Public-sector companies: managing for the common good

If a company's public sector doesn't function, the whole company is prevented from functioning. Firstly, it manages the rules of the game, and is their guardian. The public sector is the guardian of what the English call "the common". The "bien commun" is what belongs to everyone, and what's special about it is that everyone behaves like an owner when it comes to usufruct, but no one in particular feels like an owner when it comes to protecting or managing it. Everyone is ready to take the benefits of the "common good", but no one wants to shoulder the burdens. Economists have long demonstrated that the chances of survival of the commons are virtually nil. We believe it can be otherwise, provided we collectively become aware of the collective nature of our destiny.

Our conversation on managing the common good is based on 40 years of studying the strategy of public-sector companies. We illustrate our points by featuring many managers, but especially three public-sector leaders: Jean-Paul Bailly, who headed France's RATP and La Poste; Yves Devin, who presided over the rebirth of the STM; and Sylvain Lafrance, who transformed Radio-Canada, whose experiences were particularly revealing.

This book is a reflection on the common good and its management. Although it is based on available knowledge, our inclination is to debate rather than demonstrate. Above all, we wish to put on the table the questions that should animate our collective reflection on this very demanding management and on the training of its managers.