Contract renegotiation by an Italian wastewater utility: Action research to promote effective tariff revision

This article focuses on the process of contract renegotiation by an Italian wastewater utility, commenced with the goal of tariff revision. The main aim of this paper is to identify the conditions that lead to contract renegotiation. It also develops new tools and operations that can facilitate this process. We utilized the action research method that involves organizations in changing situations supported by professional researchers who assume the role of change agents. The study provides some interesting insights on contract management and renegotiation, and highlights conditions that lead to the failure of contract-based regulation.