From the early 1980s, Western governments, led mainly by those in the United Kingdom, have pursued public choice ideas in managing their public sectors, often targeting the monopoly position of public sectors in delivering public goods and services and also the influence and position of public sector trade unions. This policy approach also underpinned the reforms to local government in Victoria, Australia that occurred between 1992 and 1999. The Victorian State Government pursued an agenda of reform aimed at reducing costs in local government, reducing the size and scope of local government in delivering public goods and services and also seeking to reduce the perceived high level of influence of trade unions. On the basis of a literature review of the experiences of public sector reform in the United Kingdom during the 1980s, this study sought to test two propositions about public sector reform agendas and trade unions, using the Victorian local government reform as the primary research context. This was an important research gap since trade unions were a major target of the reform agenda and little research information existed as to how the reform agenda impacted on local government trade unions. Although the Victorian State Government did not possess direct legislative power over trade union behaviour, a reform agenda similar to that imposed by the governments in the United Kingdom, could inflict negative outcomes through the consequential changes resulting from competition in the delivery of local council services. The first proposition was that public sector reform agendas underpinned by public choice ideas sought to inculcate competitive practices in the provision of local government services and consequently reduce trade union influence and position in local government. The second proposition was that the level of success achieved by governments on these dual objectives was determined in part by the responses taken by trade unions to the reform agenda and on the extent to which local councils adopted a competitive culture.Five major research questions and a number of sub-questions were developed from the literature to test these two research propositions. In addition, models of effects on trade unions arising from public sector reform and on trade union responses were developed. The models were important for visually showing the areas of impact on trade unions and the level of impact caused by the reform and to identify the options available and responses undertaken by trade unions during this period. An analytical framework was also established and served as a template for organising and recording findings in this study. The analytical framework served to show the main causal links between the reform agenda and outcomes for trade unions. The study adopted features of both positivist and interpretive methodological approaches to address these research questions. A positivist approach was applied in the development of research protocols to ensure researcher independence. In addition, the information collected was matched to the models of union behaviour and to the relevant elements in the analytical framework. The study also adopted features of an interpretive approach in respect of using small samples and in gathering data through interviews with key informants from three case study organisations, one trade union and two local councils.The information collected on the research questions enabled conclusions to be reached on the two research propositions. The findings supported the first proposition and confirmed previous research studies in the United Kingdom that showed how governments are able to target trade unions in indirect ways through the consequences of the promotion of competition in the delivery of local government goods and services. The study identified the negative effects arising for Victorian local government trade unions in areas of access and influence on government policy decision making, membership levels, bargaining outcomes and relations within and between trade unions. The findings gathered in this study also supported the second research proposition. The level of success by the Victorian State Government in achieving local government reform objectives was in part limited by the responses taken by trade unions and also by the extent to which local councils adopted competitive practices. These findings have contributed important insights into local government reform and trade unions, which had not previously been addressed by researchers. The study has also contributed models of union behaviour and an analytical framework for addressing contemporary public policy issues and trade unions. The amalgamation of local councils planned by the Queensland State Government provides a similar research context in which to further test the usefulness of the models of union behaviour and the analytical framework. In addition, the return of the Australian Labor Party to Federal Government, and their aim of dismantling the previous Liberal-National Party’s WorkChoices industrial relations legislation, provides a context for testing these models and framework under conditions where more direct legislative changes affecting union rights to organise and bargain are pursued.

