4 ms·

I've also seen many public places where people are efficient, and also stressed because of the amount of work to do. I feel like your experience is not very app

by jraph 3y ago

I've also seen many public places where people are efficient, and also stressed because of the amount of work to do. I feel like your experience is not very applicable to all situations. What's more, a private company which has monopoly does not really have special incentive to respect deadlines and everything: it is the only choice, so customers won't deal with any competitor and are stuck with this private company.

Kiro 3y ago
Absolutely. My experience is completely anecdotal, and even if it's true that you get less bang for the buck in the public sector I still think it's ideologically sound and worth it. My country has a huge public sector but I think it's good. What's normally the driving motivator in public companies to be efficient?
- Yoric 3y ago
  Professional pride?
  - jraph 3y ago
    I'd also add a sense of wanting to be useful, and not letting people (you serve) down (which can be emotionally draining).
- robertlagrant 3y ago
  My experience with the public sector is the same. People must spend all their budget or it will be cut next year, so they do. Processes calcify and no one is incentivised to improve them. It's hard to fire people or make them redundant, so people get shuffled around between departments, costing far more than they contribute. Pensions are often very expensive. Strike action is more likely, as it's a big mass of people who can shut things down. Fundamentally, it's the principle-agent problem. The customer isn't the one paying the bills. The customer is a politician or two who can heap money on the department or not, and they get praised for heaping money rather than saving money. The people paying the bills, taxpaying individuals and businesses, must do so or they go to jail. So why be efficient when your customers cannot legally avoid buying your service?

4 ms·

I've also seen many public places where people are efficient, and also stressed because of the amount of work to do. I feel like your experience is not very app

by jraph 3y ago

Kiro 3y ago
Absolutely. My experience is completely anecdotal, and even if it's true that you get less bang for the buck in the public sector I still think it's ideologically sound and worth it. My country has a huge public sector but I think it's good. What's normally the driving motivator in public companies to be efficient?
- Yoric 3y ago
  Professional pride?
  - jraph 3y ago
    I'd also add a sense of wanting to be useful, and not letting people (you serve) down (which can be emotionally draining).
- robertlagrant 3y ago
  My experience with the public sector is the same. People must spend all their budget or it will be cut next year, so they do. Processes calcify and no one is incentivised to improve them. It's hard to fire people or make them redundant, so people get shuffled around between departments, costing far more than they contribute. Pensions are often very expensive. Strike action is more likely, as it's a big mass of people who can shut things down. Fundamentally, it's the principle-agent problem. The customer isn't the one paying the bills. The customer is a politician or two who can heap money on the department or not, and they get praised for heaping money rather than saving money. The people paying the bills, taxpaying individuals and businesses, must do so or they go to jail. So why be efficient when your customers cannot legally avoid buying your service?