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WORKING PAPERS

Italian report 1998


Italian report, RESER 1997 - Andrea BERGAMI & Lanfranco SENN  R é s e a u   E u r o p é e n   S e r v i c e s   &   E s p a c e
 
 

Annual report from RESER-

Italian Report.
1998


Andrea BERGAMI & Lanfranco SENN

Table des matières

1 - Public services
2 - Public-private cooperation : the non-profit sector
3 - Bank restructuring
4 - Quality
5 - Other literature on services
6 - Références

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Public services

In Italy a process of public sector reform is under way. As far as many public services are concerned, the State is going to exercise financial control and guarantee of certain standards for these services. Actual provision of public services will increasingly be transferred to the private sector.

Some analysts have tried to understand the economic reasons explaining this process, and have been able to identify both positive and negative aspects Some others have examined the more specific aspects of efficiencyand transparency of the public administration, with particular attention given to the inclusion of the Italian system within the European wide system.

One of the most relevant changes that has occurred within the public sector is a result of "Bassanini law". This was introduced by the government for two fundamental reasons. First, the need to cut public expenditures, while the second is related to the growth of more specialised demand for public services which cannot be satisfied by the present welfare state system.

An important part of this reform of public administration is the privatisation of public enterprises, banks and public services. Particular attention is given to the problem of how best to safeguard the interests of the client Another issue arising from this reform is the policy of privatisation of some local public services. These receive smaller transfers and contributions from the State and need to carefully reorganise their systems for the provision of services.

Privatisation, which several successive Italian governments first endorsed and then started to actively implement via the sale of a number of banking, insurance and industrial companies, is about to enter in a more delicate phase, namely the sale of public utilities. A volume, including many contribution, approaches the theme of the privatisation of public utilities from the perspective that it will be important to ensure what is required by the collective interest, particular market conditions and organisational structure of firms. It focuses attention in particular on the two related questions of why and how to proceed to a privatised supply of public utilities.

Related to the reforms of the public sector and to the shift of responsibility from the public administration to the private sector is also the issue of the non-profit sector.

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Public-private cooperation : the non profit sector

The reduction of the public sector's role and the expansion of the private sector keeps on driving the attention of large part of the literature on services provided by non-profit organisations.

The non-profit organisations are analysed from different points of view. First, an interest in the efficiency of these organisations ; second, a focus on the contribution of the non-profit sector to employment ; and third, issues related to the management of the non profit organisations.

A paper concerning the first aspect discusses the conditions under which these organisations can overcome the inefficient incentives due to their poorly defined property rights. It emerges that if the ideological commitment that characterises most non profit organisations attracts employees which are either committed to its ideology, or motivated by team spirit or driven by moral obligation, the organisations will achieve efficiency arising from all its members participating cooperatively. Moreover, they are more likely to achieve the efficiencies arising from all their members participating cooperatively if they are large and well established.

The institution of non-profit organisations to employment is analysed in a study which has estimated the growth of this sector, in terms of production and of employees, during the period 1990-1996. A forecast of future trends is also attempted. It seems that non-profit organisations can greatly contribute to the growth of the employment. However, this depends on two conditions. The first is endogenous and it is related to factors such as a willingness to accommodate change, an awareness of the importance of each individual's role and a commitment to providing a higher level of the service. The second factor is exogenous and is linked to the willingness of the profit (public and private) sectors to invest in the social economy. While the former seems to be already internalised by the non profit organisations, much more needs to be done about the latter.

Finally, a wide literature on "how to organise business in non profit organisations" is developing. This includes coverage of financial aspects, business strategies and management. Certain key-areas are identified as common to all these aspects, including the organisation of human resources (both employees and volounteers), the management of public relations and the marketing and collection of funds.

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Bank restructuring

The issues arising from reform of public administration and of privatisation are linked with bank restructuring. This subject of study has become up to date after that new norms confirmed a new institutional asset (as the shift of commercial banks to universal banks, the role of bank foundations and caused important effects within the financial and business environments.

The creation of the European Monetary Union is leading to a new kind of competition, not only between firms but also between banks. Until now the Italian banks have operated in a very closed market. However, if they are to survive in the much more open, competitive and efficient European banking system, they need to undertake substantial restructuring.

As a consequence of the restructuring process these institutions had to face important shifts in management. This aspect is particularly concerned with organisation and with new techniques made possible by information technology Thanks to these new technologies, the activity of bank front office has become less important, while the back-office functions are more and more relevant.

Quality

There is still a great interest in Italy in the quality of services, particularly the problems of evaluation and of the use of these techniques in the public sector.
In order to approach the problem of quality (particularly total quality) in the public services, it is argued that, first of all, it is necessary to focus on what is the object of the quality (the product, the client, the value of production, etc.). Only then, should the whole public administration be considered, including ways of defining executive duties, staff training and employees' involvement as a way of improving some qualities. Moreover, there is an uncertainty about how to implement the policies enforced by the legislation.

The quality of the public services is also related to the problem of the safety of the work, as is outlined in an analysis which argues that the value of the social services is ensured by the technical knowledge, which can be seen as both guarantee of quality and positive conditions of work. The issue of the quality of public services has received particular attention in the field of hospitals and health services in general.

Two legislative initiatives concerning the satisfaction of the user and the quality of the health services are the first steps in a revolution of the whole health system. This requires the user to become the central element of each health activity. In order to make this process possible, a proposal to apply the ISO 9000 norms to this sector has also been made.

