1 Introduction
2 Literature review
2.1 Institutional theories
… domain of institutions built around a cornerstone institution that represents the cultural symbols and material practices that govern a commonly recognized area of life. Each institutional order represents a governance system that provides a frame of reference that preconditions actors’ sensemaking choices. (Thornton et al. 2012, p. 54).
2.1.1 Place and time in institutional theories
2.2 Hybrid organizations
3 Methods
3.1 Data collection
3.1.1 Archival documents
Date | Newspaper | Title |
---|---|---|
27/03/1997 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina rafforza il bilancio |
03/04/1997 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina quadruplica l’utile |
12/04/1997 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina aumenta il capitale |
22/01/1998 | L’Alto Adige | Informatica Trentina e il mistero Fulcrum |
22/01/1998 | L’Adige | Check up su bilanci e strategie di Informatica Trentina |
21/02/1998 | L’Alto Adige | Informatica Trentina snella |
21/02/1998 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, sale il fatturato |
28/02/1998 | L’Alto Adige | Informatica Trentina, la partita di potere |
05/03/1998 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina rallentata dalla politica |
22/03/1998 | L’Alto Adige | Informatica Trentina entra nel limbo |
01/04/1998 | L’Alto Adige | Informatica Trentina, per il nuovo Cda nomine sospese |
12/05/1998 | L’Alto Adige | Informatica Trentina, giochi di potere |
02/07/1998 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, dibattito aperto |
08/04/1999 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina procede a gonfie vele |
25/05/1999 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, cerchi nuovi clienti |
31/08/1999 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina punta sul turismo |
05/11/1999 | L’Adige | Dismissione di Informatica Trentina, ecco il piano |
13/11/1999 | L’Adige | Dismissione di Informatica Trentina, pesanti dubbi del sindacato |
26/11/1999 | L’Adige | Privatizzazioni senza strategie |
04/01/2000 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, i dirigenti vogliono il 51% |
05/01/2000 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina “offerta interessante” |
06/01/2000 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, una folla di pretendenti |
11/01/2000 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, venerdì il vertice dell’Unione |
12/01/2000 | L’Alto Adige | Informatica Trentina, privatizzazione “amica” |
13/01/2000 | L’Alto Adige | Informatica Trentina, sindacati pronti allo scontro |
13/01/2000 | L’Adige | No alla privatizzazione |
14/01/2000 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, Argentea con Seac e Delta |
14/01/2000 | L’Adige | E i dirigenti rilanciano l’offerta |
14/01/2000 | L’Alto Adige | Informatica Trentina, manager decisi |
15/01/2000 | L’Alto Adige | Informatica Trentina, una privatizzazione vuota? |
15/01/2000 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, Bort sonderà la Provincia |
21/01/2000 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, Bort incontra i politici |
23/01/2000 | L’Alto Adige | L’Unione vuole Informatica Trentina |
23/01/2000 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, stringere i tempi |
25/01/2000 | L’Alto Adige | Infostrutture, Finsiel ha dato il via libera / Informatica Trentina, un’occasione per le imprese |
25/01/2000 | L’Adige | Prime garanzie per l’Unione |
02/02/2000 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina non sarà svuotata, sindacati soddisfatti |
16/02/2000 | L’Alto Adige | Informatica Trentina: troppi silenzi sulla privatizzazione amica |
16/02/2000 | L’Adige | Le opposizioni e Informatica Trentina |
22/02/2000 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina si riorganizza, la Cisl accusa |
24/02/2000 | L’Alto Adige | Informatica Trentina, l’ipotesi di Dellai |
26/02/2000 | L’Alto Adige | Il nodo informatico |
14/03/2000 | L’Alto Adige | Informatica Trentina, progetto paralizzato |
09/05/2000 | L’Alto Adige | Informatica Trentina, conti in ordine ma il futuro è Infostrutture |
10/05/2000 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina investe su e-business e comunicazioni |
23/05/2000 | L’Adige | Argentea, un fronte per Informatica Trentina |
22/06/2000 | L’Alto Adige | Informatica Trentina, taglio miliardario ai prezzi |
01/07/2000 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, sì al mercato |
01/07/2000 | L’Adige | I privati chiedono più concorrenza |
27/10/2000 | L’Alto Adige | Soluzione Podini per Infostrutture in crisi |
27/10/2000 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, Dellai accelera la privatizzazione |
03/11/2000 | L’Alto Adige | Infostrutture Trentina, il timone passa a Trentino Servizi |
04/11/2000 | L’Adige | Infostrutture, altro 28% a Trentino Servizi |
