Theorizing the organization and management of non-governmental development organizations

This article uses a case study of public recruitment in Nepal as the vehicle for a discussion of the value of three current public management models: an anticorruption model, a psychometric selection model and the new public management (NPM) model. The political context of Nepal and the role and functions of the Public Service Commission (PSC) are described. The article argues that, in contrast to current NPM doctrine, preserving the current remit of the PSC as a central agency responsible for recruitment is necessary to preserve the integrity of recruitment, which is an important element in an anticorruption strategy. The article also reviews the case for selective introduction of psychometric methods of selection. The article implies an increased importance for public recruitment in development thinking, and argues for the vital role of Service Commissions in limiting corruption. While recognizing the reality of the problems which the NPM model was developed to tackle, the article provides evidence for rejecting its claim to universality.     

Towards a strategic model of employment reform in developing countries: explaining and remedying experience to date

The article argues for the importance of employment reform as a subject for international HRM scholarship. Employment reform has been one of the most significant, but also most neglected, recent initiatives in international HRM. Explanations by the World Bank and IMF for the poorer than expected outcomes of reform to date emphasize the importance of political commitment. They are compared with explanations for the similarly poor outcomes of downsizing in industrialized country organizations, which emphasize strategy, diagnosis, incrementalism and provision for retrenchees. Further clarification is provided by the results of field interviews in Ghana, Malaysia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Uganda and the UK. The article argues for a strategic approach to employment reform, one based on diagnosis and drawing on HRM expertise. It should take account of process factors in reform, make provision for the 'victims' of reform, loosen the link between employment reform and pay reform, and refine the role of donors in supporting reform. HRM practitioners and scholars have an important contribution to make to developing a new approach.     

Peking raises the statistical veil

The veil which hid the statistical records of the People’s Republic of China for two decades was raised at the second session of the Vth National People’s Congress. In the following article Prof. Kraus presents the most important official data on the country’s economic development and considers them in context with hitherto available western estimates.     

The politics of HRM: waiting for Godot in the Moroccan civil service

This study illustrates the fundamental importance of a political understanding in order to improve HRM in both public and private organizations. It complements studies that have found a statistical relationship between public staff management and economic growth by presenting a case study of Morocco, using the strategic human resource management (SHRM) model as a framework.

There are several reasons why HRM in the Moroccan civil service has stagnated, notably unfamiliarity with HRM models and the French administrative heritage. But the fundamental reason is Morocco's political system, where real power resides in the Palace, and where political actors are reluctant to take bold initiatives. Thus a focus on the management level is currently misplaced, and fundamental political action harnessing the authority of the Palace without disempowering other political actors is needed.

The study implies that a political analysis is sometimes a prerequisite for improving HRM in both public and private organizations.     

Limits to strategic HRM: the case of the Mauritian civil service

Taking as its starting point the impressive evidence for the strategic human resource management (SHRM) model's effect on organizational performance, and for the relationship between public staff management and economic growth, the paper offers the civil service of Mauritius as a case study of SHRM's relevance to developing countries. It finds that SHRM is not practised in Mauritius, nor is it feasible in the near future, because it is not widely known, because there is no strategic management framework, because staff management is highly centralized and because political will to make radical changes in staff management is lacking. The case study does not support claims that SHRM and its associated practices have a universal validity, or that public staff management is a ‘magic bullet’ that delivers economic growth. Improvements to staff management in Mauritius, and possibly other developing countries, will require a creative and piecemeal adaptation of Anglophone ‘good practice’ that respects political, economic and social realities.     

How meaningful are empirical studies on trade creation and diversion?

