Public–Private Partnership’s Procurement Criteria: The case of managing stakeholders’ value creation in Kazakhstan

Abstract

The article presents the study of the criteria that Kazakhstan’s government used for granting a public–private partnership (PPP) contract to a private investor for construction and operation of eleven kindergartens in the city of Karaganda during 14 years. From the perspective of value creation for critical stakeholders, there was often misalignment between bidders’ views of these criteria and the perceived value for citizens and the government. The latter may significantly enhance the creation of shared values in a PPP by actively engaging stakeholders in the design of the bids’ assessment criteria.     

Safeguarding public accountability in horizontal government

Abstract

The trend towards horizontalization in government prompts a debate on safeguarding public accountability. This article contributes to the debate by presenting categories of horizontalization in government, types of horizontal accountability and criteria for judging the appropriateness of arrangements for public accountability. Accountability arrangements must meet the requirements of the democratic constitutional state to provide adequate checks and balances. This implies, among other things, that responsibilities must be clear and the information supply, debate and sanctioning options must all be established. A discussion of existing mechanisms for horizontal accountability indicates that the requirements of a democratic constitutional state are generally not sufficiently met. This makes it imperative to establish more balanced arrangements for public accountability that fit more horizontal forms of government.     

The effects of police performance on agency trustworthiness and citizen participation

ABSTRACT

We examine the effect of performance information on citizens’ willingness to engage with government. We hypothesize that when performance information is positive, citizens perceive government as trustworthy, which increases proclivity for participation. To validate this framework, we conduct an experiment that tests the effect of police performance on citizens’ perceptions of police trustworthiness and intentions to participate in a neighbourhood watch programme. We find that information about police performance strongly affects perceptions of police trustworthiness. Yet, citizen decisions to participate in the community watch programme are more complex and can be triggered by either positive or negative police performance.     

U.S. Strategic Trade Policy and the Competitiveness of the U.S. Construction Industry in Developing Country Markets

SUMMARY

U.S. government trade policy increasingly reflects “strategic trade” beliefs that, because competition in markets is imperfect, governments can act strategically to affect trade flows and enhance national welfare. The U.S. National Export Strategy targets the infrastructure sector in twelve developing countries as a strategic opportunity for U.S. construction firms. This paper examines whether U.S. government export promotion initiatives effectively implement strategic trade policy by providing appropriate support to these firms in that target market. It concludes that, within limits, they do.     

Modelling NPO–Government Relations: Australian case studies

Abstract

Non-profit organizations (NPOs) are major providers of services in many fields of endeavour, and often receive financial support from government. This article investigates different forms of government/non-profit funding relationships, with the viewpoint being mainly, though not exclusively, from the perspective of the non-profit agencies. While there are a number of existing typologies of government/NPO relations, these are dated and in need of further empirical analysis and testing. The article advances an empirically derived extension to current models of government/NPO relations. A future research agenda is outlined based on the constructs that underpin typologies, rather than discrete categorization of relationships.     

A Façade of Collaboration

Abstract

The study presented in this article examined the relationship between philanthropic foundations (PFs) and the government in social policy-making. The Yaniv Project, which aimed to establish collaboration between PFs and the Israeli government in the field of children and youth at risk in Israel, is analysed as a case in point. The findings reveal that the collaboration that emerged was ceremonial and symbolic. The government and the PFs perceived the collaboration more as a technical means of achieving their own goals and gaining control than as a relationship that benefits both parties. The article discusses the implications of those relationships for PFs and the government.     

Divergence in HR Functional Roles in Local Government

Abstract

In spite of a growing body of research on the position and role of HRM and the HR function in organizations, local government HRM has not received the attention it deserves. This article contributes to research on the role of the HR function by deploying a discursive perspective on how HR managers construct their function's role in the context of Finnish local government. Five discourses are located in the talk of HR managers, which show emerging discursive tensions and contradictions in the roles of the HR function in local government.     

A Critical Appraisal of the Current Use of Transaction Cost Explanations for Government Make-Or-Buy Choices: Towards a Contingent Theory and Forms of Tests

Abstract

This article aims at contributing to the extant literature on government make-or-buy choices building on transaction cost economics (TCE) by explicitly theorizing about transaction alignment and its relation to performance. It is argued that current theoretical and empirical models of government make-or-buy choices are not able to make predictions that corroborate theory. They are dependent upon the assumption of perfect competition that is ill-suited for the public sector setting. Instead, contingent models that take performance differences into account constitute a more valid model of TCE in this setting. In this article, theoretical models and empirical approaches for such a research agenda are developed.     

