PPPs and management control: a paradoxical alliance between public oversight and private logic

Abstract

This article presents a bibliometric analysis of the scientific literature on public-private partnerships (PPPs) and management control systems. As the boundaries between public and private sectors continue to blur, understanding hybrid governance and performance mechanisms becomes increasingly important. Based on a dataset extracted from Scopus (2000–2025) and processed using Biblioshiny (Bibliometrix in R). The study identifies key authors, core journals, emerging themes, and international publication trends. The results reveal a strong disciplinary grounding in management and political science, a geographical concentration in Anglo-Saxon contexts, and a growing interest in public value, hybrid control systems, and collaborative governance. This contribution provides a structured overview of the existing research and outlines future directions, especially in underexplored francophone environments.