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State-Owned
Enterprises
Catalysts for public
value creation?
www.psrc.pwc.com
Contents
Contents
Foreword Summary Setting the Same but
stage – SOEs in different
context
6 8 14
4
Defining state owned 8 Why state ownership? 14
enterprises (SOEs)
Changing times, 16
An increasing share of 9 new purpose?
the world’s largest
companies Similarities with 18
private enterprises
SOEs have gone global 12
A question of 19
objectives
State-owned enterprises: Catalysts for public value creation? 3
22 30 42
38
Value creation for 22 SOE of the future 30 Striking an 38 SOE owners 42
whom? Citizens vs appropriate internal-
the state Active ownership and 31 external balance SOE board 43
management: a clear
Defining public value 25 purpose and mission Managing internally 38 SOE executive 43
for efficiency and leadership
A new scorecard 28 Active ownership and 33 effectiveness
for SOEs? management:
centralised, Leveraging external 40
decentralised or dual influence to facilitate
ownership? good growth
Active ownership and 34
management: the “4 Cs”
Transparent and 36
accountable
Foreword
Foreword
questions which we believe are essential for a
robust discussion around the nature and extent
of state ownership:
The motivations for state ownership can In our view, SOEs are likely to remain an
wax and wane over time, but state-owned important instrument in any government’s
enterprises (SOEs)1 appear to be an toolbox for societal and public value creation
enduring feature of the economic landscape given the right context, collaborating with
and will remain an influential force globally other stakeholders for this purpose in the
for some years to come. As such, it is ‘penta helix’ of private companies, not-for-profit
important to ensure that – whether held organisations, academia, public sector and
nationally, regionally or locally – the state’s citizens. For instance, increased global
investments actually deliver the societal competition for finance, talent, and resources
outcomes desired. may mean that countries may increasingly turn
to SOEs as a tool to better position themselves
for the future in the global economy.
1 For the purposes of this report we adopt the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) definition of SOEs, i.e. enterprises
where the state has significant control through full, majority, or significant minority ownership. In this definition we include SOEs which are owned
by the central or federal government, as well as SOEs owed by regional and local governments.
State-owned enterprises: Catalysts for public value creation? 5
But whatever the motivation, the future SOE In this report, we put forward an agenda for
will need to be much more actively owned and action for key SOE leaders – owners, governors
managed if it is to deliver real public value, and and managers – and hope that this can form the
avoid competing unfairly in markets where basis of discussions on the best ways in which
private and third sector enterprises can deliver SOEs can add value to society, now and in
more efficiently and effectively the goods and future.
services that citizens need and want.
We look forward to continuing the debate on
As a result, we believe that leaders of the SOE this important topic.
of the future, particularly the board of directors
and the executive team, will need to meet the
following tests:
Summary
believe that government ownership has
advantages in certain circumstances e.g.
furthering social outcomes, providing physical
infrastructure and creating stability in times of
crisis within and across supply chains. But
equally, there is a risk that state ownership can
destroy value if best practices in ownership
and management are not applied: of most
concern to CEOs in our Pulse survey are issues of
corruption, bribery and inefficiency.
SOEs are an influential and growing force Although there are many different drivers and
globally. For instance, the proportion of SOEs motivations, where state ownership is the
among the Fortune Global 500 has grown favoured option, SOEs should not be purely
from 9% in 2005 to 23% in 20142, driven evaluated only on the basis of financial results
particularly by the growth of Chinese SOEs. (the profit and loss account), but more widely on
how they contribute to societal value creation,
SOEs have become tools for some countries to taking an integrated and holistic view of their
better position themselves for the future in the impact (see Figure A).
global economy given increased global
competition for finance, talent, and resources. It
appears, however, that while existing (strongly
performing) SOEs are growing larger, there is a Figure A
more general downward trend in state
ownership, even when considering the effects of Strategic positioning
the financial crisis. for SOEs
However, a tendency of governments to only
partially divest their ownership stakes also Societal value
means that while there may be a drop in the creation Strategic
Role model
investment
share of SOEs in a national economy, this does
not necessarily equate to a corresponding
decrease in the government’s ability to wield
influence over these enterprises. Review options
Re-engineer to
reduce/avoid
Societal value including exit/
non-value adding
While in many respects SOEs face similar deterioration closure
activity
megatrends, opportunities and threats to private
sector businesses, there are also some important Loss making Profitable
differences. In particular, SOEs have a different
purpose, mission and objectives which relate
to some aspect of public service and/or
social outcomes.