Zusammenfassung Wie aussagekr?ftig sind empirische Untersuchungen über Handelsschaffung und Handelsumlenkung ? — Der Aufsatz enth?lt eine kritische Literaturübersicht über Sch?tzungen der Wirkungen der EWG auf die Einfuhren ihrer Mitglieder aus Lieferl?ndern innerhalb und au\erhalb der Gemeinschaft. Der Autor kommt zu dem Schlu\, da\ s?mtliche Sch?tzungen der Handelsschaffung und -umlenkung durch die EWG so sehr durch die Anwendung der ceteris-paribusKlausel sowie weitere Annahmen beeinflu\t werden, da\ jede dieser Sch?tzungen nur unter sorgf?ltiger Berücksichtigung dieser Annahmen bewertet werden sollte. Die wichtigsten Einflu\faktoren sind die Wahl der Referenzperiode vor der Integration und der L?nge des Zeitraums nach vollzogener Integration, die Wahl des Basisjahres oder der Basisjahre, die Berechnungsmethode für die Einkommenselastizit?ten, ?nderungen in den Handelsmatrizen und in den relativen Au\enhandelsanteilen sowie der in der Zeit vor und nach der Integration eingetretene Strukturwandel, der nicht der EWG zugeschrieben werden kann. Au\erdem enth?lt diese Abhandlung einige allgemeine Schlu\folgerungen über die Wirkung der EWG. Die günstigen Auswirkungen der EWG auf die Importe ihrer Mitglieder aus Lieferl?ndern au\erhalb der Gemeinschaft traten am st?rksten kurz nach der Bildung der EWG auf. Zwischen 1964 und 1967 mag die EWG eine gewisse Handelsumlenkung bewirkt haben. In der gesamten Periode nach der Integration (1959–1967 oder 1960–1967) verursachte die EWG eine Zunahme des Au\enhandels, was bedeutet, da\ die günstigen Anfangswirkungen die Handelsumlenkung zwischen 1964 und 1967 vollst?ndig kompensiert haben. Die übereinstimmung über die handelsschaffende Wirkung der EWG und die Ergebnisse der vorliegenden Abhandlung lassen mit Sicherheit den Schlu\ zu, da\ sich die EWG günstig auf die Wohlfahrt der ganzen Welt ausgewirkt hat.

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Résumé Quelle est la portée des études empiriques sur les effets de création et de détournements de trafic? — L’article comprend un aper?u critique sur les estimations des effets que la C.E.E. a eu sur les importations des pays-membres en provenance des pays fournisseurs au-dedans et hors de la Communauté. L’auteur tire la conclusion que toutes les estimations des effets de création et de détournements de trafic à la suite de la C.E.E. sont tellement influencées par l’usage de la clause ceteris-paribus et par d’autres suppositions que chaque estimation devrait être interprétée soigneusement en considération de toutes ces restrictions. Les facteurs les plus importants sont le choix de la période de référence avant l’intégration et de la durée du temps après l’intégration accomplie, le choix de l’année (ou des années) de base, la méthode de calculer l’élasticité-revenu, les changements des matrices et des parts relatives du commerce extérieur, ainsi que la transformation structurelle qui a eu lieu avant et après la formation de la C.E.E., mais qui ne peut pas être attribuée à celle-ci. En outre, cette étude contient quelques conclusions générales sur les effects de la C.E.E. Les favorables répercussions les plus fortes de la C.E.E. sur les importations des pays-membres en provenance des pays hors de la Communauté avaient lieu brèvement après la formation de la C.E.E. Pendant la période 1964–1967, la C.E.E. peut avoir produit certains effets de détournements de trafic. Durant toute la période après l’intégration (1959–1967 ou 1960–1967), cependant, la C.E.E. a causé une telle augmentation des échanges commerciaux que les effets favorables au commencement ont compensé complètement les effets de détournements de trafic des années 1964–1967. Appuyé sur les résultats de cette étude et sur l’opinion conforme que la C.E.E. a eu des effets de création de trafic, on peut tirer la conclusion que la C.E.E. a eu des conséquences positives pour le bien-être du tout le monde.

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Resumen ? Qué valor real tienen estudios empíricos sobre la creación y la desviación de comercio ? — El presente estudio ofrece, en primer lugar, una rese?a crítica de la literatura empírica sobre estimaciones de los efectos de la C.E.E. sobre las importaciones de los países miembros intracomunitarias y de fuera de la Comunidad. La conclusión es que debido a condiciones ceteris paribus, a la elección del a?o (o los a?os) base, al número de a?os correspondientes al período antes y después de la integraciones, a los métodos de estimación de las elasticidades de ingreso, a los cambios de las matrices de comercio y de las participaciones relativas en el intercambio, asi como a los cambios estructurales que no fueron ocasionados por la C.E.E. pero que tuvieron lugar en los períodos antes y despues de la integración, las estimaciones sobre creación y desviación de comercio han de evaluarse cuidadosamente y teniendo presente los supuestos correspondientes. En segundo lugar, el artículo contiene algunas conclusiones sobre los efectos de la C.E.E.. Los mayores efectos positivos sobre las importaciones de los países miembros desde fuera de la Comunidad surgieron poco despues de la creación de la C.E.E. Entre 1964 y 1967 cabe suponer que la C.E.E. dió lugar a cierta desviación de comercio. Durante el completo período ex post de integración (1959–1967 ó 1960–1967) la C.E.E. originó un incremento del comercio exterior, lo que significa que los efectos positivos iniciales de desviación de comercio entre 1964 y 1967 fueron totalmento compensados. Tanto la opinión unánime sobre una expansión comercial interna como los resultados del presente trabajo permiten con toda seguridad la afirmación de que la C.E.E. ha tenido un impacto positivo sobre el bienestar de todo el mundo.