From the early 1980s, Western governments, led mainly by those in the United Kingdom, have pursued public choice ideas in managing their public sectors, often targeting the monopoly position of public sectors in delivering public goods and services and also the influence and position of public sector trade unions. This policy approach also underpinned the reforms to local government in Victoria, Australia that occurred between 1992 and 1999. The Victorian State Government pursued an agenda of reform aimed at reducing costs in local government, reducing the size and scope of local government in delivering public goods and services and also seeking to reduce the perceived high level of influence of trade unions. On the basis of a literature review of the experiences of public sector reform in the United Kingdom during the 1980s, this study sought to test two propositions about public sector reform agendas and trade unions, using the Victorian local government reform as the primary research context. This was an important research gap since trade unions were a major target of the reform agenda and little research information existed as to how the reform agenda impacted on local government trade unions. Although the Victorian State Government did not possess direct legislative power over trade union behaviour, a reform agenda similar to that imposed by the governments in the United Kingdom, could inflict negative outcomes through the consequential changes resulting from competition in the delivery of local council services. The first proposition was that public sector reform agendas underpinned by public choice ideas sought to inculcate competitive practices in the provision of local government services and consequently reduce trade union influence and position in local government. The second proposition was that the level of success achieved by governments on these dual objectives was determined in part by the responses taken by trade unions to the reform agenda and on the extent to which local councils adopted a competitive culture.Five major research questions and a number of sub-questions were developed from the literature to test these two research propositions. In addition, models of effects on trade unions arising from public sector reform and on trade union responses were developed. The models were important for visually showing the areas of impact on trade unions and the level of impact caused by the reform and to identify the options available and responses undertaken by trade unions during this period. An analytical framework was also established and served as a template for organising and recording findings in this study. The analytical framework served to show the main causal links between the reform agenda and outcomes for trade unions. The study adopted features of both positivist and interpretive methodological approaches to address these research questions. A positivist approach was applied in the development of research protocols to ensure researcher independence. In addition, the information collected was matched to the models of union behaviour and to the relevant elements in the analytical framework. The study also adopted features of an interpretive approach in respect of using small samples and in gathering data through interviews with key informants from three case study organisations, one trade union and two local councils.The information collected on the research questions enabled conclusions to be reached on the two research propositions. The findings supported the first proposition and confirmed previous research studies in the United Kingdom that showed how governments are able to target trade unions in indirect ways through the consequences of the promotion of competition in the delivery of local government goods and services. The study identified the negative effects arising for Victorian local government trade unions in areas of access and influence on government policy decision making, membership levels, bargaining outcomes and relations within and between trade unions. The findings gathered in this study also supported the second research proposition. The level of success by the Victorian State Government in achieving local government reform objectives was in part limited by the responses taken by trade unions and also by the extent to which local councils adopted competitive practices. These findings have contributed important insights into local government reform and trade unions, which had not previously been addressed by researchers. The study has also contributed models of union behaviour and an analytical framework for addressing contemporary public policy issues and trade unions. The amalgamation of local councils planned by the Queensland State Government provides a similar research context in which to further test the usefulness of the models of union behaviour and the analytical framework. In addition, the return of the Australian Labor Party to Federal Government, and their aim of dismantling the previous Liberal-National Party’s WorkChoices industrial relations legislation, provides a context for testing these models and framework under conditions where more direct legislative changes affecting union rights to organise and bargain are pursued.

