Beyond Public Management Theories: The Creation of Public Value Through Co-Production

Abstract

Purpose: This paper presents a review of the role of co-production in the public sector and discusses how co-production can help public administrations to create better public value for contemporary society. Approach/Methodology/Design: Employing a qualitative approach, this study builds on the strategic triangle which depicts public value generation in the public sector. This framework shows how and why co-production is more valuable than classical management theories when public value generation is concerned. Data for this study has been collected through databases searches. The study follows a disciplined process in conducting a literature review as suggested by Webster and Watson (2002)—using keyword searches in ProQuest and Google Scholar. Findings: The paper argues that co-production can help to overcome the many limitations linked to traditional administration theories regarding public value creation. The results from the review indicate that co-production aim at improving the performance of the existing public services by actively involving service users in co-designing and improvement of public services. It shows how service experience can be integrated with the overall life experience of citizens. Practical Implications: The study has both practical and theoretical implications. It contributes by identifying co-production as an alternative means for value creation in the public sector. This is significant for theory development and empirical research. For practitioners, co-production helps to evaluate the performance of their organizations effectively. Originality/Value: Despite the significance of public value, few scholars pay attention to co-production as a means to generate public value. Co-production accounts for the need of the citizen in the production process of public value.