2025/06/10 by Marta Almeida, Anne Stafford, Robert W. Scapens · 1 voice · 1 citation
Business, Management and Accounting · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · #Community Development and Social Impact #Public Procurement and Policy #Public-Private Partnership Projects
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/padm.13076
openalex publication_date 2025/06/10 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
ABSTRACT Public‐private partnerships (PPPs) have long contract terms, requiring strong governance arrangements. When uncertainty arises, renegotiation is a commonly‐used contractual governance mechanism for ensuring fairness and dispute resolution. Notably, 100% of Portuguese road projects have been renegotiated. Prior studies have examined the tensions between the public and private parties which can become acute during times of crisis. One understudied aspect which complicates renegotiations but is important in terms of understanding how perceptions around governance issues contribute to renegotiation delays and outcomes is the intra‐partnership tensions which can arise between different partners with different objectives making up the private sector consortium. This study explores the complexities of a lengthy Portuguese renegotiation process. The findings uncover a nuanced reality where the renegotiation led to a worse outcome for all parties. This research contributes to the extant literature by exploring governance complexities in reshaping public services amid the wicked problems of the 21st century.