Limits to Privatization: How to Avoid Too Much of a Good Thing - A Report to the Club of Rome [Hardcover]

Ernst Ulrich von Weizsacker (Author), Matthias Finger (Author), Marianne Beisheim (Author), Oran R. Young (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2005

Limits to Privatization is the first thorough audit of privatizations from around the world. It outlines the historical emergence of globalization and liberalization, and from analyses of over 50 case studies of best- and worst-case experiences of privatization, it provides guidance for policy and action that will restore and maintain the right balance between the powers and responsibilities of the state, the private sector and the increasingly important role of civil society. The result is a book of major importance that challenges one of the orthodoxies of our day and provides a benchmark for future debate.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'In the golden days of the Washington consensus, privatization was viewed as one of the central pillars of successful development. Ideology and interests triumphed over economic theory and experience, both of which noted the difficulties posed by privatization and its limitations. Through a series of case studies, Weizs�cker and his colleagues illustrate the limits to privatization' JOSEPH E. STIGLITZ, winner of the Nobel Prize in economics and former chief economist and senior vice-president of the World Bank 'Detailed case analysis is the only way to ensure that we learn how to get privatization policies right. This book with a sound ethical foundation is an invaluable resource for policy-makers, trade unions, the business community and all who are interested in what should be publicly or privately owned' JUAN SOMAVIA, Director-General, ILO 'This timely new book is an important contribution as we explore the crisis in good jobs for working people the world over' JOHN SWEENEY, President for Public Affairs, AFL-CIO 'Indigenous peoples are among those caught in the cracks between public and private ownership. Territories and resources which we traditionally own have been systematically and immorally appropriated both by states or the private sector. This book presents solutions for balanced approaches to regulate privatization which otherwise threatens to endanger our continuing existence' VICTORIA TAULI CORPUZ, Executive Director, Tebtebba (Indigenous Peoples' International Centre for Policy Research and Education), Philippines

About the Author

Ernst Ulrich von Weizs�cker is dean of the Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, UC Santa Barbara and a former member of the German Bundestag. Oran R. Young is a professor in the Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management. Matthias Finger is chair and professor of Management of Network Industries at the College of Management, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, as well as dean of the School of Continuing Education, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland. Marianne Barheim is assistant professor at the Free University Berlin, Institute for Political Science.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Routledge (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1844071774
• ISBN-13: 978-1844071777
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,926,031 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well supported, refreshing take on government involvement in business, June 19, 2006

By 

Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Limits to Privatization: How to Avoid Too Much of a Good Thing - A Report to the Club of Rome (Hardcover)

Privatization was in vogue during the eighties and nineties. It aimed to eliminate, or at least reduce, corruption, inefficiency and the politicization of economic matters - and it often succeeded. However, in some cases, such as the World Bank, it failed so egregiously that even its erstwhile supporters began to have second thoughts about the wisdom of encouraging the state to manage basic infrastructures and industries. Authors Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker, Oran R. Young, Matthias Finger and Marianne Beisheim explore the experience of privatization and investigate the factors that have led to some of its successes and failures. They are not entirely free from bias, but the pro-privatization forces have so long dominated the public discussion that we find this well-supported counterargument refreshing, and recommend this book to public and private sector executives and managers as well as to political officials.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Are there really Limits to Privatization?, July 26, 2011

By 

BlackJack21 "BlackJack21" (Connecticut/USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Limits to Privatization: How to Avoid Too Much of a Good Thing - A Report to the Club of Rome (Paperback)

"Limits to Privatization" is interesting in that it never comes to a real conclusion because each study/report delineates different conclusions for each scenario presented. In other words, what may be a viable solution in one country may not work in another. But the question that the Club of Rome asks throughout this book is when does "Privatizing Resources" endanger the environment, destabilize national boundaries and disenfranchise general populations? The book also defines the role that government should have, or is allowed to have in their respected countries insofar as controlling or overseeing resources. To put it in laymen's terms, what works for the Zambian Copper mines may not work in a country like China.
Furthermore, it is up to the reader to agree or disagree with the Club of Rome's findings.

There is a lot of number crunching, charts and data in this book so get ready for your brain to swell because this book is as academic as it gets. The Club of Rome dissects many issues right down to the nuts and bolts. Overall, this book is a dry read, but it is essential if you want to understand the world we live in. Some of the issues discussed are Telecommunications and the Postal Service in Mexico, Waste Disposal, Healthcare systems throughout the world, Culture and the Media, and Natural Resources and how to use them.

The Club of Rome is probably the most influential think-tank in the world, and some of their ideas are sound and other opinions are questionable. However, conspiracy theorists lean toward the questionable side of the issues. I personally think we, as a collective should try to work together in solving the world's problems by sifting through everyone's ideas and "Limits to Privatization How to Avoid Too Much of a Good Thing" is a great place to start sifting through.