Culture Shock in Public-Private Partnerships: Examining P3 from Cultural Persective in Hungary

Ask for a definition of the word public-private partnership in a room filled with people from different cultures, and their answers may differ remarkably. The American of the group might refer to privatization and contracting out of traditional government services. A Dutch person might think of a network of public and private actors, negotiating to deliver services in unison. A Hungarian may think of completely different consequences, such as opening up government to public actors, helping to strengthen democratic institutions. While some proponents of this form of market governance may present these features of public-private partnerships as a single package, it remains important to understand that the effectiveness and type of public-private partnership will vary according to culture. This has particular implications for the influence of PPP on sustainable development.