Economic theory traditionally supports the viewpoint that government ownership is inefficient and that privatization invariably leads to efficiency improvements. However, there is often frequent opposition to privatization activity because it is difficult to examine and empirically validate the effects of privatization. This is the first study to examine the impact of the privatization of posta...

This paper is the first paper to present findings evaluating the consequences for employees of full and partial privatization using difference-in-differences combined with propensity score matching. We find: (1) partial privatization causes job creation in contrast to full privatization, which destroys jobs, (2) full privatization causes higher labor productivity improvement than partial privat...

This article draws some general connections between privatization and political accountability. Although the main focus of the article is to examine different types of privatization, specifically exploring the ramifications for political accountability of each type, I also engage in some speculation as to whether there are situations in which privatization might raise constitutional concerns re...

Argentina privatized most public utilities during the 1990’s but re-nationalized the main water company in 2006. We study beliefs about the benefits of the privatization of water services amongst low and middle income groups immediately after the 2006 nationalization. Negative opinions about the privatization prevail. These are particularly strong amongst households that did not benefit from pr...

The privatization of state-owned telecommunication companies began in Asia in Japan in the 1980s and gathered pace during the 1990s. To judge the results requires a prior understanding of the aims and objectives of privatization and even an agreed definition of privatization. In its widest context, privatization can refer to a range of policies to embrace private sector capital in the developme...

Government ownership may dominate private ownership under government failure. Such dominance disappears as product markets grow mature, giving rise to the need for privatization. Buyers’ limited wealth imposes a constraint on how and when privatization takes place. In particular, firms may be underpriced during privatization, and privatization may take place at a sub-optimal timing which result...

: In recent years, privatization has become common across Africa, reversing the long-term growth in state ownership of business enterprises. Many have interpreted this as entailing the abandonment of the developmental objectives that state enterprises were established to pursue. Others, however, have suggested that the privatization process can itself provide a new means through which the same ...

: In recent years, privatization has become common across Africa, reversing the long-term growth in state ownership of business enterprises. Many have interpreted this as entailing the abandonment of the developmental objectives that state enterprises were established to pursue. Others, however, have suggested that the privatization process can itself provide a new means through which the same ...

This paper compares the performance of privatized and state firms in the transition economies of Central Europe, while controlling for various forms of selection bias. It argues that privatization has different effects depending on the types of owners to whom it gives control. In particular, privatization to outsider, but not insider, owners has significant performance effects. Where privatizat...