Relationship to
government
Strategic
Arena for
Internal playground External
efficient SOE
management processes
for growth & influence
development
& effective
service
Transparent &
accountable,
building trust
Relationship to
citizens & other
stakeholders
As such, SOEs need a new scorecard, capturing • Be transparent and accountable through
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) which clearly quality, timely and reliable reporting of SOE
link to their wider purpose. This goes beyond performance. This goes beyond financial
financial results to consider total impacts such as reporting to integrated reporting, with
on other societal ‘capitals’ like social, human, SOEs being role models for good reporting
innovation, citizen and welfare, and practices. This also aids in building trust
environmental capitals. Indeed, the future SOE between the government (owner) and the
will need to act quite differently to deliver on citizens and other stakeholders (including
this scorecard and will need to develop new other shareholders).
capabilities (see Figure B). • Strike an appropriate internal-external
balance: like any organisation, the SOE
To achieve the objectives of public value creation should develop and maintain sound internal
and good growth, the SOE of the future should management in order to maximise efficiency
therefore develop in the following ways: and effectiveness. It should leverage
technological and service innovations to
• Be actively owned and managed by deliver products and services, which meet
establishing a clear purpose and mission user needs within constrained budgets
for the SOE, linked to desired societal (doing “better for less”), as well as achieve
objectives and outcomes. This should then desired outcomes economically and socially.
be communicated through dialogue between • At the same time, the SOE should leverage its
the SOE’s owner, governors and managers. external influence by co-creating value with
• In this context, active ownership and other stakeholders in society and driving
management requires that those undertaking good growth, linked to its purpose, mission
those roles, particularly the board of and strategic objectives.
directors and the executive leadership, fulfil
the tests we call the “4 Cs”: clarity, capacity, In this way, SOEs can truly become catalysts for
capability and commitment to integrity. sustainable public value creation.
In addition, state ownership status should
be continually monitored and evaluated to
ensure that value continues to be delivered.
Setting the stage – SOEs in context
Defining State Owned While the varying forms of SOEs may provide
Enterprises (SOEs) governments with flexibility, these multiple forms
may also serve to complicate ownership policy,
SOEs are known by many names – government
make them less transparent and insulate SOEs
corporations, government business enterprises,
from the legal framework applicable to other
government-linked companies, parastatals, public
companies, including competition laws,
enterprises, public sector units or enterprises and
bankruptcy provisions or securities laws.
so on.
However, a move towards harmonisation of the
As well as the name, the definition of SOEs also
legal status of SOEs with companies in the private
often varies across countries. Research4 suggests
sector is beginning to take place, which in turn
that there is a wide range of legal forms for SOEs,
could facilitate a more systematic use of corporate
depending on factors such as:
governance instruments. For instance, the
International Public Sector Accounting Standards
• The level of government that owns the
(IPSAS) Board is in the process of clarifying how
enterprise (central/federal, state/regional
companies which are owned by the government
or local).
should be defined. This in turn will impact which
• The way in which the enterprise was founded.
financial reporting standards apply5.
• The position in the public administration
hierarchy.
For the purposes of this report we adopt the
• The purpose of the SOE.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
• The status of the SOE if it is in the process of
Development (OECD) definition of SOEs, i.e.
being privatised.
enterprises where the state has significant control
Other variations include: through full, majority, or significant minority
• Full, majority or minority ownership by ownership. In this definition we include SOEs
the government. which are owned by the central or federal
• Listing (or not) on a stock exchange. government, as well as SOEs owed by regional
and local governments.
4 OECD, 2005, “OECD Comparative Report on Corporate Governance of State-owned Enterprises”
The World Bank, 2006, ”Held by the Visible Hand – the Challenge of SOE Corporate Governance for Emerging Markets”
Kowalski, P. et al (2013), ”State-Owned Enterprises: Trade Effects and Policy Implications”, OECD Trade Policy Papers, No.
147, OECD Publishing.