Este trabalho apresenta os resultados de um estudo de caso (MINAYO, 1993, 2010; YIN, 2010), de abordagem qualitativa, realizado junto à Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, com o objetivo de identificar, sob a perspectiva de rito de passagem, como se dá a socialização dos ingressantes técnico-administrativos e que ações institucionais poderiam contribuir para consolidar o vínculo desses servidores. A pesquisa orientou-se pelo pressuposto de que as emoções afloradas durante a socialização de ingressantes na Administração Pública podem tanto contribuir quanto prejudicar a formação de vínculos afetivos, impactando, positiva ou negativamente, a identificação com a organização e o comprometimento com o trabalho. Assim, a socialização é contemplada como um reflexo da relação indissociável e interdependente entre indivíduo e sociedade, e a realidade social como um produto da socialização e da interação humana, em consonância com as concepções de Berger e Luckmann (2011), Cavedon (1990, 2000, 2010) e Setton (2010, 2011). Já a mudança de status, decorrente do ingresso no setor público, é tratada como um rito de passagem constituído de três fases, separação, margem e agregação, conforme teoriza Van Gennep (2011). Os dados foram coletados por meio de pesquisa documental, diários de campo, observação participante, questionários abertos, aplicados a ingressantes do concurso 2010, e entrevistas realizadas com servidores “antigos”, com apoio de um roteiro semi-estruturado. Os resultados sugerem que a fase de margem, correspondente ao estágio probatório de três anos, não é legitimada como um período de aprendizado, e, consequentemente, não há clara definição dos papéis de socializados (ingressantes) e socializadores (“antigos”). Existem expectativas de que os ingressantes adotem uma postura de humildade e deferência em relação aos “antigos”, e de que estes, por sua vez, assumam responsabilidades em relação ao aprendizado dos recém-chegados. Entretanto, em decorrência da indefinição de papéis, essas teatralizações, que são próprias da fase de margem, tendem a ser negligenciadas, causando conflitos que prejudicam o trabalho em equipe e o andamento do trabalho. A importação da lógica de mercado no serviço público também é evidenciada como origem de muitas das dificuldades identificadas, apontando para a necessidade de direcionar esforços visando uma conscientização nesse sentido. Como possível solução para os problemas levantados, sugere-se a realização de procedimentos ritualizados que reforcem o caráter de aprendizado da fase liminar, conduzidos por facilitadores designados e capacitados para tanto, que atuem como mediadores legitimados, em nível de unidade. Por fim, conclui-se que investimentos na socialização de recém-concursados são primordiais, podendo repercutir em maior comprometimento com o trabalho e melhores resultados em relação aos objetivos institucionais do que a implementação de mecanismos coercitivos de controle e de gestão do desempenho, característicos do modelo gerencialista que vêm se consolidando na administração pública desde o Plano Diretor da Reforma do Aparelho do Estado de 1995. / This work presents the results of a qualitative case study (MINAYO, 1993, 2010; YIN, 2010) that took place at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul with the aim of identifying, according to the perspective of rite of passage, how the socialization of the administrative staff is carried out and what institutional actions may contribute to the consolidation of organizational bonding. The research had its starting point in the assumption that newcomers who join the public sector experience emotions, triggered by socialization, that have the potential to either enhance or impair bonding processes, impacting identification with the organization and commitment to work in a positive or negative way. Thus, socialization is seen as a reflection of the inseparable and interdependent relation between individual and society whereas social reality is considered a by-product of socialization and human interaction, according to the conceptions of Berger and Luckmann (2011), Cavedon (1990, 2000, 2010) and Setton (2010, 2011). In its turn, the change of status caused by getting a job in the public sector is treated as a rite of passage that can be divided into three phases, separation, margin and aggregation, as theorized by Van Gennep (2011). The data was collected by means of documentary research, field journals, participant observation, open questionnaire applied to the newcomers of the 2010 selection process, and semi-structured interviews with senior level staff members. The results suggest that the margin phase, which corresponds to the three-year probationary period, is not legitimized as a learning period, therefore there‟s no clarity with regard to the different roles of “persons being socialized” and “agents of socialization”, to be respectively assumed by the newcomers and the senior level staff members. The newcomers should adopt a humble and respectful attitude towards their senior level colleagues, who, in turn, should undertake certain responsibilities in the learning process of the former. However, due to the lack of clearly defined roles and responsibilities, these expected theatrical-like behaviors tend to be neglected, leading to conflicts that disrupt teamwork and hinder the workflow. There‟s also evidence that the adoption of the market logic in the public sector may be the cause of many of the identified difficulties, which points to the need of directing efforts to raise awareness about this issue. A possible solution to the problems addressed by this research is the institutionalization of ritualized procedures designed to reinforce the learning-focused nature of the margin phase and conducted by properly trained facilitators, appointed to act as legitimate mediators in each decentralized unit. Finally, it is concluded that investments in the socialization of newcomers are essential and may yield stronger commitment to work and better results for the institution than the implementation of coercive mechanisms of performance management associated with the managerial model that has been consolidating itself in the public administration since the public sector reform of 1995.

