The process ofcorporatization in public services has led to the emergence of new, moreautonomous organizational forms. The aim has been to make public sectorbureaucracies more business-like, in the hope that this will enhanceperformance. However, while previous research largely supports this assumption,we know far less about the impact of corporatization on the administrativeintensity (AI) of public sector organizations. We address this gap focusing onthe effects of Foundation Trust status on administrative intensity (AI) andperformance in the acute care hospital sector in the English NHS. Based on adatabase of nine years (2008/09-2016/17) and dynamic panel data regressions,the results show that corporatization has two primary consequences: improvedoverall performance: and lower levels of AI. Further analysis reveals that lowerlevels of AI, in turn, positively mediate the relationship betweencorporatization and performance, although only in relation to efficiencyoutcomes. These findings highlight the crucial, butpreviously misunderstood, importance of lean administration as part of thecorporatization reform package, with implications for research, theory, andpolicy.

The seminar will be held both in presence (only with green pass) and online @ this link