5 w ww.publicfinanceinternational.org/news/2014/09/ipsas-reforms-proposed-for-state-owned-firms/?utm_
source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_term=
State-owned enterprises: Catalysts for public value creation? 9
Figure 3 Petroleum refining, utilities & financial services are dominant sectors among SOEs in the
Fortune Global 500
100% Others
90%
Insurance: Life,
Health (stock)
80%
Engineering,
70% Construction
Energy
60%
Mining, Crude-Oil
50% Production
Utilities
40%
10%
0%
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Wholesalers: Diversified
1.5 Miscellaneous
Diversified financials
1 General merchandisers
Industrial machinery
Chemicals
Railroads
0.5 Aerospace & defence
Telecommunications
Trading
0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Motor vehicles and parts
Metals
State-owned enterprises: Catalysts for public value creation? 11
Figure 5 Centrally, regionally and locally-owned SOEs in Sweden It is also important to point out that SOEs are not
and Germany all nationally owned. While all of the above
statistics relate to centrally-owned SOEs,
SOEs in Sweden regionally and locally-owned SOEs also form an
2,563 196,005 569bn SEK important part of the SOE landscape. And these
100%
companies employees revenues tend to outnumber centrally-owned SOEs, while
Municipality-owned
being smaller in size. For example, in the case of
90% 24%
33% County-owned
Sweden, while county – and municipality-owned
80% SOEs comprised 74% of the total number of
70% 10% State (centrally)-owned Swedish SOEs, they represented just 34% of SOE
69%
60%
7% employees and 40% of total SOE revenues in
2013. Similarly, 89% of all German SOEs are
50%
owned by municipalities, contributing 62% of all
40% SOE income (see Figure 5).
66%
30% 5% 60%
However, it also appears that while some
20%
26%
existing SOEs have performed well and are
10% growing larger (driven by Chinese SOEs), there
0% has been a more general downward trend in
Number of Total number Revenue
companies of employees state ownership, with virtually all industrialised
Source: Statistiska centralbyrån (Statistics as of 2013) and emerging economies experiencing a
decreasing share of SOEs in their economies in
SOEs in Germany the decade leading up to 2008.9 This trend
persists since then, even when considering the
15,186 516 bn EUR 495 bn EUR
companies income expenses
effects of the financial crisis and a small number
100% Municipality-owned of governments reasserting ownership over
90% “strategic sectors”.
Owned by state-level
80% governments The same statistics, however, also highlight a
70% 62% 63% Owned by federal tendency of governments to only partially divest.
government
60% This reduces government holdings to a point
89%
50% where companies are no longer considered as
SOEs according to national definitions, while
40%
still allowing governments to hold non-trivial,
30% 15% 16%
and often controlling, stakes.10 As such, while
20% there may be a drop in the share of SOEs in a
10% 22% 22% national economy, this does not necessarily
9%
2% equate to a corresponding decrease in the
0%
Number of Income Expenses government’s ability to wield influence over
companies
these enterprises.
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Statistics as of 2012)
9 http://www.oecd.org/daf/ca/corporategovernanceofstate-ownedenterprises/44215438.pdf
10 http://www.oecd.org/daf/ca/corporategovernanceofstate-ownedenterprises/44215438.pdf
Setting the stage – SOEs in context
In our report World in 2050, we indicate that the In addition, there has been the growth of
aggregate purchasing power of the ‘E7’ emerging Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs),17 18 which
economies – Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, might be considered a special kind of SOE. SWFs
Mexico, Russia and Turkey – will overtake that of are increasingly used as vehicles to invest in
the G7 by 2030. China will clearly be the largest economic sectors around the world, increasing
economy by 2030, while India could challenge their power in the global economy. For
US for second place by 2050. Indonesia, Mexico example, in March 2014, 69% of the portfolio of
and Nigeria could also push UK and France out Singapore’s SWF – Temasek Holdings – resided
of top ten global economies.16 outside Singapore.19
11 K
owalski, P. et al (2013), ”State-Owned Enterprises: Trade Effects and Policy Implications”, OECD Trade Policy Papers,
No. 147, OECD Publishing.
12 K owalski, P. et al (2013), ”State-Owned Enterprises: Trade Effects and Policy Implications”, OECD Trade Policy Papers,
No. 147, OECD Publishing.
13 T his is computed as equally weighted averages of SOE shares of sales, assets and market values among each country’s top
ten companies.
14 K
owalski, P. et al (2013), ”State-Owned Enterprises: Trade Effects and Policy Implications”, OECD Trade Policy Papers,
No. 147, OECD Publishing.
15 http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/megatrends/index.jhtml
16 http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/world-2050/index.jhtml
17 P
wC, 2011, “The impact of Sovereign Wealth Funds on economic success”
