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Regionalization and water governance: a case study of a Swiss wastewater utility

Type of publication Peer-reviewed
Publikationsform Proceedings (peer-reviewed)
Author Lieberherr Eva,
Project Leistungsfähigkeit und Wandel der Steuerung und Organisation im Wassersektor: Schweiz, Deutschland und Grossbritannien im Vergleich
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Proceedings (peer-reviewed)

Volume (Issue) 14
Title of proceedings Procedia - Social and Behavioural Sciences
Place Amsterdam

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to evaluate how regionalization trends might affect the performance of water governance in terms of three overarching performance criteria: legitimacy, efficiency and effectiveness. The empirical component of this paper draws from a case-study analysis of the wastewater utility in Zurich, Switzerland. The findings indicate that establishing competencies through the process of autonomization can lead to an increase in a utility’s organizational efficiency and effectiveness; yet there is a notable trade-off with legitimacy because such processes tend to decrease direct democratic influence.
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