Effect of the Government’s Use of Social Media on the Reliability of the Government: Focus on Twitter

Abstract

The social media have been well recognized as important spaces for providing the people with government service and PR policy and they have been utilized by most of the government entities. Therefore, we try to identify whether the social media can be used as tools to enhance the reliability of the government. This study indicates Twitter is different from other conventional channels not only in the form but also in substance. Therefore, the service prioritizing more on transparency, participation, and communication or relationship appears more desirable and is utilized to the maximum.     

New multi-regional input–output databases for Australia – enabling timely and flexible regional analysis

ABSTRACT

Decision-making at regional scales requires timely information. Within four months of the release of official national statistics, we have produced a time-series (2008–2015) of balanced sub-national, multi-regional supply-and-use tables (MR-SUT), integrated with a set of socio-economic and environmental accounts. This was achieved using the Australian IELab, where data used in this study are available (https://ielab.info/resources/91). Four multi-regional, environmentally extended supply-use tables regionalised in different ways were produced to demonstrate the flexibility of tailoring input–output models to specific research or policy questions. Results for satellite coefficients are sensitive to the chosen regional grouping and method for regionalisation. We demonstrate the relevance of such purpose-built information to government and corporate decision-makers by analysing the indirect economic and employment consequences of a slowdown of the mining boom in Western Australia. The demonstrated innovations in flexibility and timeliness will help move past some of the limitations that have historically hindered the uptake and utility of applied input–output analysis.     

The performance of performance appraisal systems: understanding the linkage between appraisal structure and appraisal discrimination complaints

Abstract

Employee perceptions of the fairness of performance evaluations are critical to the success of any appraisal system. Research on performance management includes extensive studies on how bias emerges in the appraisal process. Despite this, there is no empirical evidence linking formal discrimination complaint filings – a key measure of bias - and performance appraisals. To close this gap, we conduct an empirical analysis using information on appraisal systems and discrimination complaints from the US federal government. Our findings suggest that agencies with better-designed appraisal systems will experience higher appraisal-related discrimination complaints, contrary to expectations. In particular, an expansion of training and voice opportunities are associated with an increase in appraisal discrimination complaints, while increased differentiation between performers is not consistently associated with complaints. For managers struggling with performance management, it may be better to spend time on improving performance-focused interpersonal communication rather than redesigning appraisal systems.     

Trends in local government in Europe

Abstract

The article explores which reform trends are expected to play a significant role in the further development of local government in European countries. Analysis is based on an adopted Delphi survey of (mainly academic) local government experts from thirty-two countries. Results include a list of trends structured by the perceived importance for the coming ten years. Redistributing responsibilities and duties across levels of government constitute the highest ratings out of all trends. Furthermore, results do not provide clear evidence to support a shift from public management to governance as has recently been proclaimed in academic debate and literature. Management topics continue to be of great importance. Last but not least, clusters extracted point to different reform groups, which highlight more reluctant or enthusiastic attitudes to the relevance of the suggested trends of the study.     

Entrepreneurship at the Local Government Level: Stimulating and restraining forces in the Swedish waste management industry

Abstract

This article explores influential forces on public sector entrepreneurship in two different organizational forms: the local government administration and the local government corporation. In arguing for the need to consider the context of organizational form, this article presents a development beyond existing research on public entrepreneurship (PE) which so far has been conducted only to a limited extent. The inductive analysis identifies factors not previously perceived as influential on PE. These findings support the importance of distinguishing between organizational forms. Finally, the findings can be used for formulating hypotheses possible to test in larger research designs.     

The Flemish government's responsibility for local government modernization

Abstract

Throughout Western Europe, local government is modernized. Central and regional governments carry responsibility for this modernization because they decide upon its nature. However, this responsibility reaches out further since a higher-level government also carries responsibility for the success of its modernization at the local level. The article unravels this responsibility for local government modernization in the case of the Flemish government. As a result of Belgian state reform, this government counts today as the most important higher-level government from the viewpoint of local government in Flanders.     

