Getting the Fundamentals Right: Autonomization as a Reform and Governance Tool in the Case of the State Insurance Company Ltd. (SIC) in Ghana

The article is primarily a case study of the use of autonomization in the reform and restructuring of the State Insurance Company Ltd, an SOE in Ghana and addresses two main questions. (1) In view of the fact that the SIC has dual commercial and political objectives, is autonomization suitable for its reform? (2) Under what circumstances can autonomization actually promote efficiency and effectiveness in the proper management and functioning of the SIC? The findings point to answers for both questions. First, autonomization is a defective tool for reforming politically sensitive SOEs but better for non-politically sensitive ones. Secondly, the results point to genuine concerns that autonomization weakens the bonds of political accountability and increases fragmentation of government programs. Finally, the key words in the adoption and implementation of autonomization ought to be context, agency task-specificity and creative adaptation. It adds to the management literature on sub-Saharan Africa and to understanding the management context of Ghana.