The social clause in public tenders: strategic interdependence among companies and economic distortions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7433/s109.2019.08Keywords:
social clauses; public procurement; public services; outsourcing; business strategiesAbstract
Purpose of the paper: The aim of the paper is to identify the economic effects of the generalized application of the social clause, i.e., the mechanism established by the legislation and by the collective agreement that foresees the continuity of employment in public tenders.
Methodology: The methodological approach is qualitative and based on a multiple case study method. Through the use of a semi-structured questionnaire, interviews were conducted with the ownership and management of certain companies identified on the basis of dimensional criteria and their governance.
Results: The results of the research show how the social clause can generate distortive effects both on the decisions and behaviour of existing or incoming companies that could plan exit strategies from the service or manage different means for the allocation of new employees, respectively, and on the market dynamics in terms of barriers to the introduction of technological and organizational innovations, motivation of employees and expected levels of service quality.
Research limitations: This research is exploratory in nature and only considers the business perspective. Possible future research could help to overcome this limitation considering the other actors involved in these dynamics, such as employees, trade unions and public administrations.
Practical implications: The article provides several policy proposals and indications that could result in a reduction in procurement costs and an increase in the capability to monitor the quality of the service provided.
Originality of the paper: The work focuses on the public procurement field and addresses a specific theme, such as the social clause, via a business strategy perspective.
References
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KRAUSE D.R., RAGATZ G.L., HUGHLEY S. (1999), “Supplier development from the minority supplier’s perspective”, Journal of Supply Chain Management, vol. 35, n. 4, pp. 33-41.
MAMIC I. (2005), “Managing global supply chain: the sports footwear, apparel and retail sectors”, Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 59, n. 1, pp. 81-100.
MCCRUDDEN C. (2004), “Using public procurement to achieve social outcomes”, Natural Resources Forum, vol. 28, n. 4, pp. 257-267.
OLGIATI S., DANOVI A. (2015), “The financial unsustainability of the Italian public health care system”, Sinergie Italian Journal of Management, vol. 33, n. 97.
PALLINI M. (2016), “Diritto europeo e limiti di ammissibilità delle clausole sociali nella regolazione nazionale degli appalti pubblici di opere e servizi”, Giornale di diritto del lavoro e di relazioni industriali, vol. 38, n. 151, pp. 525-540.
ROMAGNOLI U. (2003), “Il diritto del lavoro nell’età della globalizzazione”, Lavoro e diritto, vol. 17, n. 4, pp. 569-580.
RUSSO O. (2017), “Le clausole sociali: equilibrio competitivo tra tutela sociale ed economica”, Amministrativ@mente, n. 5-6.
SALVATI M. (2002), “Economia e politica: servono gli economisti del lavoro?”, Stato e mercato, vol. 22, n. 1, pp. 143-174.
STAKE R.E. (1995), The art of case study research, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.
TOMO A., MANGIA G., MERCURIO R. (2016), “La regolazione del trasporto ferroviario: un’analisi organizzativa delle autorità in Europa”, Sinergie Italian Journal of Management, vol. 34, n. 99.
VARVA S. (2016), “Promozione dei soggetti svantaggiati negli appalti pubblici. La regolazione locale e la direttiva 2014/24/UE”, Lavoro e Diritto, vol. 30, n. 1, pp. 53-68.
WARNER M.E., HEFETZ A. (2008), “Managing markets for public service: the role of mixed public-private delivery of city services”, Public Administration Review, vol. 68, n. 1, pp. 155-166.
YIN R.K. (2017), Case study research and applications: Design and methods, Sage publications.
ANTONELLI G., PAGANETTO L. (1999), Disoccupazione e basso livello di attività in Italia: un blueprint sulle politiche del lavoro e dell’occupazione, Il Mulino, Bologna.
BEL G., FAGEDA X., WARNER M. E. (2010), “Is private production of public services cheaper than public production? A meta‐regression analysis of solid waste and water services”, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, vol. 29, n. 3, pp. 553-577.
BOITANI A., CAMBINI C. (2014), “Le gare per i servizi di trasporto locale in Italia e in Europa: molto rumore per nulla?”, Working Paper n. 1, Hermes.
CABRAL S., LAZZARINI S. G., DE AZEVEDO P. F. (2013), “Private entrepreneurs in public services: A longitudinal examination of outsourcing and statization of prisons”, Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, vol. 7, n. 1, pp. 6-25.
CARTER C. (2000), “Ethical issues in international buyer-supplier relationships: a dyadic examination”, Journal of Operations Management, vol. 18, n. 2, pp. 191-208.
CARTER C., AUSKALNIS R., KETCHUM C. (1999), “Purchasing from minority business enterprises: key success factors”, Journal of Supply Chain Management, vol. 35, n. 1, pp. 28-32.
COSTANTINI S. (2014), “La finalizzazione sociale degli appalti pubblici. Le clausole sociali fra tutela del lavoro e tutela della concorrenza”, Centre for the Study of European Labour Law Massimo D’Antona, Working Paper n. 196.
CRAVERO C. (2018), “Promoting Supplier Diversity in Public Procurement: A Further Step in Responsible Supply Chain”, European Journal of Sustainable Development Research, vol. 2, n. 1.
DAHLSTRÖM C., NISTOTSKAYA M., TYRBERG M. (2018), “Outsourcing, bureaucratic personnel quality and citizen satisfaction with public services”, Public Administration, vol. 96, n. 1, pp. 218-233.
