy and extensive case study-specific documents, together with interviews and observations, this research provides theoretical insights about how control practices, at a distance without direct intervention, function as forms of power for government for shaping the performance of the PFI contractor. The authors find that the public sector's accounting control regimes in the case study project have a constraining effect on “real partnership working” between the government and private contractors and on the private sector's incentive to innovate.Research limitations/implicationsBy analyzing a single road case study PFI contract, the findings may not be generalizable.Originality/valueThis paper provides significant theoretically informed insights about how public service delivery that is outsourced to private contractors is controlled by government at a distance within complex organizational arrangements (e.g. PFI).

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Section: Prior Research On Operational Pfismentioning

confidence: 99%

Toward an understanding of strategic control at a distance in public service delivery

Ahmad

Connolly

Demirag³

2020

AAAJ

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“…With its emphasis on the social context that organizations are embedded in, the institutional theory presents a lens to analyze responses to the challenges associated with the institutional environment. As institutional theory builds on a social constructivist world view (Modell et al, 2017;Opara and Rouse, 2019), it considers institutions as social constructs (DiMaggio and Powell, 1983). Moreover, recent strands of the institutional theory point to the relevance of institutional work (Lawrence and Suddaby, 2006) and conflicting institutional logics in empowering actors to change their institutional environment (Reay and Hinings, 2009;Greenwood et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deployment of whistleblowing as an accountability mechanism to curb corruption and fraud in a developing democracy

Okafor

Adebisi

Opara

et al. 2020

AAAJ

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PurposeThis paper investigates the challenges and opportunities for the deployment of whistleblowing as an accountability mechanism to curb corruption and fraud in a developing country. Nigeria is the institutional setting for the study.Design/methodology/approachAdopting an institutional theory perspective and a survey protocol of urban residents in the country, the study presents evidence on the whistleblowing program introduced in 2016. Nigeria’s whistleblowing initiative targets all types of corruption, including corporate fraud.FindingsThis study finds that, even in the context of a developing country, whistleblowing is supported as an accountability mechanism, but the intervention lacks awareness, presents a high risk to whistleblowers and regulators, including the risk of physical elimination, and is fraught with institutional and operational challenges. In effect, awareness of whistleblowing laws, operational challenges and an institutional environment conducive to venality undermine the efficacy of whistleblowing in Nigeria.Originality/valueThe study presents a model of challenges and opportunities for whistleblowing in a developing democracy. The authors argue that the existence of a weak and complex institutional environment and the failure of program institutionalization explain those challenges and opportunities. The authors also argue that a culturally anchored and institutionalized whistleblowing program encourages positive civic behavior by incentivizing citizens to act as custodians of their resources, and it gives voice to the voiceless who have endured decades of severe hardship and loss of dignity due to corruption.

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“…Other studies have paid attention to the relationship between hybrid governance and performance of PPPs (Caperchione et al, 2017). Further research investigating the relationship between political decisions to implement PPPs and the process of setting up systems and structures of accountability among contractual parties, that is, public authorities and private operators is required (De Graaf, 2014;English and Baxter, 2010;Opara and Rouse, 2019;Peda and Vinnari, 2019;Shaoul et al, 2012). The aim of this study is to fill this gap by analysing relationships between the initial decisions of public authorities to delegate management of public water services to private operators by using PPPs, and the continuous process of making private operators accountable to deliver water to end users as contractually agreed upon.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating the implementation of and accountability in PPPs: a case study in public water management

Mutiganda

Skoog

Grossi

2020

JAEE

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PurposeThis study analyses how the implementation of PPPs to operate rural water infrastructures and deliver water to local population has led to a new accountability archetype.Design/methodology/approachThe archetype theory is used to analyse the process of implementing PPPs as a new archetype and setting up systems and structures of accountability between contracting parties. The empirical part of the study is based on extensive document analysis in an East African country. Documents analysed are from governmental sources, UNICEF and the World Bank and cover a period from 1998 to early 2019.FindingsThe process of implementing PPPs was revolutionary at the national level and evolutionary at micro levels. The sequence of the change process moved from central to peripheral. The linearity followed a reorientation track strategy. Setting up systems and structure of accountability was evolutionary, peripheral to central following the reorientation strategy. National authorities reacted proactively to comments and suggestions from international donors and local population. However, not all districts have fully implemented PPPs in their rural water sector. The structure of accountability at the local level, however, still suffers from logistical and professional capacity constraints.Research limitations/implicationsEmpirical findings cannot be generalised to other situations, but the theoretical framework used in this study can be applied elsewhere.Practical implicationsGiving priority to hearing from end users themselves before designing and implementing policies that intend to respond to specific local needs is recommended.Originality/valueThis study explains the ways in which micro-organisational change can lead to revolutionary archetypes such as PPPs, whereas the implementation of systems and the structure of accountability at inter-organisational level remain evolutionary.

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The perceived efficacy of public-private partnerships: A study from Canada

Cited by 37 publications

References 62 publications

Toward an understanding of strategic control at a distance in public service delivery

Toward an understanding of strategic control at a distance in public service delivery

Deployment of whistleblowing as an accountability mechanism to curb corruption and fraud in a developing democracy

Investigating the implementation of and accountability in PPPs: a case study in public water management

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