Corporate and contractual mechanisms in the management of state-owned enterprises

State-owned enterprises are important corporate organizations that can be of use to perform relevant economic activities related to collective interests or national security issues. In order to conform themselves to public investment constraints and fulfil the principle of efficiency, there is a number of legal and contractual management mechanisms to both public and private corporations. Legal transactions, corporate control mechanisms and the sharing of control, as well as the adoption of corporate governance practices are legal alternatives put in place to the managers of public corporations. The case analysis of Electrical Power Utility of the State of Parana (Copel) tries to illustrate the use of such mechanisms.