Social performance in public services delivery: conceptual roots and results for the Portuguese water sector

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between social performance and the sector providing the water service. The empirical analysis demonstrates that public property, the management model (in this case bureaucracy and municipal corporations), and lower organizational costs for public property and public management models do present higher social performance (lower user prices and higher quality water levels, with exceptions) levels than private firms. Policy implementations are clear: cease private firms' entrance into public services delivery until lower organizational costs, higher quality services and lower user prices are secured. This also raises discussions about neo-bureaucracies as the ideal management model for public services provision.