Tax evasion crackdowns, efficiency savings and welfare cuts are easy political sells – but getting these measures to deliver large amounts of revenue is much more difficult.
The Alberta government has been involving itself with public sector bargaining in an unprecedented way compared to previous provincial governments and those in every other province and territory.
Many reviews over the years have revealed the efficiency dividend often does impact the level and quality of services, particularly for smaller agencies and particularly over time.
South Africa’s public sector works somewhat better than those of most other middle-income countries. Yet, unlike them, it has not managed to achieve gains in the midst of messiness.
In this moment of crisis, South Africa urgently needs decisive action. But all too often South Africans of all political stripes seem trapped in stale discourses.
Research around the world shows a consistent pattern of failures in public sector policy and project implementation. Yet we continue to embark upon implementation built on bias and faulty logic.
The Trump administration is preparing to shift billions in veterans’ health care spending to private providers. Research suggests privatizing essential services comes with a social cost.
An inexperienced senior executive may defer to inappropriate sources for advice, treating technical disagreements as personality conflicts or interference.
Public sector corruption is a major challenge to doing business in Africa and players are mostly ill-equipped to deal with it. Business schools can teach the skills to tackle it.
Rising membership of public sector unions and the growing political influence of these unions have led to government workers earning a premium over their private sector counterparts.
Swiss Post Chair in Management of Network Industries, EPFL – École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne