Portuguese Public Sector Research Articles

Portuguese Military Cyber Human Resources Management

The Portuguese public sector institutions, including the Armed Forces, are facing increasing cost reductions due to budget cuts resulting from economic crises and the pandemic scenario. Although Lean thinking aims to reduce waste and improve customer satisfaction through continuous improvement, its implementation often faces challenges. The Portuguese Air Force was a pioneer in applying Lean methodology, achieving positive results in crucial areas, and extending this methodology to other Armed Forces institutions could contribute to better use of national resources. This paper explores the implementation of Lean philosophy in the Portuguese Armed Forces, specifically in the recruitment, integration, and retention of talent in Cyber Security. Centralizing and simplifying processes and resources, as well as resolving challenges inherent to the area, maybe the right approach to respond to the implications on National Security and Defense, providing necessary resources for the capture, training, and maintenance of essential Cyber teams and processes. The mentality based on work processes needs to change to speed up the use of resources and the behaviour of executing elements.

Accounting Standardization in the Municipality of Elvas: stages and challenges

The biggest change of paradigm in the accounting system of the Portuguese public sector, take place in 1997 with the public sector reform, which materialized through the Public Official Accounting Plan. However, despite the important role played by this accounting standard, it could not keep up with international standards or the evolution of accounting in the private sector. These facts along with the multiplicity of accounting systems in the public sector and the strong need for international accounting harmonization, led, in 2015, to the approval of the Public Sector Accounting Standardization System. Thus, the emergence of new challenges in public management was the lever for the most recent reform of public accounting in Portugal operationalized by the Public Sector Accounting Standardization System and the Budgetary Framework Law. This applies to all central, regional, and local government institutions. Among local government institutions, municipalities are the most representative. Their transition from the Official Accounting Plan for Local Authorities to Public Sector Accounting Standardization System was expected to be a long and complex process mainly due to obstacles such as the adaptation of computer systems and the high number of procedures needed. Thus, this study analyzes the conceptual basis and describes the transition stages from the Official Accounting Plan for Local Authorities to Public Sector Accounting Standardization System in a Portuguese municipality. This work follows a qualitative methodology. The case study identified three critical factors for the successful implementation of the Public Sector Accounting Standardization System: human resources with experience and adequate training, adequate information systems, and institutional support from official public entities. This paper contributes to a proper application of the system through theoretical and practical explanation of the processes, at the accounting and technologies levels. By highlighting crucial points in a process of change, this paper also contributes to the success of changing processes in the public sector.

Structural Autonomy and Management Performance: An Influence Reinforced in the Particular Context of Portuguese Public Secondary Schools

The purpose of this research is to verify interdependencies among service innovation, structural autonomy, performance measurement systems, and organizational outcomes in a new organizational context. The relationships between these variables that structure organizational design have been studied for several decades, but it is necessary to verify the validity of those interdependencies in new geographical contexts and periods. Contingency theory was the selected framework because it argues how different scenarios can justify different organizational solutions and is appropriate in the predominant quantitative research. For data collection, surveys were sent to 526 executive heads of all Portuguese public secondary schools, obtaining 154 valid responses. Data processing was carried out using descriptive analysis, Spearman correlation, and structural equation analysis. The results reinforce previous literature, proving the influence of structural autonomy, not only on pedagogical management performance but also on resource management performance within a specific context explored for the first time in the Portuguese public sector. However, the interdependence of these variables in relation to pedagogical innovation strategy and organizational outcomes of effectiveness and efficiency was not verified in this particular setting, corroborating the basic foundations of contingency theory.

