Public Sector Downsizing and Public Sector Performance: Findings from a Content Analysis

Abstract

The current literature suggests that downsizing is a popular strategy among public sector managers to improve organizational efficiency, effectiveness, and performance. To extend this line of research, this study aims to empirically examine the effects of public sector downsizing on organizational performance in the context of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. To determine the effects of the subdimensions of public sector downsizing on the subdimensions of public sector performance, a conceptual model is developed and examined based on qualitative data collected from a sample of 20 public sector managers in various organizations in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Content analysis of the interviews reveals that, as a subdimension of public sector downsizing, privatization is suggested to link to the subdimensions of public sector performance. Implications of the findings for theory and practice are discussed, and avenues for future research are recommended.