Este trabalho apresenta os resultados de um estudo de caso (MINAYO, 1993, 2010; YIN, 2010), de abordagem qualitativa, realizado junto à Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, com o objetivo de identificar, sob a perspectiva de rito de passagem, como se dá a socialização dos ingressantes técnico-administrativos e que ações institucionais poderiam contribuir para consolidar o vínculo desses servidores. A pesquisa orientou-se pelo pressuposto de que as emoções afloradas durante a socialização de ingressantes na Administração Pública podem tanto contribuir quanto prejudicar a formação de vínculos afetivos, impactando, positiva ou negativamente, a identificação com a organização e o comprometimento com o trabalho. Assim, a socialização é contemplada como um reflexo da relação indissociável e interdependente entre indivíduo e sociedade, e a realidade social como um produto da socialização e da interação humana, em consonância com as concepções de Berger e Luckmann (2011), Cavedon (1990, 2000, 2010) e Setton (2010, 2011). Já a mudança de status, decorrente do ingresso no setor público, é tratada como um rito de passagem constituído de três fases, separação, margem e agregação, conforme teoriza Van Gennep (2011). Os dados foram coletados por meio de pesquisa documental, diários de campo, observação participante, questionários abertos, aplicados a ingressantes do concurso 2010, e entrevistas realizadas com servidores “antigos”, com apoio de um roteiro semi-estruturado. Os resultados sugerem que a fase de margem, correspondente ao estágio probatório de três anos, não é legitimada como um período de aprendizado, e, consequentemente, não há clara definição dos papéis de socializados (ingressantes) e socializadores (“antigos”). Existem expectativas de que os ingressantes adotem uma postura de humildade e deferência em relação aos “antigos”, e de que estes, por sua vez, assumam responsabilidades em relação ao aprendizado dos recém-chegados. Entretanto, em decorrência da indefinição de papéis, essas teatralizações, que são próprias da fase de margem, tendem a ser negligenciadas, causando conflitos que prejudicam o trabalho em equipe e o andamento do trabalho. A importação da lógica de mercado no serviço público também é evidenciada como origem de muitas das dificuldades identificadas, apontando para a necessidade de direcionar esforços visando uma conscientização nesse sentido. Como possível solução para os problemas levantados, sugere-se a realização de procedimentos ritualizados que reforcem o caráter de aprendizado da fase liminar, conduzidos por facilitadores designados e capacitados para tanto, que atuem como mediadores legitimados, em nível de unidade. Por fim, conclui-se que investimentos na socialização de recém-concursados são primordiais, podendo repercutir em maior comprometimento com o trabalho e melhores resultados em relação aos objetivos institucionais do que a implementação de mecanismos coercitivos de controle e de gestão do desempenho, característicos do modelo gerencialista que vêm se consolidando na administração pública desde o Plano Diretor da Reforma do Aparelho do Estado de 1995. / This work presents the results of a qualitative case study (MINAYO, 1993, 2010; YIN, 2010) that took place at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul with the aim of identifying, according to the perspective of rite of passage, how the socialization of the administrative staff is carried out and what institutional actions may contribute to the consolidation of organizational bonding. The research had its starting point in the assumption that newcomers who join the public sector experience emotions, triggered by socialization, that have the potential to either enhance or impair bonding processes, impacting identification with the organization and commitment to work in a positive or negative way. Thus, socialization is seen as a reflection of the inseparable and interdependent relation between individual and society whereas social reality is considered a by-product of socialization and human interaction, according to the conceptions of Berger and Luckmann (2011), Cavedon (1990, 2000, 2010) and Setton (2010, 2011). In its turn, the change of status caused by getting a job in the public sector is treated as a rite of passage that can be divided into three phases, separation, margin and aggregation, as theorized by Van Gennep (2011). The data was collected by means of documentary research, field journals, participant observation, open questionnaire applied to the newcomers of the 2010 selection process, and semi-structured interviews with senior level staff members. The results suggest that the margin phase, which corresponds to the three-year probationary period, is not legitimized as a learning period, therefore there‟s no clarity with