18 P wC, 2014, “An ever-changing relationship – SWFs and PEs”
19 http://www.temasek.com.sg/portfolio/portfolio_highlights/geography
State-owned enterprises: Catalysts for public value creation? 13
31 http://indiainbusiness.nic.in/newdesign/index.php?param=newsdetail/11329/1
State-owned enterprises: Catalysts for public value creation? 17
Common top 5 threats Source: PwC 18th Annual Global CEO Survey
39 P wC, 2015, “Government and the 18th Annual Global CEO Survey – Delivering outcomes, creating value”
40 State backed CEOs comprise 13% of the total responses of the 18th Annual Global CEO survey.
State-owned enterprises: Catalysts for public value creation? 19
Services Money
Profit in Profit in
Goal
services/ financial
benefits terms
SOE
Money Services
Means
Taxes, Business
Fees, etc activities
Same but different
Indeed, PwC’s CEO Pulse poll42 revealed some CEO Pulse (2015) - 153 respondents
interesting perceptions: compared to 2010, a
13th Annual Global CEO Survey (2010) -
larger proportion of CEOs today believe that 1,198 respondents
government ownership distorts competition in
an industry and leads to political interference in
the marketplace (see Figure 10). Questions to think about
• Which objectives are currently guiding the ownership and
Given the continued importance and influence
management of SOEs in your economy or industry?
of SOEs, and whatever the arguments over the
• Is there clarity on the continuing (and changing) purpose of
merits of government control, we should perhaps
state ownership?
pay more attention to their governance and
• How can the wider objectives of SOEs best be balanced in
performance where their foreseeable future lies
order to create public value?
in state hands, especially since their reach is
increasingly extending beyond national borders.
Creating value,
delivering outcomes
While in many respects SOEs face similar Value creation for whom? Citizens versus
opportunities and threats as private sector the state
businesses, there are also important SOEs have to walk a fine line when balancing
differences which have a major influence on economic, social and other objectives. As such,
their role in creating value for society as and perhaps even more so than their private
a whole. sector counterparts, they need to find a way to
remain financially sustainable (and where
appropriate commercially competitive), while
creating value for citizens and society.
The Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority, established in 1895, has a key social as well as
economic objective: the goal of providing clean water to every person in Cambodia. To
accomplish this, it adopts a cross-subsidising water tariff with three blocks – domestic,
institutional, and industry / commercial – allowing it to sell its water at a higher rate
to industries and distribute water at an affordable rate (below production cost) to
domestic households.
Since 1993, it has connected more than thirty thousand poor households to the water
system for free, enabling these households to save money, improve sanitary conditions (with
associated public health benefits) and allow children to focus on their education. As a fully
government-owned company, it depends on the help of government ministries to support its
goal of providing clean water to all.
It was also the first company to be listed on the Cambodian Stock Exchange. The listing was
not driven by the need to raise extra capital; rather, it was encouraged by the government in
order to set a precedent and promote the establishment of the stock exchange to the rest of
Cambodian industry.
State-owned enterprises: Catalysts for public value creation? 23
43 http://inclusivewealthindex.org/
44 T
he Economist used an interesting example to highlight the discrepancy between financial wealth (GDP) and inclusive wealth. While Qatar’s GDP
increased by 85%, its inclusive wealth actually fell by more than 50% in the same period, thanks to the depletion of its natural resources. See:
http://espresso.economist.com/1121aaab9e6e128e7ad78186c65b3c2b
Creating value, delivering outcomes
A value creation/profitability matrix (see Figure Figure 12 goes on to set out some guiding
11) provides a framework when considering principles for the decision making process. If the
whether government should have, and retain, an decision is made to exit the SOE, government
ownership stake in an enterprise. owners should consider the timing for
privatisation, in particular:
Figure 11 S
OE positioning – value creation and profitability
+
Value
creating
Strategic Role
investment model
Societal
value
Review options Re-engineer to
including reduce/avoid non-value
Value exit/closure adding activity
deterioration
–
– Loss making Business/commercial
profitability Profitable +
Y N
Y N N Y
N Y
Ensure trade-offs
with commercial
objectives Review and
(including improve internal
rationale) are management
clearly accounted
for and reported
State-owned enterprises: Catalysts for public value creation? 25
• Should it take place before the enterprise is Another timing issue is the degree of regulatory readiness
restructured? This could mean a lower sales price for of the sector, especially when the SOE being privatised
the owner as the new private sector owner/s would held a degree of monopoly in the sector. This requires
need to bear the costs of restructuring. regulatory capacity and capability to be put in place before
• Should it be restructured first before privatisation? This the sale is completed.
may allow for a higher sales price, but may introduce
unwanted delays and the risk of restructuring in a way Defining public value
that the future private sector owner deems undesirable, The starting point is to define public value and quantify
thus complicating the privatisation process further. impacts. For instance, SOEs may have a strategic role
in driving growth that is socially, financially and
environmentally sustainable – good growth (see Box 9).
Good growth is in everyone’s interest. But what does good growth look like? Why is it important? How can one
identify it and what will create it? There is a mounting need for ‘good’ growth (that’s real, inclusive, responsible and
lasting) if business and government are to meet the increasing demands of a growing population on a finite planet.
