THE CREATION AND EVOLUTION OF QUASI MARKETS IN THE PUBLIC-SECTOR - EARLY EVIDENCE FROM THE NATIONAL-HEALTH-SERVICE

The paper seeks to develop a more behavioural understanding of new style 'quasi markets' in the public sector. Theoretically, the paper critiques transaction cost based approaches and argues that the 'new economic sociology' can be fruitfully applied in these settings. Case study evidence is presented from the National Health Service (NHS). The evidence suggests that the internal market in health care should be seen as relational and as socially and institutionally embedded.