Suchergebnisse

The political fallout from the release of the Guide to the Proposed Basin Plan in the Murray‐Darling is illustrative of the difficulties associated with reallocating water resources in this context. The response of Minister Burke has been somewhat predictable, with a resurgent interest in public subsidy of irrigation infrastructure evident. This article is used to examine the policy background to the Guide and critically consider further subsidy of irrigation infrastructure. The article concludes that infrastructure investment at the expense of the public purse will fail to deal with the problems at hand and generate a plethora of additional future problems.

PurposeUnder the pressure of competition from non‐state‐owned enterprises (non‐SOEs) since the Renovation in 1986, the Government of Vietnam has sought to reform state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) in order to improve their productivity and efficiency. Whilst the theoretical efficiency benefits from the SOE reform have interested many, this study seeks to add empirical insights to this debate using Williamson's transaction cost economics (TCE).Design/methodology/approachOrganizational integration and transaction costs – two dimensions of firm efficiency – were compared between SOEs and non‐SOEs using multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA). The analysis was conducted in the context of the within‐firm logistics processes of international multimodal transport (IMT) in Vietnam.FindingsSOEs were as efficient as non‐SOEs along organizational integration and transaction costs dimensions.Research limitations/implicationsResults of the study contribute to the ongoing research on SOEs reform in Vietnam. They add tentative support to the reform process, although the study also highlights the need for further research incorporating the wider motivation for the SOE reform and/or the broader influence of competition and private ownership.Originality/valueThis study assesses the efficiency of the SOE reform in Vietnam from a perspective that has never been done before, Williamson's TCE.