The institutionalisation of public-private partnerships in the UK and the nation-state of California

This paper explores, from an institutional theory framework, the causes of and responses to the institutionalisation processes of Public Private Partnership (PPP), as a new public management policy in the UK and the nation-state of California. It explores some of the problems of failing to implement the 'desired' objectives of public sector reforms. It argues that although the governments are confronted with similar pressures and have recognised the value of such public-private partnerships, their strategic responses have been significantly different: the UK government is pushing the public sector into 'shared governance' while in California, the state is being 'defiant' by redefining regulation and the deregulated public sector, albeit in an uncoordinated manner and under the strict new national standards and guidelines. The paper demonstrates that there is a need to find 'compromises' and/or 'manipulative' mechanisms between the extremes of either the public or private sector, which has become known as 'civic-markets'.