But ‘growth’ is elusive, let alone ‘good’ growth.
To help identify what good growth looks like, PwC, together with its clients, has developed the “Total Impact
Measurement and Management” (TIMM) framework, which aims to provide the total perspective on business
impact. It enables the calculation of a value (and a cost) for the social, environmental, fiscal and economic activities
of a company, which allows organisations to see at a glance the impact they’re making and the trade-offs between
their strategies. In effect, the organisation can see the optimal decision for all its stakeholders.
Education
Total Health Empowerment
Community
Livelihoods
A holistic view of social, environmental, cohesion
up Water
Profits e s s ac t i v
viro
o m i c i mp a c t
pollution
Looks beyond inputs and outputs to in i
Co
s
t ie
C u s to m e r s
n m e nt a l i mp a
m m u ni ti e s
s
Financial
your footprint Investment Waste
performance
$
on
Measurement
ts
en
Ec
Sh
Exports
Land use
m ar
Quantify and monetise the impacts –
ct
eh
ern olde
r s Gov
value in a language business understands
Intangibles Ta x impact Water use
45 http://www.pwc.com/totalimpact
Creating value, delivering outcomes
Figure 13 Stakeholder collaboration – creating a new ecosystem for growth and renewal
Local, regional
& national
Creation of prototypes Supporting
leadership
including SOEs
Non-profit Enthusiastic
organisations citizens
Renewal Open attitude
Innovation
Industry process
capital
Financial Capital
47 PwC, 2013, ”Government and the 16th Annual Global CEO Survey – A new contract between business and the state”.
Managing stakeholder relationships
Managing stakeholder
relationships
At the same time, the SOE needs to leverage its Active ownership and management:
external influence by co-creating value with a clear purpose and mission
other stakeholders in society and be a catalyst or An actively owned SOE’s strategy and desired
driver for good, inclusive growth linked to its outcomes should be connected to the vision
purpose, mission and strategic objectives. For and strategy of the government at the
instance, SOEs can take an active role in relevant level (national, regional or local). This
developing local, regional and national should in turn provide a clear purpose and
innovation systems by providing test beds and mission for the SOE.
rapid prototyping opportunities for promising
entrepreneurs and start-ups. Once formulated, the SOE’s purpose and mission
should then be cascaded through dialogue
SOEs should also be continually scanning the between the SOE owners (government) and
environment (intelligence scanning) to allow its managers (CEO and executive
them to proactively identify and address management) and governors (board of
opportunities and challenges which arise from directors) to provide clear direction and
external trends and events. accountability, with external auditors
performing a scrutiny role.
Figure 15 captures these features.
Managing stakeholder relationships
In turn, the steering process should be well SOE provides an accurate picture of the
managed, with roles and responsibilities for enterprise’s strategy and operations when
governing and managing the SOE clearly defined reporting externally. It is essential that the
and understood by those involved in the steering auditors maintain the highest levels of
process. The board of directors is responsible independence, objectivity and ethics when
for ensuring that the SOE meets its defined performing their role. The auditors should also
objectives and fulfils its stated purpose by consider expanding from financial to holistic (or
holding the CEO and executive management integrated) reporting, recognising that a broader
accountable for the SOE’s performance. For set of integrated information is needed to satisfy
this to work in practice, the board should have a an increasing number of stakeholders – all with
clear mandate and be given the appropriate level potentially different perspectives of value.48
of authority to hold management accountable for
good results. The OECD has set out a series of
recommendations for corporate governance
The role of the external auditor is important as within SOEs, which includes the state as active
well. Appointed by the owners / shareholders, owner (see Box 12). These guidelines provide a
the external auditor has a public responsibility to robust template for SOE governance.
act as a “check and balance” by ensuring that the
Box 12 O
ECD guidelines for SOE corporate governance 49
The OECD’s guidelines for corporate governance of SOEs are summarized as follows:
• Ensuring an effective legal and regulatory framework for SOEs: The legal and
regulatory framework for SOEs should ensure a level-playing field in markets where
SOEs and private sector companies compete in order to avoid market distortions. The
framework should build on, and be fully compatible with, the OECD Principles of Corporate
Governance.50
• The state acting as an owner: The state should act as an informed and active owner and
establish a clear and consistent ownership policy, ensuring that the governance of SOEs
is carried out in a transparent and accountable manner, with the necessary degree of
professionalism and effectiveness.
• Equitable treatment of shareholders: The state, and its SOEs, should recognise the rights
of all shareholders and, in accordance with the OECD Principles of Corporate Governance,
ensure their equitable treatment and equal access to corporate information.
