I had the exact opposite experience to you. Outside pressure was the key determinant of waste and bureaucracy. Companies without competition (e.g. banks) had a

I had the exact opposite experience to you. Outside pressure was the key determinant of waste and bureaucracy. Companies without competition (e.g. banks) had almost zero competitive pressure but most government departments always had at least a bit of democratic pressure. The best run were companies under heavy competitive pressure or government departments that were transparent and closely watched.