ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the distinction between public and private with an emphasis on an historical approach to institutional organising and hybridity. The concepts, structures, and governance of public, private, and hybrid activities evolve over time, which obfuscates distinctions between organisational modes. The chapter explains the delineation between public and private goods. It explores the research debate on public and private interests and also discusses hybridisation as a consequence of government reforms. The Roman Republic used several forms of collaborative governance between public and private action. Private organisations, societas publicanorum, and their managers, the publicani, took care of most public duties, such as constructing public buildings, supplying equipment for the army, operating mines, and, most importantly, collecting taxes. The distinction between public and private has facilitated a vibrant academic debate in different fields of research, including the organisational research field.
