TY - JOUR
T1 - Interplay between efficiency and quality in contracting
T2 - a case of responses to policy changes in public hearing-aid service
AU - Lennon, Niels Joseph
AU - Elmholdt, Kasper Trolle
PY - 2019/6/3
Y1 - 2019/6/3
N2 - This article provides a study of supply-side responses to contracting out hearing aid services and products in the Danish public sector. Drawing on the theory of social mechanisms, we show how service quality is reconfigured as a response to the contracting changes and argue that efficiency and quality concerns are always interrelated. We conclude that micro level action-formation components will likely transform the effects of the situational policy changes at the macro level. Therefore, simultaneous management of efficiency and quality is an essential and ongoing effort that requires responsiveness to the non-contractible dimensions of quality.
AB - This article provides a study of supply-side responses to contracting out hearing aid services and products in the Danish public sector. Drawing on the theory of social mechanisms, we show how service quality is reconfigured as a response to the contracting changes and argue that efficiency and quality concerns are always interrelated. We conclude that micro level action-formation components will likely transform the effects of the situational policy changes at the macro level. Therefore, simultaneous management of efficiency and quality is an essential and ongoing effort that requires responsiveness to the non-contractible dimensions of quality.
KW - Contracting
KW - efficiency
KW - new public management
KW - quality
KW - social mechanisms
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85056197542&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/14719037.2018.1538422
DO - 10.1080/14719037.2018.1538422
M3 - Journal article
SN - 1471-9037
VL - 21
SP - 839
EP - 862
JO - Public Management Review
JF - Public Management Review
IS - 6
ER -