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Governance in state-owned enterprises revisited : the cases of water and electricity in Latin America and the Caribbean

Author

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  • Andres, Luis Alberto
  • Guasch, Jose Luis
  • Azumendi, Sebastian Lopez

Abstract

This paper studies the governance structure of state-owned enterprises in the water and electricity sectors of Latin America and the Caribbean. Through a unique dataset, the paper compares 44 leading state companies of the region based on an aggregate measure of corporate governance and six salient aspects of their design: board, chief executive officer, performance orientation, management, legal framework, and transparency/disclosure. The results indicate the need for improvement in areas such as the selection and appointment of directors to the board and the performance-orientation of the enterprises. The paper also highlights the importance of discussing the management of state-owned enterprises in the wider context of public sector governance, with particular focus on accountability. Moreover, it recognizes the role of accountability as central in the management of state-owned enterprises, recommending a better understanding of regulation and performance management. The paper finds a positive correlation between corporate governance and the utilities'performance. Among the different aspects of corporate governance, performance orientation and professional management seem to be the highest contributors to well-performing state-owned enterprises. State-owned enterprises in the electricity sector show higher governance levels than those in the water sector.

Suggested Citation

  • Andres, Luis Alberto & Guasch, Jose Luis & Azumendi, Sebastian Lopez, 2011. "Governance in state-owned enterprises revisited : the cases of water and electricity in Latin America and the Caribbean," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5747, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:5747
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shirley, Mary M & Xu, Lixin Colin, 1998. "Information, Incentives, and Commitment: An Empirical Analysis of Contracts between Government and State Enterprises," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 14(2), pages 358-378, October.
    2. Nellis, John R., 1988. "Contract plans and public enterprise performance," Policy Research Working Paper Series 118, The World Bank.
    3. Andres, Luis & Guasch, Jose Luis & Diop, Makhtar & Azumendi, Sebastian Lopez, 2007. "Assessing the governance of electricity regulatory agencies in the Latin American and the Caribbean region : a benchmarking analysis," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4380, The World Bank.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lisa Bagnoli & Salvador Bertomeu & Antonio Estache & Maria Vagliasindi, 2020. "Are the Poor Better Off with Public or Private Utilities ?A Survey of the Academic Evidence on Developing Economies," Working Papers ECARES 2020-24, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.

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    Keywords

    National Governance; Corporate Law; Private Participation in Infrastructure; Governance Indicators; Banks&Banking Reform;
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