ABSTRACT
In the past decades, accountability-pressures on state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have increased considerably. Looking at the governance structures of SOEs, one finds complex multi-level principal-agent relationships resulting from public ownership and fulfilment of public tasks. While public accountability of core administrations or for public services has a long research tradition, less is known about the public accountability of SOEs. Against this background the chapter provides an overview of the many faces of public accountability and the theoretical discourses, followed by a look at the challenges and benefits of public accountability, as presented in empirical studies, published in English in the 2010s, and a conclusion with directions for further research.
