Public and private management: Now, is there a difference? A systematic review

Stefan Boye; Rebecca Risbjerg Nørgaard; Emily Rose Tangsgaard; Mathilde Andreassen Winsløw; Mathias Rask Østergaard-Nielsen

doi:10.1080/10967494.2022.2109787

Public and private management: Now, is there a difference? A systematic review

Stefan Boye, Rebecca Risbjerg Nørgaard, Emily Rose Tangsgaard^*, Mathilde Andreassen Winsløw, Mathias Rask Østergaard-Nielsen

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Political Science

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Review › Research › peer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

What is the difference between public and private management? This contested
question has implications for why and how to study public management
and for how to manage public organizations. Therefore, we conduct
the first systematic review of the empirical literature of perceptual and
behavioral differences between public and private managers since Boyne
(2002a). We review 41 studies related to five theoretical expectations:
Public managers experience a more complex stakeholder environment,
stricter accountability demands, more ambiguous goals, less autonomy,
and different values than their private sector counterparts do. The findings
from the reviewed studies provide evidence of differences related to all
five themes. However, as a field, we need a more refined understanding
and operationalization of what it means to be a public versus a private
organization. Additionally, we argue it is time to move beyond the dichotomous
difference/no-difference discussion and focus on substantive, contextual
factors and behavioral effects.

Original language	English
Journal	International Public Management Journal
Volume	27
Issue	2
Pages (from-to)	109-142
Number of pages	34
ISSN	1096-7494
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/10967494.2022.2109787
Publication status	Published - 2024

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10.1080/10967494.2022.2109787

Cite this

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title = "Public and private management: Now, is there a difference? A systematic review",

abstract = "What is the difference between public and private management? This contestedquestion has implications for why and how to study public managementand for how to manage public organizations. Therefore, we conductthe first systematic review of the empirical literature of perceptual andbehavioral differences between public and private managers since Boyne(2002a). We review 41 studies related to five theoretical expectations:Public managers experience a more complex stakeholder environment,stricter accountability demands, more ambiguous goals, less autonomy,and different values than their private sector counterparts do. The findingsfrom the reviewed studies provide evidence of differences related to allfive themes. However, as a field, we need a more refined understandingand operationalization of what it means to be a public versus a privateorganization. Additionally, we argue it is time to move beyond the dichotomousdifference/no-difference discussion and focus on substantive, contextualfactors and behavioral effects.",

author = "Stefan Boye and N{\o}rgaard, {Rebecca Risbjerg} and Tangsgaard, {Emily Rose} and Winsl{\o}w, {Mathilde Andreassen} and {\O}stergaard-Nielsen, {Mathias Rask}",

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doi = "10.1080/10967494.2022.2109787",

language = "English",

volume = "27",

pages = "109--142",

journal = "International Public Management Journal",

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Public and private management: Now, is there a difference? A systematic review. / Boye, Stefan; Nørgaard, Rebecca Risbjerg; Tangsgaard, Emily Rose et al.
In: International Public Management Journal, Vol. 27, No. 2, 2024, p. 109-142.

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Review › Research › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Public and private management

T2 - Now, is there a difference? A systematic review

AU - Boye, Stefan

AU - Nørgaard, Rebecca Risbjerg

AU - Tangsgaard, Emily Rose

AU - Winsløw, Mathilde Andreassen

AU - Østergaard-Nielsen, Mathias Rask

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - What is the difference between public and private management? This contestedquestion has implications for why and how to study public managementand for how to manage public organizations. Therefore, we conductthe first systematic review of the empirical literature of perceptual andbehavioral differences between public and private managers since Boyne(2002a). We review 41 studies related to five theoretical expectations:Public managers experience a more complex stakeholder environment,stricter accountability demands, more ambiguous goals, less autonomy,and different values than their private sector counterparts do. The findingsfrom the reviewed studies provide evidence of differences related to allfive themes. However, as a field, we need a more refined understandingand operationalization of what it means to be a public versus a privateorganization. Additionally, we argue it is time to move beyond the dichotomousdifference/no-difference discussion and focus on substantive, contextualfactors and behavioral effects.

AB - What is the difference between public and private management? This contestedquestion has implications for why and how to study public managementand for how to manage public organizations. Therefore, we conductthe first systematic review of the empirical literature of perceptual andbehavioral differences between public and private managers since Boyne(2002a). We review 41 studies related to five theoretical expectations:Public managers experience a more complex stakeholder environment,stricter accountability demands, more ambiguous goals, less autonomy,and different values than their private sector counterparts do. The findingsfrom the reviewed studies provide evidence of differences related to allfive themes. However, as a field, we need a more refined understandingand operationalization of what it means to be a public versus a privateorganization. Additionally, we argue it is time to move beyond the dichotomousdifference/no-difference discussion and focus on substantive, contextualfactors and behavioral effects.

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VL - 27

SP - 109

EP - 142

JO - International Public Management Journal

JF - International Public Management Journal

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Public and private management: Now, is there a difference? A systematic review

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King Frederiks Center for Public Leadership

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Public and private management: Now, is there a difference? A systematic review

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