DECAROLIS F., GIORGIANTONIO C. (2014), “Concorrenza e specificità territoriali negli appalti di lavori pubblici”, Mercato Concorrenza Regole, vol. 16, n. 1, pp. 25-68.
EISENHARDT K.M. (1989), “Building theories from case study research”, Academy of Management Review, vol. 14, n. 4, pp. 532-550.
ERRIDGE A. (2007), “Public procurement, public value and the Northern Ireland unemployment pilot project”, Public Administration, vol. 85, n. 4, pp. 1023-1043.
ERRIDGE A., MCILROY J. (2002), “Public procurement and supply management strategies”, Public Policy and Administration, vol. 17, n. 1, pp. 52-71.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION (2016), Public Procurement Indicators 2015, DG GROW G4 - Innovative and e-Procurement, https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/20679.
FERRARA L. (2018), “Clausole sociali e responsabilità sociale dell’impresa nei contratti pubblici tra diritto interno, europeo e globale”, Amministrativ@mente, n. 3-4.
GABRYELCZYK R., KULESZA P., RAKOWSKA E. (2017), “Improving public sector performance by using business process modelling and measurement: a case study analysis”, Sinergie Italian Journal of Management, vol. 35, n. 102.
GHERA E. (2001), “Le c.d. clausole sociali: evoluzione di un modello di politica legislativa”, Diritto delle relazioni industriali, n. 2, pp. 133-155.
GIBBERT M., RUIGROK W. (2010), “The what and how of case study rigor: Three strategies based on published work”, Organizational Research Methods, vol. 13, n. 4, pp. 710-737.
GIRTH A.M., HEFETZ A., JOHNSTON J.M., WARNER M.E. (2012), “Outsourcing public service delivery: Management responses in noncompetitive markets”, Public Administration Review, vol. 72, n. 6, pp. 887-900.
GRAAFLAND J.J. (2002), “Sourcing ethics in the textile sector: the case of C&A”, Business Ethics: A European Review, vol. 11, n. 3, pp. 282-94.
GRIMSHAW D., RUBERY J., ANXO D., BACACHE-BEAUVALLET M., NEUMANN L., WEINKOPF C. (2015), “Outsourcing of public services in Europe and segmentation effects: The influence of labour market factors”, European Journal of Industrial Relations, Vol. 21, n. 4, pp. 295-313.
GUCCIO C., PIGNATARO G., RIZZO I. (2014), “Decentralization and public works procurement in Italy”, L’industria, vol. 35, n. 4, pp. 671-696.
IMPICCIATORE M.A. (2015), “Appalti pubblici: clausole sociali e tutela del lavoro. Una fitta rete di interessi contrapposti, quale effettività?”, in AA.VV., Dall’impresa a rete alle reti d’impresa: scelte organizzative e diritto del lavoro. Atti del Convegno internazionale di studio, Università di Milano, 26-27 giugno 2014, Giuffrè Editore.
JENSEN P.H., STONECASH R.E. (2005), “Incentives and the efficiency of public sector‐outsourcing contracts”, Journal of Economic Surveys, vol. 19, n. 5, pp. 767-787.
KRAUSE D.R., RAGATZ G.L., HUGHLEY S. (1999), “Supplier development from the minority supplier’s perspective”, Journal of Supply Chain Management, vol. 35, n. 4, pp. 33-41.
MAMIC I. (2005), “Managing global supply chain: the sports footwear, apparel and retail sectors”, Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 59, n. 1, pp. 81-100.
MCCRUDDEN C. (2004), “Using public procurement to achieve social outcomes”, Natural Resources Forum, vol. 28, n. 4, pp. 257-267.
OLGIATI S., DANOVI A. (2015), “The financial unsustainability of the Italian public health care system”, Sinergie Italian Journal of Management, vol. 33, n. 97.
PALLINI M. (2016), “Diritto europeo e limiti di ammissibilità delle clausole sociali nella regolazione nazionale degli appalti pubblici di opere e servizi”, Giornale di diritto del lavoro e di relazioni industriali, vol. 38, n. 151, pp. 525-540.
ROMAGNOLI U. (2003), “Il diritto del lavoro nell’età della globalizzazione”, Lavoro e diritto, vol. 17, n. 4, pp. 569-580.
RUSSO O. (2017), “Le clausole sociali: equilibrio competitivo tra tutela sociale ed economica”, Amministrativ@mente, n. 5-6.
SALVATI M. (2002), “Economia e politica: servono gli economisti del lavoro?”, Stato e mercato, vol. 22, n. 1, pp. 143-174.
STAKE R.E. (1995), The art of case study research, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.
TOMO A., MANGIA G., MERCURIO R. (2016), “La regolazione del trasporto ferroviario: un’analisi organizzativa delle autorità in Europa”, Sinergie Italian Journal of Management, vol. 34, n. 99.
VARVA S. (2016), “Promozione dei soggetti svantaggiati negli appalti pubblici. La regolazione locale e la direttiva 2014/24/UE”, Lavoro e Diritto, vol. 30, n. 1, pp. 53-68.
WARNER M.E., HEFETZ A. (2008), “Managing markets for public service: the role of mixed public-private delivery of city services”, Public Administration Review, vol. 68, n. 1, pp. 155-166.
YIN R.K. (2017), Case study research and applications: Design and methods, Sage publications.
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2019-08-30
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