Public enterprise at the crossroads : essays in honour of V. V. Ramanadham

By examining countries in four continents this book discusses the underlying causes of the problems associated with public enterprise, and critically examines some of the solutions that have been adopted. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 List of tables......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 Survey of contributions John Heath......Page 16 Public enterprise in less developed countries: an empirical review Ramesh Adhikari and Colin Kirkpatrick......Page 38 Some issues of principle: the case of British Telecom Esther Brimmer and David Thompson......Page 61 State-owned enterprise reform in China Hua Sheng and Du Haiyan......Page 86 Four decades of public enterprise in Hungary Zoltn Romn......Page 98 Liberalization and privatization of public enterprise in India Y.Venugopal Reddy......Page 111 The public enterprise sector in Malaysia Mavis Puthucheary......Page 123 Public enterprises in francophone Africa Alfred H.Saulniers......Page 139 Public enterprise in Argentina: the experience of the radical government 1983 9 Horacio Boneo and Enrique Waterhouse......Page 155 Privatization in Chile William P.Glade......Page 170 The effectiveness of public enterprises in Greece Spyros K.Lioukas and Demetrios B.Papoulias......Page 187 Reflections on the role of the World Bank in public enterprises and privatization in Africa Myrna Alexander......Page 206 Performance contracts and public enterprise performance A.H.M.Bennett......Page 220 Public enterprise and planned development in Sudan E.A.Musa......Page 233 Management efficiency in the private and public sectors in India Hiten Bhaya......Page 241 Divestiture in a developing economy: Pakistan Riyaz H.Bokhari......Page 254 Public enterprise holding companies and privatization: the case of IRI, Italy V.Ajmone Marsan......Page 266 Public enterprise, privatization, and cultural adaption Nick Woodward......Page 279 Books published by Professor V.V.Ramanadham......Page 297 Notes on contributors......Page 299 Index......Page 306

In many parts of the world public enterprise is in crisis. Privatisation programmes are being widely touted as the solution to many of the problems of inefficiency and slow rates of growth associated with public enterprise. This book discusses the underlying causes of those problems, and critically examines some of the solutions that have been adopted. Its geographical coverage is wide and it cuts across the political spectrum. The experiences of countries in four continents are analysed in an attempt to shed light on current dilemmas. Recurrent patterns are found; problems are frequently seen to be political as much as economic, and bureaucracy and administrative confusion is often found to be at the heart of poor financial performance.Yet since political aims, economic environment, and administrative and managerial capabilities vary so widely, universal solutions remain more difficult to define than universal problems.