“Mix of Races, Bad Uterus”: Obstetric Violence in the Experiences of Afro-Brazilian Migrants in Portugal

In this article, I address the issues of obstetric violence and racism in the Portuguese setting of obstetric care. Based on data collected through interviews and participatory artistic creation, I analyze the perception of three Afro-Brazilian migrants about their perinatal experiences of obstetric care in the Portuguese public sector between 2013 and 2019. These women’s experiences have much in common with experiences of obstetric violence as narrated by Portuguese, non-racialized women. Despite this, certain aspects of their experience are related to their particular identification as Brazilian, migrant, and Black, such as xenophobic discrimination and their placement in systems of stratified reproduction, including a supposed tendency for birth by caesarean section, as well as self-policing behaviors because of the stereotype of Brazilian women as flirty. I consider a range of manifestations of obstetric violence and racism, from more overt forms to more covert ones, to analyze how, in a country where racism and obstetric violence are only slowly beginning to be recognized as the norm, multiple discriminations intersect and have an impact on the experiences of women of their bodies in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, including breastfeeding.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Antibiotic Prescribing Trends in Outpatient Care: A Nationwide, Quasi-Experimental Approach.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread globally and is currently having a damaging impact on nearly all countries in the world. The implementation of stringent measures to stop COVID-19 dissemination had an influence on healthcare services and associated procedures, possibly causing antibiotic consumption fluctuations. This paper aims to evaluate the immediate and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on antibiotic prescribing trends in outpatient care of the Portuguese public health sector, including in primary healthcare centers and hospitals, as well as on specific antibiotic groups known to be closely associated with increased resistance. Segmented regression analysis with interrupted time series data was used to analyze whether the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact in antibiotic prescribing tendencies at a national level. The outcomes from this quasi-experimental approach demonstrate that, at the beginning of the pandemic, a significant, immediate decrease in the overall antibiotic prescribing trends was noticed in the context of outpatient care in Portugal, followed by a statistically non-significant fall over the long term. The data also showed a significant reduction in the prescription of particular antibiotic classes (antibiotics from the Watch group, 3rd-generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, and clarithromycin) upon COVID-19 emergence. These findings revealed an important disruption in antibiotics prescribing caused by the current public health emergency.

Co‐development of a framework for circular economy assessment in organisations: Learnings from the public sector

AbstractTo seize the potential of Circular Economy (CE) organisations need to evaluate and communicate their progress moving away from the non‐sustainable paradigm of ‘take‐make‐dispose’ towards circularity. Existing CE assessments for organisations focus on companies. Although the need for CE assessment is recognised in both public and private sectors, little progress has been made towards developing an approach for public sector organisations. CE assessment in public sector organisations is particularly important due to their role model, agenda setting and economic function. Therefore, this article co‐develops a CE assessment framework for public sector organisations. Portuguese public sector organisations were involved as a participatory case study. The result is a framework that covers the following components: (i) a system definition; (ii) a definition of 35 CE assessment elements; (iii) CE assessment targets; and (iv) CE indicators. The framework contributes to the understanding of circularity from a public sector perspective considering three key aspects: resources, operations and processes as well as social and employee related activities. Implications for CE assessments in the public and private sector encompass the importance for an early involvement of stakeholders to get a sector specific perspective, the need to address user‐friendliness and the requirement for continuous testing of CE assessments.

The role of the public sector in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis: The case of Portuguese events’ industry

The unprecedented public health crisis experienced during the recent global COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has originated a catastrophic economic crisis for the entire globe. This crisis has been particularly harmful to the tourism industry and, more specifically, to the events’ subsector. This study aims to understand the main measures that have been implemented by the Portuguese public sector to assist companies which specialize in the organization of events. In addition, the study seeks to empirically understand the strategies and solutions that, according to the industry’s players, should be implemented in future crisis scenarios. The sample consisted of representatives of 165 companies belonging to the subsector of cultural and sports events, corporate events, and tourist animation. The data was collected during the month of April 2020 by means of a questionnaire prepared by the Portuguese Association of Congress Organizers, Tourism Animation and Events (APECATE). The adopted methodology was anchored in the mixed methods paradigm. Through a quantitative approach, the frequencies of the variables under study – sector of activity, support measures by the public sector, suggestions of additional measures – were analyzed. Afterwards, the suggestions referred by the participants were codified and analyzed qualitatively. The results of this research reveal that 72.1% of surveyed companies have used some kind public sector assistance mechanisms, with layoff being the most widely selected initiative by respondents. As actions to be implemented in a future crisis scenario, surveyed companies highlight, for instance, support to the managers of companies specialized in organizing events, as well as financial support to these companies by means of non-repayable loans.

