Contenu du sommaire : Entreprise publiques et efficacité.

Nationalizations : conditions for success. A reply to the great international uncertainties besetting the outgoing 20th century, an instrument of economic policy meant to get France out of the crisis, a decisive step towards reshuffling production, such are the expectations that have prompted recent nationalizations. What are the conditions for success, granted that it will only be possible over the longer term to attempt an evaluation, for it would be irresponsible to throw up the going concerns just for the fun of it with no regard for the morrow ? The author sorts out four conditions while insisting on their unexhaustiveness ; these requisites are : the right pick of men, the indispensable evolution of industrial and banking structures, the role of the State as shareholder, the relations between Administration and the concerns at stake.

Public enterprise and performance. What is meant by efficiency as applied to public enterprise? The very notion of efficiency of the public sector has for a long time given rise to confusion; hence the need for clarification. Nationalizations call for an urgent solution of this issue. This is attempted through an extremely detailed analysis (of the various aspects of the public enterprise specific concept of efficiency), which draws a line between efficient public and efficient private administration. As a result, a new concept is outlined, incorporating the various targets and criteria sorted out earlier in an original assembly.

Are the large national corporations efficient. The nationalizations are carried by the endeavour to clinch two sore, often interrelated issues: sway monopolistic activities or get hold of concerns which by their size and prospects offer major assets for a successful industrial policy. Traditionally, the major internationalized concerns have lived mainly by the first consideration, however they have often been called upon to lead the way, including in the social field, owing to their weight and driving force within the national economy. It is precisely this double aspect which makes an evaluation of their performance so difficult. In fact, there have been frequent challenges by public enterprise managers of the targets assigned. Nevertheless, the concerns will obviously assume at least a stabilizing fonction on account of their share in heavy industries and their key position. This is not negligeable, as is witnessed by their recent resurgence.

Industrial public enterprise and the business cycle. Brief description of the major industrial public concerns and 1980 data, followed by an analysis of key figures to show their counter-cyclic role since the mid-70's for investments and employment, hence their anti-crisis effect, particularly as regard investments after 1974. On the employment side, staff has been shrinking since 1976, but more slowly than in private industry.

Comments on the reshuffling of french public enterprise. Underlying the recent nationalizations is the motive to provide the authorities with a tool for the reorganization of the French economy. The public sector has been growing these past thirty years in a variety of forms, but with the common target of concentrating economic power. Yet in this respect, a line is to be drawn between the aim pursued by the corporate effort on the one hand and the industrial policy of the State on the other. This double-headedness is the key factor for evolving the right criteria to assess the effectiveness of the reorganization, in the teeth of unwieldy decisions vs. reconciliation of public concerns. To this effect, the new government will have to clarify the relations between the State and public enterprise, confer tot the latter whatever additional powers may be assigned, and give priority ot the targets of industrial policy.

Public enterprise and the crisis : trends in the energy and raw material sectors. The international crisis has led public energy and raw material suppliers to engage in large structural transformations, viz. branching out, take-ouvers both in France and abroad, and setting up consortiums, whereas the adoption of private industry structures and management, blurring the line between both sectors, have resulted in a transfer of functions from one to the other, diminishing the specificity of public enterprise. The phenomenon is partly explained by the international crisis, calling for ideological and political reactions. A wider coherence of the public sector and a clearer definition of what belongs to overall planning and what to the autonomy of public enterprise will determine the success of the nationalizations.

Public enterprise will not wear the social uniform. The recent nationalizations will not wear the tricolour social uniform, for the simple reason that there is none such a thing. Even CDF Chimie, though born within, resembles its fastcolour nationalized parent “Charbonnages de France” much less than its outside “private” competitor Rhône-Poulenc Industries. It is hence high time to discard whatever idyllic or apocalyptic visions one may have about the “State-boss”, neither a father X-mas nor an ogre, but rather an employer among others, i.e. sensitive to the economic and political environment. The stringencies of — particularly international — competition have largely masked the social specificity of the nationals. And the pre-May '81 liberalism had done its best to spur the natural propensity of living cells to diversify. In short, the France taken over by F. Mitterand is mainly and paradoxically characterized by disparities among the nationals and parities among these and their private competitors.

