Public-private partnership transformation and worker satisfaction: A case study of sanitation workers in H-City, China

Recent years have witnessed a rapid development of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) as a new model of public service provision. Transitioning from bureaucrat- to market-oriented management of public services entails organizational changes that may affect employee satisfaction, and thus, PPP performance. We take sanitation services in H-City as a case study to explore the managerial factors that influenced worker satisfaction during the PPP transformation. Our research shows that motivation and transition factors influence worker satisfaction in the PPP transformation and may allow a smoother transformation of sanitation services. In particular, focusing on balancing workload and compensation, training, improving public attitudes, and adopting worker-friendly rules contribute to the satisfaction of sanitation workers. These findings will contribute to the transformation of the provision of public services in China.