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Riassunto Come sono espressive analisi empiriche su creazione di commercio ed inversione di commercio ? — Lo studio contiene una critica sintesi bibliografica su stime degli effetti della CEE sulle importazioni dei suoi membri da Paesi fornitori all’interno ed all’esterno della Comunità. L’autore giunge alla conclusione che tutte le stime della creazione ed inversione di commercio da parte della CEE possono essere influenzate cosí tanto dall’impiego della clausola ceteris-paribus e da ulteriori ipotesi che ognuna di queste stime dovrebbe essere valutata soltanto considerando accuratamente queste ipotesi. I più importanti fattori di influenza sono la scelta del periodo di referenza prima dell’integrazione e della durata dello spazio di tempo dopo la completa integrazione, la scelta dell’anno base o degli anni base, nonchè il cambiamento di struttura prodottosi prima e dopo l’integrazione, il quale non puó essere attribuito alla CEE. Questo articolo contiene inoltre alcune conclusioni generali sull’effetto della CEE. Le ripercussioni favorevoli della CEE sulle importazioni dei suoi membri da Paesi fornitori al di fuori della Comunità comparvero nella maniera più forte subito dopo la costituzione della CEE. Tra il 1964 e il 1967, la CEE potrà aver dato luogo ad un’iversione di commercio. Nell’intero periodo dopo l’integrazione (1959–1967 o 1960–1967) la CEE provocó un aumento del commercio estero; ció significa che le favorevoli ripercussioni iniziali hanno completamente compensate l’inversione di commercio tra il 1964 ed il 1967. Dalla concordanza sull’effetto creante commercio della CEE e dai risultati del presente articolo puó essere tratta con sicurezza la conclusione che la CEE ha influito favorevolmente sul benessere di tutto il mondo.

     

The Potential Market for GM Rice with Health Benefits in a Chinese High-Risk Region

Genetically modified rice with a high folate content, i.e., folate biofortified rice, was recently developed to tackle folate deficiency. A consumer segmentation study is conducted to explore its market potential in the Chinese Shanxi Province, where the burden of folate deficiency is among the world’s highest. Cluster analysis of 451 rice consumers identified three segments: enthusiasts (14.2%), cautious (41.2%), and opponents (44.6%). Enthusiasts obtain the highest score of GM food knowledge and attitudes and have the highest GM rice acceptance rate, followed by cautious and reluctant consumers. Regarding GM food information, enthusiasts use almost entirely audiovisual channels and rely more on the industry, while other segments depend more on informal channels and anti-GM sources. Trust levels in these channels/sources differ between enthusiasts (high), opponents (neutral), and cautious (low). Based on multinomial regression, a targeted communication approach is recommended with a focus on female, cautious consumers and rural, low-educated opponents.     

Accounting Undergraduates' Perceptions of Cooperative Learning as a Model for Enhancing their Interpersonal and Communication Skills to Interface Successfully with Professional Accountancy Education and Training

To interface effectively with professional accountancy training, accounting educationalists should ensure that they turn out graduates who possess the interpersonal and communication skills required of today's accountant. Attainment of these skills is promoted by group work. However, little empirical evidence exists to help academics make an informed choice about which form of group learning enhances interpersonal and communication skills. This paper addresses this deficiency by comparing perceptions of skills enhancement between accounting students who experienced traditional or simple group learning and those who undertook cooperative learning. The findings reveal that the cooperative learning cohort perceived their learning experience to be significantly more effective at enhancing interpersonal and communication skills than that of the simple group learning cohort. This study provides evidence that cooperative learning is a more effective model for delivering interpersonal and communication skills than simple group learning, thereby creating a more successful interface between academic accounting and professional accountancy training.