The sway of the State over public enterprise. What sort of a control does the State exert over public corporations ? In reply, two aspects are analysed : Public enterprise as a tool of governmental policy and governmental policy regarding public enterprise. It appears in the upshot that State intervention reflects the weaknesses and contradictions of the controling authority. Although the public sector as a whole serves to underpin the economic and social action of govemments, a well-defined public enterprise policy is conspicuous by its absence. Under the previous seven-year presidency there was characteristically enough a complets concordance as regards economic policy between both government and public enterprise. This non-specificity is hence preventing government from steering the national economy through public enterprise, whose strategies and action are pre-eminently in line with those of their private industry counterparts.

Efficiency yardsticks for public enterprise. Efficiency measurement of public enterprise is based upon a series of yardsticks which combine private sector and public administration criteria. After analysing both, the author underlines their prerequisites of usage, viz. Steadiness of application, common sense, objectivity, and institutions and procedures for the collection of data, their weighting, and link-up with the overall action of the people in charge.

Economic efficiency yardsticks of public enterprise. What methods and/or tools are used for performance assessment of administration regarding their economic choices and the results of public enterprise ? Public corporations have specific tools, such as accountancy, order development indicators, investment decision models, for which a fast expansion has been observed over the past twenty years and which greatly facilitate information of public authorities. It is however absolutely necessary for government to call upon their own yardsticks to evaluate the decisions of public enterprise in order to ensure agreement with the general economic goals and to appraise the results obtained. After an overview of the economic trend and the role of public enterprise since the end of the war, the author shows how the available yardsticks have evolved in line with the economic and institutional context.

The austrian State industry — a substantial part of the public sector. On the basis of an outline of the public sector, the specific role and evolution of the ÖIAG concern (Oesterreichische Industrieverwaltungs AG) is underlined. The concern controls eight large State industry corporations with a number of affiliates. It is a holding company which in its present shape dates back to a 1970 Statute. Over the past ten years or so it has undertaken to develop and coordinate an overall policy for the whole of State industry and has thus been able to establish its altogether 35-years old sway as a steady and efficient form of management. The concern has developed its own style of management displayed as compulsory which does not admit of centralists or State intervention in operational matters. The success scored so far will not spare State industry the enormous difficulties to be expected during the forthcoming years. Already for 1981, the consolidated results will be largely mortgaged by expected heavy losses in the steel industry and poor results of the alu-manufacturers.

Public enterprise performance in Italy. Following an outline of the Italian experience in public enterprise, the author delineates the major legal features which have brought about the Italian “State-business-man”. It is worth noting that the whole crop of nationalized or State-controlled corporations representing often a whole sector of activity is far from giving the whole picture of all the complexifies prevalent in Italy to-day in the field of public enterprise whose size and particular features, both in terms of quality and quantity, are most impressive for a non-socialist country.

The performance of public corporations in India. To assess performance, reliable and fixed criteria are needed. This prerequisite is not easily met in India, where the relations between the State and public corporations are not well-defined, the latter being subjected to unorthodox and often contradictory pressures and interventions. Despite this handicap, Indian public enterprise has largely contributed to national development, often at a pace unparalleled by the private sector. To improve performance, besides getting a clearer definition of the State-public enterprise relations, a manpower adjustment policy will have to be evolved and implemented by public corporations. Historically, their style has been alien to managerial concepts; therefore, the training of officers and executive staff constitutes a priority task. not well-defined, the latter being subjected to unorthodox and often contradictory pressures and interventions. Despite this handicap, Indian public enterprise has largely contributed to national development, often at a pace unparalleled by the private sector. To improve perfor¬ mance, besides getting a clearer définition of the State-public enterprise relations, a manpower adjustment policy will hâve to be evolved and implemented by public cor¬ porations. Historically, their style has been alien to managerial concepts ; therefore, the training of officers and executive staff constitutes a priority task.