Overcoming Current Challenges for Circular Economy Assessment Implementation in Public Sector Organisations

Circular Economy (CE) is seen as a key strategy in achieving sustainable development and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To seize the potential of CE, public and private organisations need to evaluate and communicate their progress moving away from the non-sustainable paradigm of “take–make–dispose” towards circularity. The literature and practitioners demonstrate a growing interest in CE assessment as a driver for this transition. Nevertheless, the majority of CE assessments are implemented in private companies and implementation in public sector organisations is low. This article presents the challenges that currently prevent public sector organisations from implementing CE assessment and derives strategies to overcome them. A total of 21 CE and assessment experts from the Portuguese public sector were interviewed, and the results were triangulated with an extensive policy document review. The findings show that cultural barriers, particularly a lack of public and political pressure as well as a resistance towards change, are considered the main challenges for CE assessment implementation. Cultural challenges drive structural ones such as a lack of leadership commitment, the voluntary nature, and a missing clear governance for CE assessment. Technical and financial challenges, contrary to previous findings of the literature, are not prioritised and are seen as a result of the cultural and structural challenges. Overall, the research suggests that CE assessment is often a discussion among academics and highly specialised practitioners. In order to drive its implementation, the debate has to involve stakeholders beyond expert circles to trigger awareness for its necessity and to facilitate usage for a broader audience.

Public sector reform and the state of performance management in Portugal: is there a gap between performance measurement and its use?

PurposeThis paper aims to analyse the state of performance management in the Portuguese public sector as part of the efforts towards public administration reform.Design/methodology/approachTheoretically, the authors took Bouckaert and Halligan's (2008, pp. 35–39) approach into consideration to analyse the adoption of performance management practices. This approach was supplemented by an adaptation of Pollitt and Bouckaert's (2011, p. 33) framework to analyse the context for administrative reforms. The used data analysis techniques include documentary analysis (namely legislation and evaluation reports of reform efforts), secondary data analysis and a survey conducted with 296 Portuguese top public managers.FindingsThe findings show that Portuguese public sector organisations adopted several tools to measure performance over the years, but failed to incorporate performance information into their management practices or to properly use it for either internal or external purposes. Concerning the ideal types proposed by Bouckaert and Halligan (2008, p. 36), Portugal is considered to fit the “performance administration” ideal type, even though it is moving closer to the “managements of performance” ideal type.Originality/valueThis is one of the first comprehensive studies on the state of performance management in Portugal framed within the broader context of public sector reforms. The findings will be of interest both to scholars who study public administration reforms and performance management and to Portuguese policy makers and public managers who are interested in understanding and improving the way performance information is measured, incorporated and used in that sector.

Gestão Hospitalar em Portugal: Resultados Comparados entre Hospitais com Gestão Pública e em Parceria Público-Privadas

Em um mundo globalizado e em crescente competitividade, os hospitais têm que encontrar formas de melhorar continuamente em todos os setores: público, privado e social. Em Portugal, a prestação de cuidados de saúde nos hospitais públicos é globalmente realizada sob o regime jurídico de Entidade Pública Empresarial (hospital EPE) e em regime de Parceria Público-Privada (hospital PPP). O papel e a importância da inovação, em todos os processos, são reconhecidos internacionalmente como um dos principais motores do desenvolvimento e da sustentabilidade em várias áreas de atividade. O presente artigo trata de um estudo de caso que descreve os processos de inovação aplicados à gestão dos hospitais do setor público português e estabelece-se uma comparação entre os principais indicadores de acesso e qualidade entre os hospitais de gestão pública empresarial e os hospitais públicos com gestão em parceria com um parceiro privado, entre os anos 2013 e 2016. Como resultado da análise, verifica-se que a inovação já influenciou positivamente as organizações tanto no modelo EPE como no PPP, tornando-as mais competitivas. No entanto, ambos os modelos apresentam pontos fortes e fracos e por esse motivo ainda é necessário repensar os modelos para melhorar os seus resultados de acesso e qualidade.

Remuneração dos gestores hospitalares: evidência portuguesa

Public organizations are primarily engaged in providing efficient and effective services to society. As part of the strategy to ensure more efficiency in an organization, the managerial salary level is a relevant variable, and therefore needs to be scientifically addressed. Using a 2009-2013 database of managers’ salaries in the Portuguese public health sector, we address its evolution throughout the financial crisis occurring in Portugal. The findings suggest that the public managers were left relatively unscathed by the salary cuts that most of the public servants had to endure during the period, due mainly to the increase in their variable earnings.

