Waiting for Miracles : The Commercialization of Urban Water Services in Zambia

This article focuses on the commercialization of urban water services in Zambia. It aims to demonstrate the tension between cost recovery and service extension when water sector reforms combine investment cuts with price increases. It is argued that in low-income economies where infrastructure limitations are serious and poverty is widespread, heavy reliance on ‘tariff rationalization’ with low levels of investment can lead to reduced access to water and render water charges unaffordable. Reforms to public services can prove futile in the absence of upfront resources for investment in the restoration and extension of the existing infrastructure. In many ways, Zambia typifies other low-income economies; this study thus offers useful lessons for themPeer reviewe

Heterogeneidade de desempenho das pequenas empresas brasileiras: uma abordagem da Visão Baseada em Recursos (VBR) Performance heterogeneity of Brazilian small firms: a resource-based view approach

O objetivo do trabalho foi verificar se as diferenças de desempenho econômico (Taxa de Crescimento das Vendas -TCV) de pequenas empresas brasileiras, dentro de um mesmo setor, foram maiores do que as diferenças de desempenho econômico entre os setores. Sugeriu-se que os fatores internos (capacidades e competências organizacionais) exerceriam maior influência do que os fatores externos (posicionamento estratégico e localização) na heterogeneidade de desempenho econômico das pequenas empresas brasileiras. Os dados foram coletados de uma amostra de 328 pequenas empresas que mais cresceram no Brasil no ano de 2010. Os principais resultados evidenciaram diferenças significativas de desempenho econômico (TCV) entre as pequenas empresas brasileiras independentemente do setor de atuação, confirmando o efeito firma na variação de desempenho. O efeito setor foi não significativo, uma vez que os resultados sugeriram não haver diferenças significativas de desempenho econômico (TCV) nas pequenas empresas brasileiras a nível setorial. Observou-se ainda que a variância de desempenho econômico (TCV) entre os setores de atuação das empresas foi menor do que a variância de desempenho econômico (TCV) dentro do setor de atuação das empresas. Reforçou assim, o pressuposto de que os fatores internos, relacionados às empresas de forma individual, exerceram influência mais significativa do que os fatores externos na heterogeneidade de desempenho econômico. Concluiu-se que as capacidades e competências organizacionais foram distribuídas de forma heterogênea entre as firmas, causando influências diversas em seus indicadores de desempenho econômico (TCV), validando os fundamentos teóricos da Visão baseada em recursos.<br>The aim of this study was to verify whether the differences in performance (Sales growth rate -SGR) of Brazilian's small firms within the same sector were higher than the differences in economic performance between sectors. It was suggested that the internal factors (organizational capabilities and skills) would exert greater influence than the external factors (strategic positioning and location) in the heterogeneity of performance of Brazilian's small firms. Data were collected from a sample of 328 fastest growing Brazilian's small firms in 2010. The main results showed significant differences in performance (Sales growth rate -SGR) between the Brazilian's small firms regardless of industry sector, confirming the effect of variation in firm performance. The industry effect was not significant, since the results suggested no significant differences in performance (Sales growth rate -SGR) in Brazilian's small firms at the sectoral level. It was also observed that the variance of performance (Sales growth rate -SGR) among the sectors where the companies was lower than the variance of performance within the sector where the companies operate. Thus reinforcing the assumption that the internal factors related to the companies individually, able to influence more significant than external factors in the performance heterogeneity. It was concluded that the skills and organizational skills were unevenly distributed among firms, causing various influences on their performance (Sales growth rate -SGR), validating the theoretical foundations of the resource based view

Systems that Should Have Failed: Critical Infrastructure Protection in an Institutionally Fragmented Environment

Recent years have witnessed major governmental initiatives regarding Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP). At the same time, critical infrastructures have undergone massive institutional restructuring under the headings of privatization, deregulation and liberalization. Little research has gone into understanding the interactions between these two developments. In this article, we outline the consequences of institutional restructuring for the changing ways in which critical infrastructures ensure the reliability and security of their networks and services. Neither Normal Accident Theory nor High-Reliability Theory can account for reliability under these conditions. We then investigate the implications of these findings for Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP).Multi Actor SystemsTechnology, Policy and Managemen

IS THE DEFENCE MARKET CONTESTABLE? THE CASE OF MILITARY AEROSPACE

I demonstrate the existence of two sources of contestability in the military aerospace market, within producing and export countries, through the State's triple role as unique buyer, regulator and seller. For the producing countries, I introduce the new concept, 'sovereignty price'; that is, the profit a State agrees to grant to its defence firms to perpetuate their domestic activities. This subjective, evolutionary concept provides a dynamic character to the theory of contestable markets. Moreover, I show that contestability is more effective than antitrust policies and a solution of the cost disease. Empirical cases are shown to confirm the theoretical analysis.Common Operating System, Contestable markets, Cost disease, Aerospace, Regulation, Sovereignty price,