• Relations with stakeholders: The state ownership policy should fully recognise the SOEs’
responsibilities towards stakeholders and request that they report on their relationships
with stakeholders.
• Transparency and disclosure: SOEs should observe high standards of transparency, in
accordance with the OECD Principles of Corporate Governance.
• The responsibilities of the boards of SOEs: The boards of SOEs should have the necessary
authority, competences and objectivity to carry out their functions of strategic guidance
and monitoring of management. They should act with integrity and be held accountable for
their actions.
Active ownership and management: These four tests should in turn guide how
Trust. I see that as the “4 Cs”
an absolute necessity SOE management and directors are chosen,
in our top team We recognise that there exist a variety of ways in evaluated and rewarded. For instance, the
because the which the state discharges its active owner role nomination and performance evaluation criteria
challenges that we on the board of an SOE. This ranges from full for board members should be clear, structured
face are big and political participation on the board (to ensure and transparent, and linked to the skills,
change very rapidly. that the SOE meets its political objectives) to professionalism, competence and “fit” required
We have to keep our a board comprising entirely of professionals for ensuring that the SOE meets its objectives
collective integrity. (to make sure that the SOE runs smoothly and and delivers public value.
We’ve got to share on commercially viable terms), with most SOE
successfully what we
boards having a mix of both. Active ownership and management: the
do, why we do it, the
values with which importance of leadership setting the
we work and, of Regardless of type of board composition, in our right tone
course, in view achieving success in active ownership and
Adopting these active ownership and
government we’ve management requires that those undertaking
management principles may require a significant
got to be able to these roles (regardless of background or political
change in established mindsets and learned
partner effectively links) fulfil the following four tests, which we
behaviour. It is therefore important that the
with Ministers, dub the “4 Cs”:
where we have leadership53 sets the tone, while remaining
mutual respect for agile in taking on different roles where needed
• Capacity – Having the time and resources
what we are trying – making decisions, serving other stakeholders
to conduct their roles well and handle the
to do. or acting as a standard bearer and a setter
additional responsibility as in the case
Martin Donnelly of boundaries e.g. of acceptable behaviours
of directors.
Permanent Secretary, (Figure 16). Agility in this context also means
Department for
• Capability – Having the required and
moving across levels and boundaries within (and
Business, Innovation relevant expertise and experience to steer,
and Skills, outside) the organisation in a timely way.
United Kingdom
manage and govern the SOE in order to add
value to the enterprise, while maintaining
Another important challenge for leadership
the required degree of independence.
is the managing of relationships, especially
• Clarity – Possessing a clear understanding of
when there are conflicting views (expressed
the purpose and objectives of the SOE, which
or otherwise). It is the leader’s task to energise
should be consistent between the owners
the organisation and its employees, through a
and managers.
positive culture, and create an open dialogue
• Commitment to integrity – Serving
and healthy relationships.
the citizen for the purpose of societal
value creation.
Decision
maker
Personal
Boundary leadership = Standard
setter integrated + bearer
situational
Servant
53 http://pwc.blogs.com/psm_globally/2014/09/does-leadership-matter-in-the-public-sector.html
State-owned enterprises: Catalysts for public value creation? 35
A good leader therefore not only ‘infects’ the SOEs, if owned and managed well, also have the
organisation with energy, but creates meaning potential to be role models and standard setters
with context, and moves people to action and for other companies (see Box 14).
jointly achieving the shared vision, mission and
goals (see Figure 17). Strong leadership sets out
to create a legacy for the long term, ensuring
that future generations of employees, and
leaders, can draw on a reservoir of knowledge
and assets and build on a sound foundation
of organizational integrity, accountability
and commitment.
Interactive value
creating leader
Proactive leader
Reactive &
administrative Builds solid
leader Relationships
Impact
Manages
a dialogue
Gives
information
Box 14 S
audi Aramco – A Pioneer in Advancing Women Employment in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Aramco, an oil company wholly owned by the Saudi Arabian government, has played a major and pioneering
role in advocating and advancing the Saudi women’s employment agenda. At a time where girls’ access to education
had just started in Saudi Arabia and female participation in the workforce was negligible, Aramco recognized the
untapped potential of the female Saudi population by hiring its first Saudi female employee in 1964.
To support the development of its female recruits, Aramco then established a training centre to up-skill Saudi
females in mathematics, sciences, clerical work and the English language. Aramco also provides international
scholarship in the fields in which key positions needed to be filled by Aramco. Currently, it employs females across
a variety of key functions including IT, finance, engineering and administration, as well as other key strategic
positions to enable them to progress to C-suite level responsibilities.
