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Productivity In Public Services

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Author Info
Helen Simpson

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Abstract

This paper discusses issues arising in the measurement of productivity in public services. Compared to measuring productivity in the private sector difficulties arise because the output of public services is often unpriced and because some public services are consumed collectively. A key problem is measuring the full range of outputs and quality improvements delivered by public sector organizations that are valued by society. Without comprehensive measures of output, productivity statistics may be misleading. I outline methods used in the measurement of both private and public sector productivity and discuss the measurement of public sector productivity in practice. Finally I discuss studies that examine factors underlying productivity differences and productivity growth in public and private sector organizations. Public sector reforms and the use of pilot schemes in public sector organizations present opportunities for research to identify causal effects on productivity. Copyright © 2008 The Author. Journal compilation © 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

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Article provided by Blackwell Publishing in its journal Journal of Economic Surveys.

Volume (Year): 23 (2009)
Issue (Month): 2 (04)
Pages: 250-276
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Handle: RePEc:bla:jecsur:v:23:y:2009:i:2:p:250-276

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
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  25. repec:rus:hseeco:122160 is not listed on IDEAS
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  31. Pavcnik, Nina, 2002. "Trade Liberalization, Exit, and Productivity Improvement: Evidence from Chilean Plants," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 69(1), pages 245-76, January.
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Monojit Chatterji & Karen Mumford & Peter N. Smith, 2007. "The Public-Private Sector Gender Wage Differential: Evidence from Matched Employee-Workplace Data," IZA Discussion Papers 3158, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  2. Monojit Chatterji & Karen Mumford & Peter N Smith, 2007. "The Public-Private Sector Wage Differential: Gender, Workplaces and Family Friendliness," Discussion Papers 202, University of Dundee, Economic Studies. [Downloadable!]
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