Journal Articles

ISSUE FRAMING AND SECTOR CHARACTER AS CRITICAL PARAMETERS FOR GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING-OUT IN THE UK

---

This article shows that variations in how two UK governments justified contracting-out (issue framing), combined with shifting sector-derived incentives for union activism (sector character), can help explain the extent of contracting-out. Janitorial service, an activity of the UK government that should have been ‘low hanging fruit' for its prolific reformers, proved difficult to contract-out for Thatcher's New Right Conservatives, but easier to contract-out for Blair's New Labour. The New Right government framed contracting-out narrowly, as merely an improvement in operational efficiency, and its reform faced unions that stood to lose a great deal from movement of janitorial jobs to private firms. In contrast, the New Labour government framed contracting-out broadly, as a means to efficient social justice, and faced unions with low stakes in government janitors. As a consequence, UK government units could expect lower benefit and higher cost from contracting-out janitors under Thatcher than they would under Blair.

---

Availability

No copy data

Detail Information

Series Title

Public Administration

Call Number

-

Publisher

Hoboken, United States : Wiley-Blackwell., 2011

Collation

-

Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

00333298

Classification

-

Content Type

-

Media Type

-

Carrier Type

-

Edition

Volume 89, Issue 4, December 2011, pages 1489–1508

Subject(s)

Government
United Kingdom
ISSUE FRAMING AND SECTOR CHARACTER

Specific Detail Info

-

Statement of Responsibility

-

Other version/related

File Attachment

Comments

---

You must be logged in to post a comment