Sustainability policies and practices in public sector organisations: The case of the Portuguese Central Public Administration

The adoption of sustainability policies and practices in organisations is a rising trend, in particular in companies. Public sector organisations are also following this occurrence but with slower signs. Despite a relevant amount of research work on sustainability practices implemented by private organisations and by some public agencies, central public sectors have been left out of the scope of these studies. The main goal of this research is to identify the sustainability profile (including adopted policies and practices) of the public organisations, using the Portuguese Central Public Administration as a case study. A questionnaire survey was developed and submitted to Portuguese public sector organisations that fulfilled the following criteria: (i) to belong to the Portuguese Central Public Administration and (ii) to have the major area of activity at the national level. The statistical population was also defined on the basis of these criteria. Descriptive statistics and frequency analysis were used to explore the results in the organisations surveyed. The overall results demonstrate a low adoption level of integrated sustainability policies and practices, despite the expected positive trends related with the mandatory social and economic practices. This research contributes to new knowledge by characterising the sustainability profile of the Portuguese central public sector and where actions are needed, leading to a better transition to sustainable societies. The developed questionnaire can be used in other geographical, institutional and cultural contexts to define sustainability profile of worldwide public organisations, working also as a benchmarking tool.

A Avaliação de Dirigentes e Gestores do Setor Público em Portugal

A Avaliação de Dirigentes e Gestores do Setor Público em Portugal

The role of trust in the primary adoption stage of management accounting innovations

ABSTRACTA narrative inquiry grounded in interpersonal trust is advanced to examine the primary adoption stage of management accounting innovations in a Portuguese public sector organisation, where the adoption processes were promoted by management accountants. We studied the ways in which management accountants (trustees) built up trust in themselves in relation to the adoption of management accounting innovations (object of trust) with the intention of convincing top-level managers (trustors) to authorise their adoption. We gathered evidence to show that, through time, management accountants built up increasing levels of contractual trust, competence trust, and goodwill trust as a means of convincing top-level managers, to authorize the adoption of management accounting innovations.

Satisfaction with a performance appraisal system in the Portuguese public sector: The importance of perceptions of justice and accuracy

The present work aims at: (1) assessing whether the Portuguese public sector employees are (or are not) satisfied with their appraisal system; (2) dissecting the relationship between perceptions of justice and accuracy of performance appraisal and satisfaction with that appraisal. In order to attain the aforementioned objectives, we decided to conduct an exploratory empirical study, cross-cutting in nature, focusing on a population of 2247 individuals, from which we obtained 334 responses (n=334). After statistical analysis of the data collected, with a descriptive and an inferential component, results point towards the fact that employees who have a better perception of justice and accuracy of performance appraisal tend to reveal greater satisfaction with it. However, in general terms, the elements of the sample considered the appraisal process as being unjust, inaccurate and were not satisfied with it.

Abstract 123: A Comparison of In-Hospital Acute Myocardial Infarction Management Between Portugal and the United States: 2000 - 2010

