The Public to Private Continuum Measure and the Role of Stakeholder Boards as a Proxy for Markets in the Governance of Air Navigation Services: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

This article studies institutional arrangements for governance of air navigation services employing a comparative analysis of six nations: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In each of these countries other than the  United States, a board of  directors composed of stakeholder representatives manages  an  independent  air  navigation  services  organization  that  is  not  a  traditional government bureau.

In this article we assess how boards of public organizations can act as a proxy for market feedback  in  the  provision  of  public  services. We use this concept to develop a more sensitive measure of the degree of publicness and privateness in organizations. We test our Public-Private Continuum Measure using a  comparative analysis of  air navigation services  in six  countries. Our Public-Private Continuum Measure advances  the measurement of the public to private continuum from the use of an ordinal measure to a continuous measure. Further research is needed to test this measure in studies that place organizations  on  the  continuum  and  determine  how  the  degree  of  public-privateness correlates with organizational performance measures. Armed with this tool, governments can make more accurate decisions about the degree of public-privateness desired for the provision of public goods.