Pubblico e privato: armonizzare gli opposti

This paper synthesizes the academic debate over the economics and management of public administration, with a specific focus on the notion of public value. This concept is analyzed in its multiple dimensions, with reference both to the needs that public organizations are expected to satisfy and to the ways in which decision-making and production processes actually take place. This plurality calls for a networked approach aimed at striking a balance between individual and public interests, thus fostering a fair development of the socio-economic system as a whole.