05/11/2000 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina il ddl torna in aula |
10/11/2000 | L’Alto Adige | E Informatica Trentina rimane al palo |
08/12/2000 | L’Adige | Infostrutture, transazione da 700 milioni |
16/12/2000 | L’Alto Adige | Informatica Trentina esige chiarezza |
23/12/2000 | L’Adige | Dellai con Dalpez, il Trentino sia più unito |
13/01/2001 | L’Adige | Le ventidue leggi in attesa |
02/03/2001 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, vendita e consiglio congelato |
16/03/2001 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, si va verso la gara |
27/03/2001 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, si va verso la privatizzazione |
28/03/2001 | L’Adige | Dipendenti in agitazione |
29/03/2001 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, è stallo |
08/05/2001 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, nuovo studio sulla privatizzazione |
29/05/2001 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, la protesta blocca l’aula |
30/05/2001 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, protocollo sulle garanzie |
31/05/2001 | L’Adige | Quella solidarietà mafiosa |
05/06/2001 | L’Adige | Dellai apre, il centro destra chiude |
06/06/2001 | L’Adige | E ora Dellai ritiri la proposta |
08/06/2001 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, sul Cda la giunta decide entro lunedì |
12/06/2001 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, la Provincia rinvia le nomine |
24/06/2001 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina. Ed è il blocco |
28/06/2001 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, spunta Merler |
11/08/2001 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, vertici a tempo determinato |
19/09/2001 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina rilancia la sfida al mercato |
28/09/2001 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, troppe occasioni perse |
29/09/2001 | L’Adige | Informatica, in arrivo le nuove strategie |
25/10/2001 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, nuovi prodotti |
31/10/2001 | L’Adige | Ritirato il disegno di legge su Informatica Trentina |
06/11/2001 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, nessuna precarietà |
08/02/2002 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, partner prezioso |
20/04/2002 | L’Adige | Firma digitale nuovo business |
07/05/2002 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, Battistoni si dimette |
08/05/2002 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, dipendenti preoccupati |
09/05/2002 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, il sindacato chiede una svolta |
21/05/2002 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, Fantoni direttore pro tempore |
24/05/2002 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, si butta sull’e-procurement |
11/07/2002 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, il 40% Finsiel va in mani locali |
11/07/2002 | L’Adige | I sindacati, serve una verifica |
11/07/2002 | L’Adige | Dellai: “l’accordo rafforza la spa” |
12/07/2002 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, Sia pronta ad entrare |
12/07/2002 | L’Adige | La privatizzazione è possibile |
13/07/2002 | L’Adige | La quota Informatica Trentina in De Da il prima possibile |
16/07/2002 | L’Adige | Azionisti di Informatica Trentina, ma autonomi |
31/07/2002 | L’Adige | La privatizzazione è solo rinviata |
02/08/2002 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, la Cisl polemizza con Dellai |
03/08/2002 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, pronto il piano |
06/08/2002 | L’Adige | Informatica-Unicredit, joint-venture più vicina |
28/08/2002 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, sì al piano |
05/09/2002 | L’Adige | Francesca Fantoni a capo di Informatica Trentina |
11/09/2002 | L’Adige | Seac, verso il no a De Da |
21/09/2002 | L’Adige | Piano strategico, sindacati favorevoli |
26/09/2002 | L’Adige | In De Da, Sia vuole esserci |
23/10/2002 | L’Adige | De Da, anche Informatica Trentina dà il suo gradimento |
22/11/2002 | L’Adige | Sia, via libera ad Aldebra |
14/12/2002 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, appalti e polemiche |
31/12/2002 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina apre l’azionariato ai dipendenti |
31/12/2002 | L’Adige | Joint venture con Unicredit al via |
15/01/2003 | L’Adige | Unicredit e Informatica Trentina, parte Unienti |
31/01/2003 | L’Adige | Vogliamo collaborare con Informatica Trentina |
21/02/2003 | L’Adige | Aldebra sfrutterà le sinergie del territorio |
28/02/2003 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, via alla rivoluzione |
11/03/2003 | L’Adige | Uni-It” sarà costituita domani |
30/04/2003 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, il bilancio della svolta |
