En empirisk analyse af danske kommuners make-or-buy beslutninger

Hvorfor vælger nogle danske kommuner at producere offentlig service internt, mens andre anvender eksterne leverandører? Hvilken betydning har disse valg for kommunernes tilfredshed med den leverede service? Forskellige teoretiske perspektiver bliver i denne artikel anvendt til at besvare disse spørgsmål. Baseret på en spørgeskemaundersøgelse vises det, at specielt ressourcebaserede og neoklassiske økonomiske variable kan forklare graden af intern og ekstern produktion, men også lokale institutionelle kræfter kan trække i retning af større anvendelse af eksterne leverandører. Desuden er flere variable udledt af transaktionsomkostningsteorien signifikant knyttet til kommunernes oplevede tilfredshed med valget af leverandør. Resultaterne indikerer, at lokale kommunale forhold, hvad end det drejer sig om markedsforhold, ekspertise eller kommunalpolitisk pres, både forklarer, hvorfor kommunerne vælger de løsninger, de gør, samt hvor godt de fungerer. Dermed tyder resultaterne på, at der er behov for nuancerede analyser, hvor de enkelte kommuners specifikke forhold i højere grad spiller en rolle. Samlet peger artiklen på, at et vigtigt område for fremtidig forskning og debat om kommunal udlicitering må være et øget fokus på, hvordan de enkelte kommuner bliver i stand til at træffe bedre og mere kvalificerede beslutninger ud fra en kortlægning af såvel deres egne kompetencer og viden som de lokale markedsforhold.Why do some Danish municipalities choose to produce service internally, while others use external suppliers? And how do these choices influence their degree of satisfaction with the service delivered? The article discusses various theoretical perspectives to answer those questions. A questionnaire survey shows that particularly resource-based and neoclassical economic variables may be used to explain the degree of internal and external production; however, local institutional forces may also pull in the direction of wider use of external suppliers. In addition, several variables inferred from transaction cost theory have significant impact on the satisfaction experienced by local authorities with choice of supplier. The findings indicate that local municipal conditions, such as market situation, expertise or municipal pressure explain both why the municipalities choose the solutions they do, and how well they work. This seems to indicate a need for varied analyses of the specific situation of the individual local authority. The overall conclusion is that an important field for future research and debate on municipal outsourcing should include increased focus on how the individual local authority can enhance its ability to make more qualified decisions on the basis of a mapping of own competences and knowledge, and local market conditions

The Internet and Services Marketing - Danish Bankers' perception and expectations

Some analysts believe that the Internet will rapidly and fundamentally change the delivery channels, the company-consumer interactions, and the competition in many service industries. Retail banking is one of these service industries. Others believe that this development will be slow and that traditional bank branches and face-to-face communication continue to be the most important factors in retail banking. This paper examines various aspects of the motives, perceptions and expectations connected with the introduction of internet banking in Danish retail banking. Responses from 60 key managers in the largest retail banks in Denmark show that they believe that internet banking will become more important in the future, whereas all other distribution channels are predicted to become less important. The paper further describes the relationship between the perceptions of and expectations towards internet banking, the reasons for offering an internet bank and the way it has been organized in the banks.Internet banking, Denmark, motives, perceptions, expectations, organization