Public Enterprise Management in Taiwan: Has the Change of Government Made Much Difference?

Abstract

Taiwan’s transition towards political democracy has been widely discussed in recent years, but not much attention has been paid to the effect of these changes on public sector management. The discussions have speculated that the government no longer uses an authoritarian way of governing the country, in keeping with its promotion of democratic development. However, this article shows that the change from the previous Kuomintang (KMT) government to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government has not changed the way public enterprises are managed. The DPP government resembles the KMT government in that it continues with an authoritarian way of managing public enterprises, despite the party’s long established commitment to a democratic way of governance. The regime turnover has not meant public enterprises are any better placed than they were previously, in terms of their potential to improve autonomy, profitability and governance.