Reshaping the Energy Market: The Italian Case

The purpose of this paper is to shed light on public service reform, especially on energy markets. In particular, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of privatization and liberalization of monopolistic services, especially the role of marketing policies. We use a single case study presented on data gathered from several secondary data sources, related to energy companies. The study is illustrative by its nature and advances two main arguments through conceptual analysis and empirical illustration: public services can be seen as the identification of actual and emerging needs and technologies and their matching; and the matching process builds on marketing policies and it is characterized by their individual motives to leverage the competition by the relationship process. The paper opens avenues for further research to develop the current conceptualizations of energy services in launching the new public service emergence perspective.