Purpose This study aims to investigate public and private sector participation in public-private partnership (PPP) infrastructure investment decisions and identifies key strategies to enhance engagement. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative methodological approach, utilising semi-structured interviews with 13 PPP professionals from New Zealand and Malaysia. Guided by an interpretivist philosophical stance, this study explores and interprets the lived experiences and perspectives of these professionals to gain deeper insights into their decision-making processes. Findings Risk transfer and allocation, political and institutional settings, the nature of PPP contracts and projects and market conditions emerged as critical in shaping the decision of both public and private sectors to participate in PPP projects. This study identifies six essential strategies to foster greater participation: (1) strong institutional and political frameworks, (2) improved PPP guidelines, (3) training and capacity building, (4) effective communication and engagement, (5) a supportive environment and (6) enhanced transparency. Practical implications This study offers deeper insights into how policy frameworks, market conditions and organisational objectives interact to shape PPP adoption, enhancing both theoretical understanding and practical approaches to effective partnership implementation and governance in infrastructure delivery. Originality/value This study provides a deeper understanding of the decision-making processes underlying participation in PPPs, offering valuable insights for both public and private sectors. These findings can be leveraged to design more effective PPP frameworks for promoting sustainable participation.
Zekri et al. (2026) studied this question.