Values, Institutional Quality, and Development in Portugal, 2012-2013

The purpose of this study was to arrive at an authoritative and nuanced assessment of the functioning and quality of Portuguese institutions through an intensive analysis of organizations and agencies deemed emblematic of the nation's institutional framework. The study selected a sample of organizations of national scope, public and private, that are both intrinsically important and capable of casting light on the character on the broader national institutional universe. Investigators were asked not only to provide historical background and detailed analysis of the internal structure and modes of operation of each organization, but to rank them in a series of strategic dimensions of institutional quality drawn from previous theoretical literature in Economics and Sociology. These topics included meritocracy, proactivity, immunity to corruption, technological flexibility, and fairness. The organizations included in this study are: the Energy Corporation (Energias de Portugal - EDP), the Food and Economic Security Authority (Autoridade de Segurança Alimentar e Económica - ASAE), the Postal System (Correios de Portugal - CTT), the Public Health System (Serviço Nacional de Saúde - SNS; Hospital de Santa Maria), and the Stock Exchange (New York Stock Exchange - Euronext Lisbon - LSE), and the Tax Authority (Autoridade Tributária - AT). Surveys were conducted with personnel of the selected organizations to gauge their general value orientations as well as their attitudes toward the organization itself. Questionnaires were answered anonymously and with full guarantees of confidentiality. Surveys were completed with personnel of five of the six institutions selected for the project; the Tax Authority did not participate. Demographic variables include age, sex, gender, education, occupation, and length of employment.