06/05/2003 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, nuova primavera |
24/05/2003 | L’Adige | La Provincia centralizza gli acquisti |
12/07/2003 | L’Adige | Nuova convenzione con Informatica Trentina, la Provincia risparmierà 2 milioni |
25/07/2003 | L’Adige | Ae Bolzano entra in Informatica Trentina |
02/08/2003 | L’Adige | Ibt flirta con Informatica Trentina |
09/09/2003 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina dice sì a Uni-It |
30/12/2003 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, il mercato traina il business |
05/02/2004 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina sbarca a Roma |
30/03/2004 | L’Adige | Uni It, partita l’espansione |
07/04/2004 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, vola l’utile netto |
13/05/2004 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina spinge sui dividendi |
19/10/2004 | L’Adige | Banda larga, regia a Informatica Trentina |
28/10/2004 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, bene i ricavi |
03/12/2004 | L’Adige | Intesa per l’operazione It-Dexit |
21/12/2004 | L’Adige | Osservatorio sull’informatica |
26/03/2005 | L’Adige | Banda larga, 15 milioni a Informatica Trentina |
30/03/2005 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, sì ai conti |
31/03/2005 | L’Adige | Più ricavi ma meno profitti per It |
10/05/2005 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina spinge sugli investimenti: + 53% |
17/05/2005 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina e Sap, alleanza per la Pa |
29/06/2005 | L’Adige | Intesa difficile tra Informatica Trentina e Tiscover |
30/07/2005 | L’Adige | Semestrale in crescita per Informatica Trentina |
08/11/2005 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, nel 2005 giro d’affari di 43 milioni |
24/12/2005 | L’Adige | Più mercato nel futuro di It |
28/12/2005 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, 1,4 milioni di utile |
29/12/2005 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina cresce del 12% |
13/04/2006 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina cresce del 14% |
16/05/2006 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, il dividendo sale a 1,6 milioni |
30/07/2006 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, a rischio un quarto del volume d’affari |
03/08/2006 | L’Adige | Bersani salva Informatica Trentina |
22/09/2006 | L’Adige | Bersani, informatica in campo. Un documento per modificarla |
23/09/2006 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, allarme della Rsu |
26/09/2006 | L’Adige | Bloccata ogni trattativa |
27/09/2006 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina e sindacati, pace su Bersani |
09/12/2006 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, cinque milioni alle imprese locali |
13/12/2006 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, sì al nuovo orario |
14/12/2006 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, la regione sarà azionista |
20/12/2006 | L’Adige | Informatica Trentina, utile netto a 2,4 milioni |
3.1.2 Participant observation
3.1.3 Formal interviews
3.2 Data analysis
Times | 1980s \(\rightarrow\) | 1990s \(\rightarrow\) | 2000s \(\rightarrow\) | 2006 \(\rightarrow\) | 2008 \(\rightarrow\) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Places | EU | EC Comm. 1998 • “In-house” being used in EU directives | 2005 EU • Sentence of the European Court of Justice | |||
National | Law 323/2003 • “In-house” principle adopted in Italy for public services | Law 248/2006 • Extension of “in-house” to the provision of instrumental goods and services | ||||
Local | Law 10/1980 • Implementation of a local IS 1984 • Foundation of ServiceCo as LTD company | ~ 97 ~ 2005 • Debate about privatization of ServiceCo in institutional venues (local parliament, local commission) • Public opinion debate on privatization of ServiceCo in newspapers | Law 3/2006 • Local in-house law (coherent with national and EU law) • Strategic reorganization plan | Law 468/2008 • Agreement scheme for the governance of ServiceCo | ||
Governance | 1983—Public/private • Local government ~ 60% • Others ~ 40% | 2002—Public/Private • 40% share sold to local private ICT company | 2006—Public • ServiceCo becomes public. 40% of share sold to Local Government | 2008—Public • Municipalities and other local offices “invited” to become shareholders of ServiceCo | ||
Strategic and organizational elements | • Management of local IS • Provision of goods and services to private customers | • ServiceCo as main provider of ICT services • ServiceCo as main driver for the growth of the local economic and social environment |
3.2.1 Place and time notions applied to the case study
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The European Union.
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Italy as a National Institution.
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Local government.
