Title: Competition and change in postal services in the UK

Authors: Nerys Fuller-Love, Mark Rhodes

Addresses: School of Management and Business, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DD, UK. ' School of Management and Business, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DD, UK

Abstract: This paper examines the effect of competition in postal services in the UK and its impact on Royal Mail, particularly on the management and strategies it has implemented to make itself more competitive. There has been much discussion recently about the advantages and disadvantages of introducing competition into postal services. Postcomm, the postal services regulator, has recently announced a three-stage opening up of the UK postal markets. One of the problems faced by Royal Mail as it faces increased competition, increased losses and the loss of benefit payments in the post offices is that it is having to restructure its business and become more competitive in order to survive.

Keywords: competition; monopoly; regulation; management; Royal Mail; postal services; UK; United Kingdom.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMP.2004.004871

International Journal of Management Practice, 2004 Vol.1 No.1, pp.74 - 85

Published online: 07 Jul 2004 *

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