Fifty years later from that first female hire, Aramco continues to invest in the nation’s female workforce, which now
comprises 16% of the total Saudi workforce.
Managing stakeholder relationships
Lack of trust
infiltrates every part
of society. It is not
just a question of the
public losing trust in
the financial system.
It is more
fundamental. It
affects how
individuals trust
each other. I often
think about words I
heard some time
ago: ‘… trust that is
lost because of deeds
will not be restored
with words, only
with action’.
Therefore I think we
won’t gain our trust
However, transparency is not just concerned Given these continued high levels of distrust, back by talking. We
about the mere release of information, but governments have a strong reason to rebuild will have to rebuild
rather the quality, timeliness and reliability trust and legitimacy. One way this can be trust by earning it
of the information being made public. Truthful achieved is through properly owning and with our actions.
transparency is required for true accountability managing their SOEs, especially where Dagur B. Eggertsson
and sound decision-making. This can be there is a large proportion of SOEs in the Mayor of Reykjavík in
Iceland
facilitated by accurate and timely reporting, national economy.
either at entity level (individual SOEs) or for the
country’s SOEs as a whole (aggregate annual Questions to think about
reporting on all SOEs).
SOE owners
Indeed, there is an important connection • Is the purpose and mission communicated to all
between transparency, accountability and stakeholders in a timely, accurate and transparent manner,
trust. According to a joint survey of 10,000 linked to objectives and key performance indicators?
Europeans by PwC and ICAEW,56 there was • Are the compensation structures for the board and executive
a clear correlation between the low levels of management clearly defined and aligned to the desired
trust that Europeans have in their governments’ objectives, outcomes and impacts of the SOE?
financial management and their low levels • What is the level of trust of citizens (and other stakeholders)
of confidence in their governments’ ability to in your SOEs?
finance core public services, such as healthcare
and education. The countries with the highest SOE directors
levels of distrust are also the ones where • Is the SOE strategy clearly connected to its purpose, mission
there is a greater demand for information and objectives?
and transparency on the state of public finances • What is the performance scorecard for your SOE? Are
and on how public resources are spent. there clear principles guiding trade-offs between different
performance outcomes to ensure that the right decisions are
Furthermore, in Edelman’s 2015 Trust being made?
Barometer report,57 while government was the • Do you have the capability, capacity, clarity and
lone institution to gain trust in 2015 (compared commitment to integrity needed to properly fulfil your role?
with business, media and NGOs), it was still the
least trusted institution globally, with the public SOE executive management
in 19 of 27 countries distrusting government to • Is the SOE governed in line with the principles of
do what’s right. transparency and accountability?
• Is the SOE reporting on its objectives and performance on a
56 ICAEW & PwC, 2014, ‘Trust in public finances: A survey of
citizens in 10 European countries’, www.pwc.com/gx/en/ timely, accurate and reliable basis? And publicly as well as
psrc/global/trust-in-public-finance.jhtml to government?
57 http://www.edelman.com/insights/intellectual- • Do you have the capability, capacity, clarity and
property/2015-edelman-trust-barometer/trust-and-
commitment to integrity needed to properly fulfil your role?
innovation-edelman-trust-barometer/
executive- summary/
Achieving balance
Achieving balance
The SOE of the future needs not only to be Managing internally for efficiency
Government owned and managed actively and and effectiveness
ownership…has transparently, but must also strike the right SOEs need to develop and maintain sound
generated a lot of balance between an internal focus on costs internal management in order to maximise
corruption, and resource management and an external efficiency and effectiveness while managing risks.
inefficiencies, and a
focus on driving growth for the national, This includes leveraging technological and
marked decline in
regional and/or local economy that it serves. service innovations to deliver the products and
production and
investment. How can this balance be best achieved? services the public needs and wants, as well as
CEO Pulse achieving desired outcomes economically. This
Latin America
Striking an appropriate internal- can enable SOEs to operate in a commercially
external balance viable and financially sustainable way, while
An argument often used against SOEs is that they fulfilling their non-commercial objectives.
destroy value rather than create value. They can Especially today, it is about reconfiguring existing
There are no be perceived (rightly or wrongly) as being “black models or developing new ones to do better with
advantages of holes” which consume tax payer money without less and increase productivity.
