Obiettivo del paper è avviare una riflessione sui processi di modernizzazione gestionale attuati nelle aziende pubbliche italiane, esaminando criticamente il contributo fornito dagli studi di Economia aziendale. Si è a tal fine analizzata la produzione scientifica sull’azienda pubblica degli ultimi 25 anni, nel tentativo di individuare un modello italiano di innovazione nella p.a. L’analisi delle opere di natura teorica ha consentito di individuare alcuni orientamenti di fondo sull’azienda pubblica che condizionano il modo di concepire l’innovazione gestionale, mentre l’esame dei lavori empirici ha permesso di individuare gli assunti sottostanti alle scelte tecniche e alle soluzioni operative concretamente attuate, nonché l’efficacia e i risultati ottenuti.
The present paper aims at critically evaluating the managerial innovations undertaken in the public sector, and the contribution that has been given, or can be given, by Italian researchers in “Econo- mia aziendale”. To this purpose their scientific production in the latest 25 years (all the books of the period 1978-2003, and the articles of the latest 5 years) has been analysed, looking at both: how managerial innovation should work (according to theoretical studies), and how it works in practice (according to empirical investigations), in order to identify – if there is any – Italian way to innovation in the public domain.
The present paper aims at critically evaluating the managerial innovations undertaken in the public sector, and the contribution that has been given, or can be given, by Italian researchers in “Econo- mia aziendale”. To this purpose their scientific production in the latest 25 years (all the books of the period 1978-2003, and the articles of the latest 5 years) has been analysed, looking at both: how managerial innovation should work (according to theoretical studies), and how it works in practice (according to empirical investigations), in order to identify – if there is any – Italian way to innovation in the public domain.