4 The case study firm
Until 2020 the firm’s governance, strategy, service provision model and organizational setting had not changed radically; the turnover from its private customers was still around 28% of the total turnover. However, at the beginning of the new millennium, the European and national reforms together with the public debate about the single market for services within the European Union generated pressure on the institutional, strategic and organizational dimensions of ServiceCo (Benati, 2001).But, in the beginning, no one prevented ServiceCo from developing business outside the provincial borders, offering its IT products to other administrations as well. It was probably in this spirit that a share of the capital of ServiceCo was attributed to a national public-owned company, the ideal partner in the 1980s, to compete within a larger market …. (Translation, Benati, 2000)
4.1 Place and time at European Union (EU) and national levels
4.1.1 Late 1990s: the European legislation influencing the place of European Countries
Later in the 1990s, the European legislation aimed at creating the legal basis for a clearer single European market characterized by its own form of neoliberalist ideas that could encompass the different equilibriums between the state and the market logic in existence in the different countries in the Union (Ban, 2016; Pänke, 2019; Raik, 2016).The removal of barriers to trade requires the establishment and enforcement of a new set of transparent rules to regulate competition. In the absence of such rules, the desired optimal allocation of resources would be frustrated by anti-competitive behaviour. Competition rules need to regulate both company and state behaviour in four main areas: (…) state monopolies of a commercial character, public undertakings and undertakings with special or exclusive rights also present a risk for free and open competition. There is deliberate creation of economic rents for certain players based on the assumption that the benefit is used for delivering public services or will accrue to the state as revenue. Whilst this is basically unobjectionable, it is a delicate task to constrain the market distortion to what is strictly necessary in the general interest, for instance with a view to the provision of public services in remote areas. (Commission of the European Communities, 1995, page 15)
The in-house principle allows public institutions to entrust a specific firm with the provision of services and goods by derogating from the obligation to apply public tendering. Since this principle in balancing between state and market could violate the principles of fair competition, the European legislator stated that a public authority might use the in-house principle only when the authority exerts predominant control and power over the firm: in this case, the firm is considered part of the public authority. This approach was finally adopted in Italy in 2003. From an institutional logics point of view, these reforms thus created the institutional space for two main logics i.e., that of the market and that of the state (Table 3).… the Commission proposes to clarify the following particular topics in an interpretative document: (…)—“in-house” contracts, i.e., contracts awarded within the public administration, for example between a central and a local administration or between an administration and a company wholly owned by it. (Commission of the European Communities 1998, subnote 10, page 10)
Main European directives | Deregulation/privatization | In-housing |
---|---|---|
Institutional orders | Market | State |
Root metaphor | Transaction | State as redistribution mechanism |
Sources of legitimacy | Share price | Democratic participation |
Sources of authority | Shareholder activism | Bureaucratic domination |
Sources of identity | Faceless | Social & economic class |
Basis of norms | Self-interest | Citizenship in nation |
Basis of attention | Status in market | Status of interest group |
Basis of strategy | Increase efficiency & profit | Increase community good |
Informal Control Mechanisms | Industry analysts | Backroom politics |
Economic Systems | Market capitalism | Welfare capitalism |
EU | Council Directive (1992). Council directive 92/50/EEC of 18 June 1992 relating to the coordination of procedures for the award of public service contracts. Official Journal of the European Communities, L 209(35) Commission of the European Communities (1995) White Paper Preparation of the Associated Countries of Central and Eastern Europe for Integration into the Internal Market of the Union, Brussels, 03/05/1995 COM(95) 163 Commission of the European Communities (1998) Public procurement in the European union, 11/03/1998 COM(1998) 143 final Market Directive (2006) Directive, 2006/123/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on services in the internal market | |
Italy | Italian law (2003) Legge 24 novembre 2003, n. 326 “Conversione in legge, con modificazioni, del decreto-legge 30 settembre 2003, n. 269, recante disposizioni urgenti per favorire lo sviluppo e per la correzione dell’andamento dei conti pubblici” Italian law (2006) Legge 4 agosto 2006, n. 248 “Conversione in legge, con modificazioni, del decreto-legge 4 luglio 2006, n. 223, recante disposizioni urgenti per il rilancio economico e sociale, per il contenimento e la razionalizzazione della spesa pubblica, nonché interventi in materia di entrate e di contrasto all’evasione fiscale” |
4.1.2 Early 2000s: a time of regulation ambiguity within the EU place
4.1.3 2006: National places. Legislation influencing the place—‘Italy’
In short, Law 248 states that in order to reduce any unfair competition in-house firms may provide instrumental goods and services only to their shareholders. In terms of time and place, this latter legislation was a major change for ServiceCo as it affected those fully or partly publicly-owned firms that provide instrumental goods and services (Fig. 1).In order to avoid alterations or distortions of competition and the market and to ensure the equality of operators, companies with full public or mixed capital, established or participated in by the regional and local public administrations for the production of goods and services instrumental to the activity of such institutions must operate exclusively with the constituent or participant or entrusting bodies; they cannot perform services in favour of other public or private subjects, neither in direct assignment nor with tender, and they cannot participate in other companies or entities. (Translation Italian Law 2006, art. 13)
