Summary and General Conclusions

Abstract

The question of whether the private sector, including privatised companies, has outperformed the public sector has been the main concern of this volume. Economic theories have suggested that ownership and the competitive environment have major impacts on economic efficiency, creating potential incentives for management to reduce costs and maximise productive efficiency in order to survive in a competitive environment. The aim of this volume was to put such theories to the test, asking which sector, public or private, has performed better, and to what extent ownership and competitive environment are influential aspects of corporate performance.