Objectives: Because inter- and intra-country variations in the adoption of medical technologies exist, international comparative studies provide an opportunity to infer technology effectiveness. Few studies have characterized recent trends in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) management between countries. Methods: Repeated cross-sectional observational cohorts of hospitalized adults aged ≥20 years discharged between January 2000 and December 2010. We identified new AMI hospitalizations using a US national 20% inpatient sample and a 100% inpatient sample in all Portuguese public sector hospitals. Age, sex, comorbidities, and median length of stay (interquartile range [IQR]) were determined. Annual age-sex adjusted hospitalization rates (HR) for AMI, in-hospital procedures, and in-hospital mortality were directly standardized to the 2010 US population. Intra-country (2010 relative to 2000) and inter-country in 2010 (Portugal [PT] relative to US) rate ratios [RR] were estimated. Findings: We identified 1476808 AMI US hospitalizations and 126314 Portugal hospitalizations between 2000 and 2010. Portuguese patients were more male, younger, and had fewer comorbidities compared to US patients (Table). The age-sex adjusted AMI HR decreased from 21 per 1000 person-years to 15 in the US (RR=0.70; 95% CI = [0.70, 0.71]) but increased in PT (14 to 15 per 1000, RR = 1.17 [1.14, 1.21]). While crude procedure rates were uniformly lower in PT, only CABG rates differed after standardization (2010: RR=0.19 [0.14, 0.26]). PCI use increased annually in both countries and decreased for CABG in the US only (102 to 79, RR=0.77 [0.73, 0.81]). Standardized in-hospital mortality decreased within-country (US: 44 to 29 per 1000, RR= 0.65 [0.60, 0.72]; PT: 93 to 62 per 1000, RR= 0.67 [0.44, 1.00]). In 2010, PT mortality was twice that in the US. Conclusions: AMI hospitalization rates and use of medical technologies are higher in the US compared to Portugal. However, standardized rates reveal only CABG surgery rates differ significantly between the two countries. Outcomes, measured by hospital mortality and LOS, are generally better in the U.S. Inter-country disparities may be a consequence of differential use of technologies, differences in AMI epidemiology, patient risk, or quality of hospital billing data.

A satisfação com um sistema de avaliação do desempenho no sector público português: a importância da perceção de justiça e de precisão

Os objetivos deste trabalho são: (1) aferir se os funcionários do setor público português estão (ou não) satisfeitos com o seu sistema de avaliação; (2) dissecar a relação existente entre as perceções de justiça e de precisão da avaliação do desempenho com a satisfação com essa avaliação. Por forma a atingir os objetivos mencionados, foi conduzido um estudo empírico, de caráter exploratório, com uma natureza transversal, focado numa população de 2.247 indivíduos, tendo sido obtidas 334 respostas (n = 334). Após o tratamento estatístico dos dados recolhidos, com uma componente descritiva e outra inferencial, os resultados apontam no sentido de os trabalhadores que têm uma melhor perceção de justiça e precisão da avaliação do desempenho tenderem a revelar uma maior satisfação com a mesma. Porém, em termos gerais, os elementos da amostra consideraram o processo de avaliação injusto, impreciso e não se mostraram satisfeitos com ele.

Explanations for the gap between management accounting rules and routines: An institutional approach

This is a longitudinal in‐depth case study that was conducted within a Portuguese public sector organization, the National Postal Service of Portugal, where two management accounting innovations were implemented. The aim of one of the innovations – Income Statements – was to account for the financial results for the different areas within the organization, which could filter down to its basic elements. The aim of the other – Key Performance Indicators – was to provide indicators to monitor business performance. These innovations were not used in practice as planned, which afforded me the opportunity to explain the existing gap between their rules and routines. To do this, I based this study on the old institutional economics (OIE) inspired management accounting change literature.Following a strategy of collating together issues from more than one theory, this study contributes to the OIE inspired management accounting change literature by providing evidence that trust and power issues should be analyzed simultaneously and not separately, in order to extend our understanding of how management accounting innovations are (or are not) used in practice, and it also provides evidence that external and internal pressures or the lack of them should be considered through time and not only in explaining the initial stage(s) of the management accounting change processes. The study also provides practical insights for those who intend to carry out changes in management accounting practices in an organizational setting.

Evidence of the impacts of public e-procurement: The Portuguese experience

This paper analyses public e-procurement implementation and emphasizes its main difficulties and impacts in relation to the type of public organizations. The primary impacts and changes in the Portuguese public sector are analyzed within the new legal framework, which adopts mandatory e-procurement for any open, restricted or negotiated procedure. In this sense, two surveys carried out in consecutive years were conducted to assess the implementation difficulties and impact of e-procurement in the Portuguese public sector.The major value of this research is that it presents and discusses, for the first time, evidences about difficulties and impacts on the mandatory adoption of public e-procurement, based on the case of Portugal. The results show that the entities’ administrative level influences the e-procurement implementation, which is influenced by the innovation adoption process.

Wage cuts in the Portuguese public sector: the negative effects of a court decision on labour relations

Wage cuts in the Portuguese public sector: the negative effects of a court decision on labour relations