The interplay of critical success factors for enhancing public sector performance in Brazil: a fuzzy DEMATEL approach

Public organisations often operate with limited resources while facing intense societal demands to deliver high-quality, essential services, such as education and healthcare. In this resource-constrained context, a key question arises: How can public organisations prioritise key drivers to maximise the impact of their limited resources? Therefore, this paper aims to analyse the interrelationships between critical success factors (CSFs) shaping the competitiveness of public organisations in Brazil, identifying the most influential factors. Employing a combined expert survey and Fuzzy DEMATEL method, the research maps the interrelationships among fourteen CSFs, allowing them to be classified as either causal or effect factors. While prior studies typically identify isolated factors influencing public sector outcomes, our approach emphasises the systemic interdependencies among them. The findings reveal that (i) top management commitment and leadership, (ii) strategic clarity and implementation alignment, and (iii) organisational structure and infrastructure are pivotal for driving strategic initiatives and sustainable performance improvements, acting primarily as causal factors influencing others. The results are significant because they provide evidence-based guidelines for public managers to prioritise strategic actions, optimise resource allocation and enhance the competitiveness and performance of their organisations.