regard to the different roles of “persons being socialized” and “agents of socialization”, to be respectively assumed by the newcomers and the senior level staff members. The newcomers should adopt a humble and respectful attitude towards their senior level colleagues, who, in turn, should undertake certain responsibilities in the learning process of the former. However, due to the lack of clearly defined roles and responsibilities, these expected theatrical-like behaviors tend to be neglected, leading to conflicts that disrupt teamwork and hinder the workflow. There‟s also evidence that the adoption of the market logic in the public sector may be the cause of many of the identified difficulties, which points to the need of directing efforts to raise awareness about this issue. A possible solution to the problems addressed by this research is the institutionalization of ritualized procedures designed to reinforce the learning-focused nature of the margin phase and conducted by properly trained facilitators, appointed to act as legitimate mediators in each decentralized unit. Finally, it is concluded that investments in the socialization of newcomers are essential and may yield stronger commitment to work and better results for the institution than the implementation of coercive mechanisms of performance management associated with the managerial model that has been consolidating itself in the public administration since the public sector reform of 1995.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The thesis examines the implications of Public Sector Reform (PSR) for public sector unions in Zambia. Using the case study strategy, the research investigates the Civil Servants and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (CSAWUZ) in Lusaka district under the rubric of PSR. The research is qualitative in nature. Two types of data were collected, namely, secondary and primary data. A sample of 25 key informants was engaged in the research. These informants include five managers of public institutions and 20 leaders of the CSAWUZ. The methods of multistage, purposive and snowball sampling were used to select the informants. Secondary data were collected by reading documents on PSR and trade unions while primary data were collected by conducting semi-structured interviews with the sampled informants. The data are analysed using the method of content analysis. The findings reveal that Zambia is characterised by a young, unskilled and impoverished population. The government faces challenges to deliver services especially in rural areas and to the female population. There are three major categories of government institutions in Zambia. These are central government, local government and parastatals. There are also different types of trade unions organising employees in these institutions. They include sectoral unions, enterprise unions, occupational unions, industrial unions, and federations of trade unions. However, the operations of these unions have been challenged by the reform of the public sector. Two generations of PSR have been implemented in Zambia. These are New Public Management (NPM) and post-NPM reforms. On the one hand, NPM reforms emphasised the effectiveness of market forces and the weakness of government regulation. On the other hand, post-NPM reforms emphasise the interconnectedness of stakeholders in the processes of policy formulation and implementation. These stakeholders include government, business, civil society organisations, employers and trade unions. The implementation of PSR is influenced by the interplay of a number of factors. These include the recognition of problems in the public sector, the emergence of a new ideology, and the presence of actors spearheading the reform of the public sector. The findings show that PSR involves changing the role of the public sector in the process of providing goods and services. Instead of the public sector being the only provider, it is a partner. As a partner, its role is to create an environment that encourages the growth of the private sector. However, this kind of reform negatively affects trade unions in the public sector. The effects include reductions in union membership, income and power. Although public sector unions are negatively affected by PSR, they have agency and do not just wait to become victims of the reform process. They make strategies to adapt to the changing circumstances. These strategies include diversifying the membership, servicing the membership, decentralising the organisational structure of the union, coordinating union activities, and forming alliances with external organisations dealing with issues affecting workers. This implies that trade unions in the public sector have opportunities to deal with challenges facing them under the rubric of PSR.