government delivering appropriate levels of returns or desired
ownership societal outcomes due to less competitive In particular, with affordable government the
whatsoever in our pressures to operate efficiently and effectively as new reality, digital technology has the potential
country… It is all compared to their private sector counterparts. to be a key enabler, offering the scope to deliver
very badly managed
and used as a haven
higher productivity and better outcomes while
for incompetence
However, if SOEs have a defined and clear also reducing costs. The appreciation of the
and corruption. purpose and mission, and are actively owned and integral role that technology plays across business
managed to create value and deliver outcomes, sectors is evident in PwC’s latest Annual Global
CEO Pulse
Africa
then they can and indeed should be innovative CEO Survey58: 64% of state backed CEOs
and agile. This, in turn, enables SOEs to remain surveyed are concerned about the speed of
commercially relevant, which is positive for technological change (compared to 57% of
company shareholders, while also creating jobs non-state backed CEOs). At the same time, state
and driving growth in existing and emerging backed CEOs in our survey see digital technology
industries, which is positive for the economy and as creating most value in terms of operational
society. This is an example of striking an efficiencies, data analytics and the customer
appropriate balance between managing internally experience (see Figure 18).
(maximising enterprise efficiency and
effectiveness) and leveraging external influence Digitalisation, harnessed and understood
(facilitating good growth in society). properly, has the power to help SOEs create and
capture value in new ways (see Box 16).
58 P
wC, 2015, ‘18th CEO Survey – Government and the Global CEO report’
State-owned enterprises: Catalysts for public value creation? 39
Box 16 T
echnology’s impact on Indian SOEs 59 60
A study on the Indian SOE landscape by responsible, coupled with the ability to be
Zinnov, a market expansion and globalization more transparent and accountable, reduce the
advisory firm, stated that Indian SOEs are cost of production and enhance productivity
expected to witness a turnover of more than and customer reach.
USD 1 trillion by 2020. A large part of this
growth will be attributed to investments in Examples of SOEs which have leveraged
modern forms of information technology information technology are SBI, which
including cloud, Big Data and mobility. performed one of the largest core banking
solution implementations globally, and Indian
The report notes that with their growing size Railways, which, in its budget for 2015-2016,
and dominance, SOEs in India are looking re-affirmed its commitment to achieve 100%
at information technology to meet global paperless ticketing.
competition and be more environmentally
I am a strong
proponent of
aggressive
collaboration with
academia and I see
it as a major step for
addressing the skills
gap, which has Leveraging external influence to process in which a range of solutions are initially
direct correlation facilitate good growth developed, tested and then selected for further
with good jobs. The SOE is in a unique position to leverage its rounds of support. Demonstrators move from
Apart from external influence by co-creating value with small-scale prototypes to a small number of
academia, HAL other stakeholders in society and being a catalyst larger-scale near-market projects combining the
(Hindustan or driver for external good growth, linked to its three vital elements of infrastructure, market
Aeronautics purpose, mission and strategic objectives. framework, and people and skills. The R&D
Limited) also factor is also present, playing a supporting role.
collaborates with This in turn creates intelligent ecosystems and
SOEs can also take an active role in developing
other stakeholders
local, regional and national innovation systems increased interoperability.
in the aviation
eco-system including by, for example, providing test beds and rapid
various airlines, prototyping opportunities for promising Furthermore, SOEs can play a key role in
airports, BPOs, entrepreneurs and start-ups. This could mean developing the infrastructure and conditions
technology firms. providing an ‘incubating’ environment and for the private sector to flourish, for example,
We also participate infrastructure for ideas to grow and flourish. as Transnet in South Africa illustrates (Box 8),
in exhibitions as well as in supporting national strategies for
focussed on micro, Ideas with potential can subsequently be economic diversification and development of
medium and small accelerated for execution and implementation new and emerging industries (see Figure 19).
enterprises while via a rapid prototyping and large-scale
providing guidance Indeed, more than half of CEOs in our CEO Pulse
demonstrator approach, which tests new
and support as a
concepts and ideas as a transformational project poll agreed that SOEs can enable the physical
leading PSU (Public
before scaling up for adoption at a wider level. infrastructure for the modern economy, though
Sector Undertaking)
in India. Large-scale demonstrators provide a way of CEOs were less inclined to agree when it came to
de-risking innovation by providing a staged digital infrastructure.
Dr. R. K. Tyagi
Chairman,
Hindustan Aeronautics
Limited (HAL),
India
• Transformational projects
Business
Contacts
PwC Government and Public Services territories
Benson Okundi Frank Lyn Kyriakos Andreou
Africa Central China Greece
benson.okundi@ke.pwc.com frank.lyn@cn.pwc.com kyriakos.andreou@gr.pwc.com
+254 20 2855000 +86 (10) 6533 2388 +30 210 6874680
Acknowledgements
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