Contrasting organisational responses and their impacts on drinking water quality

Abstract

This paper discusses the findings of a research project which explored the impact of organisational responses on drinking water quality in England and Wales, and the Republic of Ireland. The paper also focuses on advancing our understanding of how organisations can be understood as affecting the transposition of policy responses designed to regulate the quality of drinking water. To achieve this aim, the study draws upon three hypotheses to account for the impact organisations have upon the transposition of policy. In particular, the selected hypotheses focus attention on the impact of conflicting organisational interests, organisational policy traditions, and the role played by agencies that are supportive of policy goals. It is established that drinking water quality has been of a consistently higher standard in England and Wales in comparison with the Republic of Ireland. It is also demonstrated that the associated organisational responses in England and Wales have been more successful in tackling certain problematic drinking water quality parameters. The paper concludes by arguing that although the selected hypotheses have proven useful in focusing our understanding of how organisations affect policy transposition, greater consideration needs to be given to understanding the impacts adequate finance, organisational networks, organisational fragmentation, and organisational independence from government, have on policy transposition.