No / The prevailing economic and budgetary climate is intensifying the search for methods and practices aimed at generating efficiencies in public sector provision. This paper investigates the increasingly popular bundle of techniques operating under the generic descriptor of lean, which promises to improve operational quality processes while simultaneously reducing cost. It offers a critical appraisal of lean as a fashionable component of public sector reform and challenges the received wisdom that it unambiguously delivers ‘efficiencies’. Quantitative and qualitative research in HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) centred on employees' experiences has indicated the extent to which work has been reorganized along lean principles. However, employees perceive that changes in organizational processes and working practices have unintentionally generated inefficiencies which have impacted on the quality of public service. These suggested outcomes raise wider concerns as lean working is adopted in other public sector organizations.

The existing research into corporate entrepreneurship is based upon experiences in the private sector. Reforms of public sectors throughout the western world are focussing on entrepreneurial practices as part of a program to align public sector management practices with those of the private sector.This research concentrates on corporate entrepreneurship in the public sector and specifically addresses opportunities for the emergence of corporate entrepreneurship in Government Business Enterprises (“GBEs”).The literature assumes that entrepreneurial practices in the private sector may be foisted upon the public sector. The paper proposes that corporate entrepreneurship in the public sector is the result of different influencing factors and involves different processes from its private sector counterpart.Building on private sector research this research examines those factors that stimulate and constrain corporate entrepreneurship in the public sector. It addresses the extent to which the influences of factors that stimulate corporate entrepreneurship in the private sector are replicated in GBEs. This analysis generates a model that is founded on:1. Three research propositions that concern the correlation between those factors that foster corporate entrepreneurship in the private sector and those applicable to GBEs. They also address the preponderance of those facilitating factors in corporatised and non-corporatised GBEs; and2. An investigation into the manner in which the facilitating factors influence opportunities for the emergence of corporate entrepreneurship and the extent of that potential emergence. The presence or absence of factors that stimulate or constrain corporate entrepreneurship, however, does not explain its occurrence or absence. Public sector organisations which ensure that the influence of those factors that facilitate corporate entrepreneurship outweigh the influence of the inhibiting factors are more likely to be ready and able to react to opportunities to create value by adopting entrepreneurial processes. This is the basis of a Model that is developed and refined during the course of the paper.The Research Propositions were tested by a survey of 322 publicly urban water businesses located throughout Australia. The Model was illuminated and enhanced by considering case studies from twelve urban water businesses. The literature demonstrates that reforms to the public sector since the late 1970’s have created opportunities for corporate entrepreneurship. The literature also reveals that entrepreneurship is a strategic phenomenon. This paper demonstrates that the environment within which corporate entrepreneurship may occur is influenced by the organisation’s existence within either the public or the private sector and, within the public sector, the environmental and operating features of the entity as either a corporatised GBE, a non-corporatised GBE or other structure.

During a municipal election in 2010, Canadian citizens used a blog to enact an ad hoc campaign funding disclosure request of all candidates. After the election, the municipality implemented formal legislation requiring campaign funding disclosure on their own website. This thesis is a case study that explores how two technologically mediated transparency practices were constituted within and outside the scope of legislation. I draw on Andrew Pickering's (1995) notion of the mangle of practice and Karen Barad's (2003) concept of intra-action to conceptualize these transparency practices as a mangle of entwining intra-connected phenomena. In my exploration of policy in practice I deconstruct transparency practice through a discussion of how transparency mechanisms and social media characteristics intra-act and transform each other into a practice that supersedes the original intent of the ad hoc request and formal legislation. This research queries assumptions about transparency practices and contributes to establishing an interdisciplinary methodology for policy evaluation in technologically mediated environments. / Graduate / 0617 / paganda@gmail.com

