Regulation 1370/2007, as amended by the Fourth Railway Package, set the date of 25 December 2023 for the opening to competition of services subject to public service obligations. As opposed to the model of "competition in the market" for commercial services, the model for PSO services is that of...

Electricity sectors in many developing countries are stuck in a vicious cycle of low prices, financial insolvency, and unreliable service. India’s state-owned utilities are emblematic of this problem, costing the government billions in bailouts while delivering poor electricity reliability....

The process of the liberalisation of services of general economic interest (SGEI) in the EU adopted the universal service (US) regulatory model. The objectives of the process were to strengthen free competition and improve social welfare. SGEIs have the characteristic of networked services and,...

Digitalisation in the public sector presents both opportunities and challenges, impacting working conditions, work organisation and social dialogue, yet research on its effects remains limited, especially in Germany. In particular, the role of digitalisation in shaping work dynamics, workload...

We study whether the quality of managers can affect public service provision in the context of public health. Using novel data from public hospitals in Chile, we show how the introduction of a competitive recruitment system and better pay for public hospital CEOs reduced hospital mortality by...

Despite the increasing integration of government chatbots (GCs) into digital public service delivery, their real-world effectiveness remains limited. Drawing on the literature on algorithm aversion, trust-transfer theory, and perceived risk theory, this study investigates how the type of service...

Contributing to the literature on the diversity of capitalism, this article shows how actors in the Polish public services responded to interlinked crises, namely the chronic public services crisis and its aggravation by the COVID-19 pandemic and the arrival of refugees triggered by war in...

Our study delves into understanding the bottom-up processes within a public service delivery system by studying the last-mile interactions between frontline workers, citizens, and other stakeholders. Specifically, we focus on these aspects in the context of the Solid Waste Management (SWM)...

This study examines the relationship between organizational commitment and administrative management within a public service institution operating in an emerging governance context. Grounded in the three-component model of organizational commitment (affective, continuance, and normative) and...

Section 195(b) of South Africa's Constitution calls for the efficient use of resources in public administration, while the White Paper on Local Government similarly emphasizes the efficient provision of basic services such as refuse collection and water. Despite these policy commitments, South...

This paper provides an analysis of national laws relevant to whistle-blowers in the public sector across 67 ILO Member States. It studies each national law through a selection of indicators derived from reference frameworks and guidance by inter-governmental organizations (e.g. UNODC, OECD) and...

Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) has emerged as a foundational enabler of modern digital governance, yet scholarly understanding of its scope, design, and impact remains fragmented. This study addresses this gap by conducting a comprehensive systematic review and bibliometric analysis of 1153...

Digital transformation has become a central strategy for modernizing the public sector. This study analyzes the relationships between digital competencies, digital literacy, change management, soft skills, technology adoption, digitization of the public function, digital public services,...

We review the evolution of the concept of utility in economics, addressing the conceptual and terminological fragmentation that characterises the interdisciplinary debate. This study adopts the scoping review framework to systematically analyse the main theoretical approaches, ranging from...

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are becoming increasingly important for sustainable rural development through the smart village concept. This study aims to model ICT's potential for public services management in European rural areas. It identifies ICT applications across rural...

The COVID-19 pandemic forced European Union member states to accelerate the digitalization of public services, turning a gradual policy priority into an urgent necessity. This study examines the pandemic's impact on the digital transformation of public administrations, assessing the...

Electricity sectors in many developing countries are stuck in a vicious cycle of low prices, financial insolvency, and unreliable service. India's state-owned utilities are emblematic of this problem, costing the government billions in bailouts while delivering poor electricity reliability. This...

Job performance in the state sector is essential for the sustainable development of an economy. However, previous studies on the relationship among public service motivation (PSM), person-job fit (PJF), and job performance have yielded inconsistent results. Therefore, this study aims to explore...

Part of the Green Deal policy of the EU is the restoration of nature. This policy is not new as Directive 92/43 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild flora and fauna has already resulted in the designation of special areas of nature conservation. Recently, the draft regulation on...