Can public organizations perform as private firms? The role of heterogeneous resources and practices
Set my timezone
Select a timezone from the map or dropdown and click the Set timezone button to adjust the event date/times to your current timezone.
For this special edition of the Government Outcomes Lab Research Forum, we were joined by Professor Sandro Cabral, Insper Institute of Education and Research. Sandro presented research from one of his recent academic papers, comparing the organizational traits of public and private institutions.
The Government Outcomes Lab Research Forum is a gathering of researchers whose work engages with, or relates to, outcomes-based approaches to public service provision. Bi-monthly (once every two months), the Forum will host a guest speaker to present an aspect of their research, or talk through a particular issue that is currently influencing their work.
Themes of interest to the Forum include:
- Outcomes-based approaches to public service provision including social outcomes contracting
- Cross-sector partnerships in the pursuit of policy goals
- Stewardship of mixed economies of public service delivery (outsourcing, voluntary sector involvement, place-based working)
We aim to reflect the full breadth that these topics entail, as well as issues relating to research process and methodology. We therefore welcome empirical content from different locations around the world, as well as theoretical discussions covering the various conceptual frameworks through which efforts to improve social outcomes can be interpreted and understood.
The sessions are intended to be informal in nature, allowing for free-flowing discussion, the testing of ideas among peers, and wrestling with the challenges of interdisciplinary work in this space. It therefore provides an arena for researchers away from the demands of having a polished ‘policy message’ or published paper. In doing so, we hope to develop a scholarly network that will enrich our research, disseminate ideas, and foster collaboration across institutions.
What to expect
Forum meetings are one hour long, and are held online on the last Friday of every other month. They are free to attend, and anyone who is interested is welcome to join. The target audience is principally researchers, however, and these sessions will particularly appeal to members of academic institutions, consultancies, and/or think tanks, whose work relates to the above outlined themes.
If you are interested in presenting at the Forum please contact Dr Eleanor Carter, Research Director at the Government Outcomes Lab.
Session overview
Sandro Cabral is a Professor at Insper Institute of Education and Research, Brazil, where he studies Strategy and Public Management, and coordinates Insper's Professional Masters in Public Policy. As part of his visit to the Government Outcomes Lab in September 2022, he presented his recent paper, 'Can public organizations perform as private firms? The role of heterogeneous resources and practices'. Focusing on the Brazilian education sector, Professor Cabral compared the organizational traits of public and private schools, and used data to explore some explanations for differences in their performance.