Other literature on services

There are small parts of the service literature published in 1997 that cannot be grouped in to the fields of study described above. Some of this work concern the growth of services in connection with the internationalisation of firms and to the development of exports. This is analysed from different points of view: the first focuses on the theoretical and methodological aspects, the second is related to international know-how contracts and transfers of technology, and the third concerns the relationships between firms developing internationalisation strategies.

Finally, there is evidence of some interest in the role of human resources in the performance of services firms. The analysis focuses on the empowerment and valorisation of employees as a factor of success and on the management and organisation of human resource in the tourism sector.

Références

• D'Antoni M., Scelta tra pubblico e privato nella produzione dei servizi di pubblica utilitá : indicazioni della teoria economica, Working Paper, ECONPUBBLICA 53, Universitá Commerciale Luigi Bocconi, 1997, Milano.

• Mele R., Vesci M., L'efficienza e l'efficacia nella Pubblica Amministrazione : dove stiamo approdando, Economia e Diritto del Terziario, n. 2/97.

• Benedetti L. (et al.), Valutazione e riforma dei servizi sociali, Angeli, 1997, Milano.

• Valentini S., Efficienza trasparenza e modernizzazione della Pubblica Amministrazione della Unione Europea, Studi e Note di Economia, n. 2/97.

• Alpa G., Le privatizzazioni. Quadro complessivo e collegamenti normativi ; Roppo V., Privatizzazioni e Stato "regolatore", Economia e Diritto del Terziario, n. 2/97 ; Trasformazione e privatizzazione dei servizi pubblici locali, Amministrare, n. 1/2, Gennaio-Agosto 1997.

• Baldassari M., Macchiati A., Piacentini D., (a cura di) The privatisation of public utilities. The case of Italy, MacMillan, St. Martin's Press, 1997, London, New York.

• Agliardi E., Zagonari F., The efficiency of non-profit organizations: moral and social norms, Rapporti scientifici, Universitá degli Studi di Bologna, Dipartimento di Scienze economiche 274 ; Progetto d'Ateneo 03, 1997.

• Manfredi F., Economia sociale e lavoro. Le potenzalitá occcupazionali del Terzo settore, in Economia & Management, n.3/1997, Milano.

• Manfredi F., Le sponsorizzazioni sociali, Etas libri, 1997, Milano.

• Giuli M., Creare valore con il servizio, Angeli, 1997, Milano.

• Fiorentini G., Organizzazioni non profit e di volontariato, Etas libri, 1997, Milano (second edition which includes "case-histories" of the last years).

• Vittadini G., Il non profit dimezzato, Etas libri, 1997, Milano.

• Convegno sul tema "Le Fondazioni bancarie dalla legge Amato-Carli al disegno di legge Ciampi : quale futuro ?", Relazioni, in Economia e Diritto del Terziario, n. 2, 1997.

• Dacrema P., L'evoluzione della banca in Italia, EGEA, 1997, Milano.

• Baravelli M., Strategia e organizzazione della banca, EGEA, 1997, Milano.

• Coppola G., Corsini D. (a cura di), Banche informazione e sviluppo economico, Giappichelli, 1997, Torino.

• Biffi A., Filotto U. (a cura di), Soluzione banca virtuale, Aziendabanca, 1997, Milano

• Barbarino F.C., Servizi di qualitá, Il Sole 24 Ore, 1997, Milano.

• Bazzan G., Pubblica amministrazione cittadino-cliente, Vannini, 1997, Gussago.

• Nicoloso E. (et al.), Il sistema qualitá nelle aziende di trasporto pubblico locale, Angeli, 1997, Milano.

• Proto A., La qualitá nella produzione di servizi bancari : i risultati di una ricerca, Economia e Diritto del Terziario, n. 1, 1997.

• Ciaccia M., Amministrazioni pubbliche, CEDAM, 1997, Padova.

• Pellacani A., Sicurezza del lavoro e qualitá dei servizi nella pubblica amministrazione, Angeli, 1997, Milano.

• Donzelli A., Sistemi sanitari a confronto, Angeli, 1997, Milano ; Gestire e verificare la qualitá nelle strutture sanitarie, CLUEB, 1997, Bologna.

• Longo F., L'area a pagamento nelle aziende sanitarie pubbliche, Il Sole 24 Ore, 1997, Milano.

• Baraghini G., Il sistema qualitá ISO 9000 in sanitá, Angeli, 1997, Milano.

• Alessandrini S. (a cura di), I servizi reali all'internazionalizzazione delle imprese, Il Mulino, 1997, Bologna.

• Venanzi D. (a cura di), I trasferimenti internazionali di tecnologia, Il Mulino, 1997, Bologna.

• Lorenzono G. (a cura di), Architetture reticolari e processi di internazionalizzazione, Il Mulino, 1997, Bologna.

• Montironi M., Capitale umano e imprese di servizi, Il Sole 24Ore Libri, 1997, Milano.

• Comacchio A., Le risorse umane nelle imprese turistiche, Giappichelli, 1997, Torino.

• Nocifora E., Turismatica. Turismo, cultura, nuove imprenditorialite e globalizzazione dei mercati, Angeli, 1997, Milano

• Castelli F., Il servizio universale nelle telecomunicazioni, Angeli, 1997, Milano.


Wednesday April 21, 2004
RESER

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