Abstract
A number of studies have examined the public private partnership (PPP) policy and have questioned the risk transfer argument used by the UK government to legitimise its adoption. This paper contributes to the literature by illustrating how accounting numbers have been used to value risks and justify the PPP decision. Data from the full business cases of two UK PPP schools and semi-structured interviews are used to illustrate the complexities and subjective judgements involved in valuing risks and achieving optimal risk transfer. The analysis suggests that the accounting numbers used to value risks are not neutral or objective but are socially constructed and may be manipulated to justify the PPP decision.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 154-165 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | British Accounting Review |
Volume | 46 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jun 2014 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Accounting
- Measurement
- PFI
- PPP
- Risk
- UK
- Value for money
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Accounting