4.1.4 2006: Legislation translated at local level by Local Government
This law is aimed at reassuring the populations established in the territory and the linguistic groups in which they recognize themselves, through the process of reorganization of the provincial and local institutions inspired by the principles of subsidiarity, differentiation and adequacy. (Translation Local Law, 2006)
Categories | Local government institutional logic | Examples in the case study | Main References |
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Root metaphor | Common boundary and redistribution mechanism | Strategic plan of local government IT as redistributive mechanism | |
Sources of legitimacy | Unity of will: belief in trust & reciprocity; democratic participation | Local legislation; Strategic reorganization documents | |
Sources of authority | Commitment in community values & ideology; bureaucratic domination | Local government as bureaucracy aimed at fostering and preserving community values | |
Sources of identity | Reputation; Social & economic class | Reputation of the local government to increase the common good for the local community | |
Basis of norms | Citizenship as a member of a defined context | Recognition of the local government rules capable of enhancing the common good in the local context | Local Government (2007) |
Basis of attention | Status in the local network | View of the firm as a generator of wellbeing for the local community | |
Basis of strategy | To increase community good means to increase status & honour of members & practices | New job opportunities for the individuals living in the territory who could increase their status within the local network of colleagues and within the local territory | |
Informal Control Mechanisms | Visibility of Actions; backroom politics | Newspapers and TV talking about the actions of the firm | |
Economic Systems | Capitalism with strong cooperative attitude | Cooperation with agents in the local economy to foster an IT ecosystem |
4.2 The interaction of ‘place’ and ‘time’: changes at organizational level
4.2.1 Legal status, customer base and governance model
The shareholding structure contained 185 public shareholders in 2018, all of them part of the local government infrastructure.(Corporate purpose): The Company, with entirely public capital, is the instrument of the local Administration system for the design, development, maintenance and operation of the electronic information system (…), for the benefit of the Administrations themselves and of the other bodies and entities of the system, in compliance with the current regulations. (Translated excerpt from the Statute, 2006, Article 4)
4.2.2 Service provision model
4.2.3 New roles and competences of IT project managers
4.2.4 Culture of measurement and management accounting system
This statement is especially true when considering the hybrid nature of ServiceCo but the geographical context in which this organization operates cannot be overlooked since the sense of community and membership dominate people’s culture and values. In particular, the accountability system was adopted to provide evidence of the positive impact of the new hybrid organization on the local environment since ServiceCo had to be perceived as being able to generate wellbeing for the community. As explained by Interviewee 1:In this particular geographical area, where traditionally the community exercises a very strong influence, it is more important to account for ServiceCo’s ability to guarantee careers and jobs connected to the growth of the local territory than just financial performance. (Interviewee 1).
An interesting result of the adoption of the MAS was the growth of a new “culture of measurement” (Interviewee 2) within the firm. The topic of culture is particularly important when a new equilibrium of power needs to be built i.e., the statements of the reorganization plan because it enables power groups to operate under specific cultural rules (Bourdieau, 1996). The new culture of measurement (Busco & Scapens, 2011; Ax and Grave, 2017), also referable to an outcome-orientation culture, brought a new wave of reports aimed at better investigating the nearby environment and at empowering the new organizational community logic by supporting, orienting and legitimating new manager decision-making processes in the new service provision model (Cinquini & Tenucci, 2010; Henri, 2006). Among others, four reports clearly show the aim of carrying out preliminary investigation of the different needs and criticalities of the new customer base (Sect. 4.2.1) with the goal of supporting the new service provision model (Sect. 4.2.2) while progressively transforming the role of engineers (Sect. 4.2.3):The person who decided to adopt this measurement system was aware of its importance in terms of the visibility of the organizational actions, the reputation of the organization itself and its members, but also in terms of belief in the organizational alignment with the wellbeing of the local community (Interviewee 1).
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Recognition and analysis of the software installed by the municipalities’ stakeholders of the firm (2011).
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Recognition and analysis of the digital and vocational skills required by local ICT companies (2011).
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Database of the competences of local ICT companies (2012).
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Detection and analysis of the perception of the usefulness of the territorial collaboration system (2013).