Public-Private Partnerships: administrative modernization and economic relationships immersed in conflicts of interest and corruption

Abstract

The 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil gathered approximately BRL 24 billion in investment to build and improve airports, sports arenas, ports, and urban mobility through public-private partnerships. This study analyzes these partnerships and discusses potential conflicts of interest and corruption driven by networking. From the structural sociology of relationships, we built a graphical representation of the investment network and the centrality, proximity, and intermediate positions of 446 actors involved in this sporting event. The results show that, in public-private partnerships, the state takes on different roles in public services coordination. The study found that INFRAERO is the most powerful state agency in the network of investments examined, followed by BNDES and CEF bank. In addition, the research identified seven private companies involved in the well-known corruption case Operation Car Wash. This study contributes to the literature by highlighting the composition of the investment network formed around the 2014 FIFA World Cup, enabling society and governments to consider public-private partnerships in the context of ethics, conflicts of interest, and corruption that may emerge from these relationships.

Keywords:
public-private partnerships; new public management; corruption