Research on organisational coordination mechanisms in vertically separated public utilities

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K12771
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 07040:Economic policy-related
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: Nakamura Eri 神戸大学, 経営学研究科, 准教授 (00611071)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 公益事業 / 組織間調整 / 包括委託 / 下水道事業 / 鉄道事業

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Through this research project, we found the following results. First, managerial ownership and diversification can reduce total costs, while large shareholders' ownership, holding company structure, and large staff function increase total costs.
Second, vertical integration can improve the alignment of business units. This advantage of vertical integration comes from the fact that it can provide various platforms for informal communications among employees.
Third, comprehensive outsourcing contract (COC) can generate inefficiency due to lock-in effect, and therefore COC has not only positive effects of deeper involvement by private actors but also negative effects of lock-in inefficiencies.

Free Research Field

公営企業

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究により、垂直分離された公益事業の組織構造が費用効率性を改善しながらその副作用としての取引費用の増加を抑えるためにどのようなメカニズムが必要かが明らかになった。特に包括委託については契約の長さや民間関与の度合いなどが重要な要因であることがわかり、今後増加すると思われる官民連携における契約の在り方に対して重要な示唆を与えている。