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Mutual dependence or state dominance? Large private suppliers and the British state 2010–15
Author(s) -
Greasley Stephen
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
public administration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.313
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1467-9299
pISSN - 0033-3298
DOI - 10.1111/padm.12578
Subject(s) - outsourcing , dominance (genetics) , politics , public administration , government (linguistics) , contracting out , state (computer science) , administration (probate law) , public service , economics , value (mathematics) , business , market economy , political economy , political science , business administration , law , marketing , biochemistry , chemistry , linguistics , philosophy , algorithm , machine learning , computer science , gene
As public outsourcing has grown, the need to understand government's relations with supply side actors has become more important for public administration scholars. The article analyses the role of a small group of large contractors in the British outsourcing system during Britain's Coalition government. These ‘public service conglomerates’ have thus far received little attention in the public administration literature. The article compares two approaches for understanding the role of these corporations and analyses why the corporations faced sometimes severe disruption during the Coalition period in the form of multiple contract problems, conflict with ministers and financial problems. Over the period, the corporations became the objects of policy debate, and what had appeared to be a stable set of arrangements started to fracture. The case shows the value of analysing the political and organizational foundations of contracting arrangements.