SFB 303 Discussion Paper No. A - 127
Author: Perelman, Sergio, and Pierre Pestieau
Title: The Performance of Public Enterprises: A Comparative Efficiency Study of Railways and Postal Services
Abstract: Measuring the performance of a public firm is both a complex and necessary task. It is complex because the
objectives of a public firm according to which its performance ought to be assessed are many and often
conflicting. It is necessary because a rigourous and objective evaluation of public firms' performance is the most
obvious escape from debates which are too often passionate. It is also needed because a good study of
performance can be used by public managers and by public authorities as a pragmatic and pedagogical tool
towards betterment.This paper presents findings of a performance study of two typical enterprises; railways and
postal services. As such enterprises operate on an nationwide scale without direct competitors, private or public,
the approach is based on a comparison across nations and over time. Further, it is restricted to the sole viewpoint
of technical efficiency, which is the first and unavoidable stage for a full performance assessment. Our data basis
being of a cross-section-time-series nature allows for both a static and a dynamic analysis of technical efficiency.
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Creation-Date: August 1987
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