The existing research into corporate entrepreneurship is based upon experiences in the private sector. Reforms of public sectors throughout the western world are focussing on entrepreneurial practices as part of a program to align public sector management practices with those of the private sector.This research concentrates on corporate entrepreneurship in the public sector and specifically addresses opportunities for the emergence of corporate entrepreneurship in Government Business Enterprises (“GBEs”).The literature assumes that entrepreneurial practices in the private sector may be foisted upon the public sector. The paper proposes that corporate entrepreneurship in the public sector is the result of different influencing factors and involves different processes from its private sector counterpart.Building on private sector research this research examines those factors that stimulate and constrain corporate entrepreneurship in the public sector. It addresses the extent to which the influences of factors that stimulate corporate entrepreneurship in the private sector are replicated in GBEs. This analysis generates a model that is founded on:1. Three research propositions that concern the correlation between those factors that foster corporate entrepreneurship in the private sector and those applicable to GBEs. They also address the preponderance of those facilitating factors in corporatised and non-corporatised GBEs; and2. An investigation into the manner in which the facilitating factors influence opportunities for the emergence of corporate entrepreneurship and the extent of that potential emergence. The presence or absence of factors that stimulate or constrain corporate entrepreneurship, however, does not explain its occurrence or absence. Public sector organisations which ensure that the influence of those factors that facilitate corporate entrepreneurship outweigh the influence of the inhibiting factors are more likely to be ready and able to react to opportunities to create value by adopting entrepreneurial processes. This is the basis of a Model that is developed and refined during the course of the paper.The Research Propositions were tested by a survey of 322 publicly urban water businesses located throughout Australia. The Model was illuminated and enhanced by considering case studies from twelve urban water businesses. The literature demonstrates that reforms to the public sector since the late 1970’s have created opportunities for corporate entrepreneurship. The literature also reveals that entrepreneurship is a strategic phenomenon. This paper demonstrates that the environment within which corporate entrepreneurship may occur is influenced by the organisation’s existence within either the public or the private sector and, within the public sector, the environmental and operating features of the entity as either a corporatised GBE, a non-corporatised GBE or other structure.

The existing research into corporate entrepreneurship is based upon experiences in the private sector. Reforms of public sectors throughout the western world are focussing on entrepreneurial practices as part of a program to align public sector management practices with those of the private sector.This research concentrates on corporate entrepreneurship in the public sector and specifically addresses opportunities for the emergence of corporate entrepreneurship in Government Business Enterprises (“GBEs”).The literature assumes that entrepreneurial practices in the private sector may be foisted upon the public sector. The paper proposes that corporate entrepreneurship in the public sector is the result of different influencing factors and involves different processes from its private sector counterpart.Building on private sector research this research examines those factors that stimulate and constrain corporate entrepreneurship in the public sector. It addresses the extent to which the influences of factors that stimulate corporate entrepreneurship in the private sector are replicated in GBEs. This analysis generates a model that is founded on:1. Three research propositions that concern the correlation between those factors that foster corporate entrepreneurship in the private sector and those applicable to GBEs. They also address the preponderance of those facilitating factors in corporatised and non-corporatised GBEs; and2. An investigation into the manner in which the facilitating factors influence opportunities for the emergence of corporate entrepreneurship and the extent of that potential emergence. The presence or absence of factors that stimulate or constrain corporate entrepreneurship, however, does not explain its occurrence or absence. Public sector organisations which ensure that the influence of those factors that facilitate corporate entrepreneurship outweigh the influence of the inhibiting factors are more likely to be ready and able to react to opportunities to create value by adopting entrepreneurial processes. This is the basis of a Model that is developed and refined during the course of the paper.The Research Propositions were tested by a survey of 322 publicly urban water businesses located throughout Australia. The Model was illuminated and enhanced by considering case studies from twelve urban water businesses. The literature demonstrates that reforms to the public sector since the late 1970’s have created opportunities for corporate entrepreneurship. The literature also reveals that entrepreneurship is a strategic phenomenon. This paper demonstrates that the environment within which corporate entrepreneurship may occur is influenced by the organisation’s existence within either the public or the private sector and, within the public sector, the environmental and operating features of the entity as either a corporatised GBE, a non-corporatised GBE or other structure.