Pre-contractual relational governance for public–private partnerships: how can ex-ante relational governance help formal contracting in smart city outsourcing projects?

IF 2.7 4区 管理学 Q2 PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
R. Mu, Peiyi Wu, Maidina Haershan
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引用次数: 3

Abstract

In the literature on relational governance, it is often assumed that relational governance emerges primarily after formal contracting and acts as a functional supplement to a formal contract. In this article, we show that especially facing deep uncertainties, relational governance can emerge before the start of formal partnerships, in the form of trust-building, exchanging resources, and fostering flexibility. Based on a case study of a smart city outsourcing project, this article introduces a forward-extended framework of relational governance that captures the pre-contractual dimensions of relationship cultivation and their role in facilitating formal contracting. The study finds that pre-contractual relational governance facilitates formal contracting by reducing substantive, evaluative, technological, and procedural uncertainties in the project and helps the partners to design an elaborative contract, undergo an easy negotiation, adopt short-term contracts, and use simple monitoring and evaluation methods. The article thus argues that only understanding post-contractual relational governance is insufficient for exploring the relation between formal contracting and relational governance; facing deep uncertainties, it is necessary to understand how public and private parties develop their pre-contractual relationship and reduce the uncertainties before a formal contract can be signed. Points for practitioners Practitioners should realize that there is much room for relational governance in the pre-contractual phase of PPP projects when the projects are rife with various uncertainties. Public and private parties can take measures to build trust, foster flexibility, and create interdependence before a formal contract is signed. These ex-ante relational governance measures can facilitate formal contracting by reducing the various uncertainties, making a formal contract designable, making negotiation smooth and easy, and reducing the need for contract supervision.
公私合作伙伴关系的合同前关系治理:事前关系治理如何帮助智慧城市外包项目的正式合同?
在有关关系治理的文献中,通常假设关系治理主要是在正式契约之后出现的,并作为正式契约的功能补充。在本文中,我们将展示,特别是面对深层次的不确定性时,关系治理可以在正式伙伴关系开始之前以建立信任、交换资源和促进灵活性的形式出现。基于一个智慧城市外包项目的案例研究,本文介绍了一个向前扩展的关系治理框架,该框架捕捉了关系培养的合同前维度及其在促进正式合同中的作用。研究发现,合同前关系治理通过减少项目中的实质性、评估性、技术性和程序性不确定性,促进正式合同的签订,并帮助合作伙伴设计详细的合同,进行轻松的谈判,采用短期合同,并使用简单的监测和评估方法。本文认为,仅仅理解契约后的关系治理不足以探究正式契约与关系治理之间的关系;面对深刻的不确定性,有必要了解公共和私人各方如何发展他们的合同前关系,并在正式合同签署之前减少不确定性。实践者应该意识到,在PPP项目的合同前阶段,当项目充满各种不确定性时,关系治理有很大的空间。在正式合同签署之前,公共和私人各方可以采取措施建立信任、促进灵活性和建立相互依存关系。这些事前关系治理措施可以通过减少各种不确定性、使正式合同具有可设计性、使谈判顺利和容易以及减少对合同监督的需要来促进正式合同。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
6.10
自引率
4.30%
发文量
0
期刊介绍: IRAS is an international peer-reviewed journal devoted to academic and professional public administration. Founded in 1927 it is the oldest scholarly public administration journal specifically focused on comparative and international topics. IRAS seeks to shape the future agenda of public administration around the world by encouraging reflection on international comparisons, new techniques and approaches, the dialogue between academics and practitioners, and debates about the future of the field itself.
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