Is a problem shared a problem halved? Shared services and municipal efficiency

McQuestin, D; Drew, J

Is a problem shared a problem halved? Shared services and municipal efficiency

McQuestin, D

Drew, J

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Australian Journal of Public Administration, 2019, 78 (2), pp. 265 - 280
Issue Date:: 2019-06-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	McQuestin, D https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0137-0260	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Drew, J https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3579-5758	en_US
dc.date.available	2020-05-25T19:08:18Z
dc.date.issued	2019-06-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Australian Journal of Public Administration, 2019, 78 (2), pp. 265 - 280	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0313-6647	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/127761
dc.description.abstract	© 2018 Institute of Public Administration Australia It has long been argued that shared services represent an efficacious means of securing efficiencies for municipalities. Indeed, pressures from fiscal austerity, taxation limitations, and the specter of forced amalgamations have resulted in an increasing uptake of shared service arrangements. However, the extant evidence is rather inconclusive and is largely restricted to analyzing the nett efficiency outcomes for the specific service shared. We broaden this evidential base by examining the association between shared service production and the efficiency of entire municipalities. Our analysis, employing a 5-year panel of data, suggests that shared services are associated with a statistically significant reduction in overall municipal efficiency. We conclude by explicating on the public policy implications arising from our prima facie surprising results.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Australian Journal of Public Administration	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1111/1467-8500.12349	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Political Science & Public Administration	en_US
dc.title	Is a problem shared a problem halved? Shared services and municipal efficiency	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	2	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	78	en_US
utslib.for	1604 Human Geography	en_US
utslib.for	1402 Applied Economics	en_US
utslib.for	1503 Business and Management	en_US
utslib.for	14 Economics	en_US
utslib.for	15 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services	en_US
utslib.for	16 Studies in Human Society	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Research)/lnstitute for Public Policy and Governance
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - IPPG - Institute for Public Policy and Governance
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.issue	2	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	78	en_US

Abstract:

© 2018 Institute of Public Administration Australia It has long been argued that shared services represent an efficacious means of securing efficiencies for municipalities. Indeed, pressures from fiscal austerity, taxation limitations, and the specter of forced amalgamations have resulted in an increasing uptake of shared service arrangements. However, the extant evidence is rather inconclusive and is largely restricted to analyzing the nett efficiency outcomes for the specific service shared. We broaden this evidential base by examining the association between shared service production and the efficiency of entire municipalities. Our analysis, employing a 5-year panel of data, suggests that shared services are associated with a statistically significant reduction in overall municipal efficiency. We conclude by explicating on the public policy implications arising from our prima facie surprising results.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/127761