Structural model for analysis of key performance indicators for sustainable manufacturer–supplier collaboration: A grey-decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory-based approach

With growing competition in the market and dire need for sustainability, it has become imperative for companies to build long-term relationship with their supply chain partners through sustainable collaboration. Among these, the supplier–manufacturer relationship is crucial for improved organizational, business and sustainable performance. Sustainable collaboration with suppliers involves crucial decision-making processes such as continuous supplier monitoring and supplier development. Hence, a critical challenge that a company faces is to identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) for assessing the performance of a supplier for sustainable collaboration. In this regard, this study focuses on identification of KPIs for an Indian home appliance company through exhaustive discussions involving multiple decision-makers. Further, a grey-based decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) model is proposed in the study for analysing the importance levels among the fifteen KPIs based on multiple stakeholder perspectives. The results of the grey structural model indicate seven KPIs as influencing KPIs and eight KPIs as influenced KPIs. The KPI ‘Information disclosure’ has been identified as the most influential KPI for the evaluation of suppliers for sustainable collaboration. The implications drawn from the result analysis model can provide meaningful insights to managers for identifying strategies towards strengthening the supplier–manufacturer relationship and achieving organizational and market competence.     

Towards A Better Understanding of Public Service Motivation and Mission Valence in Public Agencies

Abstract

Research has not fully considered how public service motivation (PSM) and mission valence may work together to influence job satisfaction, extra-role behaviours, and turnover intentions. As a result, a causal model was developed and tested on local, state, and federal government employees in the United States. The results indicate that PSM had a direct effect on mission valence and extra-role behaviours. They also revealed that mission valence fully mediated the relationship between PSM and job satisfaction and partially mediated the relationship between PSM and extra-role behaviours. On the other hand, mission valence did not mediate the relationship between PSM and turnover intentions. These findings are thoroughly discussed in this article.     

Regional Disparities and Government Quality: Redistributive Conflict Crowds Out Good Government

Abstract

In this paper, we argue and provide empirical evidence to support the claim that higher income differences across regions increase the salience of interregional redistribution and, as a result, crowd out policies aiming towards improvements in government quality or efficiency. In the presence of greater regional disparities, the balance of politics may tilt towards redistributive concerns and away from government efficiency considerations, especially since the latter can be opposed by organized public sector interest groups. Our empirical analysis, based on a sample of 22 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries over the period from the mid-1990s to 2005, supports our basic intuition that regional disparities may lead to territorially based redistributive conflict to the detriment of government quality.     

Resisting government rendered surveillance in a local authority

ABSTRACT

The paper illustrates and discusses how the performance management systems in a UK local authority are transformed into a surveillance system. A case study analysis reveals that the surveillance is engendered by central government and enacted by senior managers who conform to policies demanding the introduction of strict performance management systems that dehumanize work processes because employees are deemed untrustworthy. The paper shows that employees resist this government rendered surveillance because they believe it undermines their interests as well as the interests of the public by damaging the quality of the services delivered.     

A fuzzy clustering approach used in evaluating technical efficiency measures in manufacturing

Comparing analytical approaches is crucial when important policy decisions of corporations or government agencies may be influenced by results that depend on the methodologies certain disciplines customarily use. Technical efficiency can be measured by a full-frontier production function model or by linear programming specifications. By using these modeling approaches observations pertaining to three linerboard manufacturing facilities are classified as efficient, inefficient, scale inefficient, and other. However, observations may or may not be consistently classified into these four groups when employing the two modeling approaches. In order to validate the efficiency designations of the two modeling approaches and to determine the uniqueness of observations, a fuzzy K-means clustering approach that uses a modified hat matrix H ^* as a similarity or information matrix is employed. This approach permits observations to be allocated to clusters in a fuzzy way by defining a membership function from 0 to 1. As the degree of fuzziness increases, a sensitivity analysis with respect to individual observations belonging to some cluster can be evaluated. At the same time, this fuzzy approach assists the analyst to assess the inconsistencies that can arise when using the mathematical programming and full-frontier modeling approaches of technical efficiency.The refereeing process of this paper was handled through Rolf Färe. The majority of this research work was completed when Bill Seaver was at the Department of Management Information Resources, College of Business Administration, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL 61455.