Crime and Governance in the Global South

In England and in Germany, until the 1960s the policing of public protests (as a special field of policing public disorder) aimed at an all-encompassing social control. A strong focus was put on completely controlling a defined physical territory as well as the movements of persons or groups, leaving only very few pockets for independent spatial appropriations. The violent clashes of the 1980s deeply challenged this model of social control as regards protest policing. ?? In both countries, urban localization was an important factor which can explain these challenges: Local citizens self-confidently claimed the right to protest on their streets in their neighborhood and present their aims, thus using local urban space as a multifold power resource for identity formation, for envisioning the future of the urban, for protesting for local political issues, and also for consumer needs. Implementing an alternative model of protest policing could have helped to avoid or minimize violent confrontations in urban settings. Such an urban control protest policing would have had to be based on interventions that were decentralized in focus, sensitive to space and local issues, and understood the repercussions police interventions could have on street protestors, especially regarding the potential escalation of physical violence. In England as well as in Western Germany, the hermetic internal culture of the police (with its inherent pattern of masculinity) was the biggest obstacle which worked against abandoning the concept of completely controlling a physical territory and the movements of people in it. In Germany, the abstract state-centered thinking common among policemen ("seeing like a state") and the strict separation of day-to-day routine policing on the one side and the policing of protests which were labeled 'political' on the other side worked massively against establishing an alternative model of protest policing. In England implementing new models of policing was obstructed by a self-image of the police as a neutral mediator of social tensions as well as by the institutional racism of the police.

PurposeThe paper aims to investigate how the governance practices of public-sector entities (PSEs) in Tanzania are shaped by competing institutional logics and strategies used to manage the logics.Design/methodology/approachIn the paper, empirical evidence was gathered through documentary sources, non-participant observations and in-depth interviews with members of boards of directors (BoDs), chief executive officers (CEOs), internal and external auditors, senior executives and ministry officials. The data were analyzed using thematic and pattern-matching approaches.FindingsThe paper shows that bureaucratic and market logics co-exist and variations in governance practices within and across categories of PSEs. These are reflected in CEO appointments, multiple roles of CEOs, board member appointments, board composition, multiple board membership, board roles and evaluation of board performance. External audits also foster market logic in governance practices. The two competing logics are managed by actors through selective coupling, compromise, decoupling and compartmentalization. Despite competing logics, the bureaucratic logic remains dominant and is largely responsible for variations between the underlying logics and governance practices.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that public-sector reforms in emerging economies (EEs) must account for the fact that governance practices in PSEs are shaped by different institutional logics embedded in socioeconomic, political and organizational contexts and their corresponding management strategies.Originality/valueFew previous studies explicitly report relationships between institutional logics and the governance practices of PSEs in EEs. The current study is one of few empirical studies to connect competing institutional logics and the associated management strategies, as well as governance practices in EEs in the context of public-sector reforms.

The chapter outlines seven ideal-typical models for thinking about the politics of police. The models are not mutually exclusive and can be combined to form complex descriptions of theoretical relations. They rest on a variety of conceptual distinctions. Crime control and due process; high and low policing; police force and police service; organizational structure and officer discretion; state, market, and civil society; police knowledge work, investigation and intelligence; and the democratic, authoritarian, and totalitarian politics of policing are all discussed. The police métier is discussed a set of habits and assumptions that envisions only the need to control, deter, and punish. It has evolved around the practices of tracking, surveillance, keeping watch and unending vigilance, and the application of force, up to and including fatal force. The chapter concludes that these seven models for thinking about police and policing facilitate micro-, meso-, and macro-level analysis.

Fund Governance, Fees and Performance in Australian Corporate Superannuation Funds: A Non-Parametric Analysis

This study analyses the corporate governance structure and performance of Malaysian public university holdings companies from 2010 to 2014. The sample comprises eight public university holding companies. Data was gathered by using three methods; survey, semi- structured interview, and documentation review. The board structure and board sub-committees’ practices of these case organizations were evaluated against the best practice recommendation of (i) the Malaysian Code on Corporate Governance (MCCG) 2012 (ii) the Green Book 2006, and (iii) other relevant acts. The firm performance is measured using four indicators which are sales, profit before tax, net profit margin and return on equity. Overall, this study finds that the practice and structure of corporate governance of the holding companies are excellent. However, there are companies that did not comply with certain parts of the recommendations of Malaysian Code on Corporate Governance 2012 (MCCG) and the Green Book. The study also observed that the practice of governance between the university companies is not uniform. The analysis of firm performance, two companies, show the highest net profit margin and return on equity. One company reported negative earnings and return on equity. The other five companies reported the net profit margin below 10%. The findings provide an insight into the ministry of education as the shareholder to improve the monitoring of the public university holding companies.


 
 
 This study analyses the corporate governance structure and performance of Malaysian public university holdings companies from 2010 to 2014. The sample comprises eight public university holding companies. Data was gathered by using three methods; survey, semi- structured interview, and documentation review. The board structure and board sub-committees’ practices of these case organizations were evaluated against the best practice recommendation of (i) the Malaysian Code on Corporate Governance (MCCG) 2012 (ii) the Green Book 2006, and (iii) other relevant acts. The firm performance is measured using four indicators which are sales, profit before tax, net profit margin and return on equity. Overall, this study finds that the practice and structure of corporate governance of the holding companies are excellent. However, there are companies that did not comply with certain parts of the recommendations of Malaysian Code on Corporate Governance 2012 (MCCG) and the Green Book. The study also observed that the practice of governance between the university companies is not uniform. The analysis of firm performance, two companies, show the highest net profit margin and return on equity. One company reported negative earnings and return on equity. The other five companies reported the net profit margin below 10%. The findings provide an insight into the ministry of education as the shareholder to improve the monitoring of the public university holding companies.
 
 

Preface to the Fourth Issue of Indian-Pacific Journal of Accounting and Finance

Migrant women from poor countries represent a labor supply which is at once the most vulnerable flexible and at least in the beginning the least demanding. They are incorporated into sexually segregated labor markets at the lowest stratum in high-tech industries or at the cheapest sectors in labor intensive industries. They bear the brunt of the ideology of racism and an insecure political and legal status as all migrants do which along with gender discrimination and class exploitation contribute to their vulnerability. For instance after the 1974 halt on further labor immigration the Western European receiving countries imposed either a complete ban or waiting periods for entry into the labor market for the spouces who joined migrants already in these countries. This regulation concerned non-EEC citizens mostly women. In the absence of legitimate employment opportunities these women turned to illegal employment. For employers there are obvious advantages in hiring illegal labor--tax violation flexibility and non-application of labor legislation. Legally these women are defined as dependents in keeping with the Western ideology where man is the breadwinner whether this dependency is real or not. Thus there stay is linked to the legal status of their migrant husbands. The work of native and migrant women do not always conform to the prevailing definition of work and therefore not often recognized as an economic activity in data collection. In the process of migration and incorporation into waged employment women may experience either increased exploitation or may gain greater independence and an awareness that their situation can be changed. The changes in womens position are a function of the socioeconomic and cultural context in which they take place and are related to their role in production social status in the place of origin employment opportunities in the receiving areas for men as well as women and finally migration patterns and reasons for migration. Migration tends to be treated as a phenomenon involving young males seeking economic betterment. There is need for better understanding of migration of women.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a pivotal force in global technological advancement, offering unprecedented opportunities across various sectors. However, the rapid integration of AI into societal frameworks has raised significant concerns regarding ethical standards and responsible governance. This study aimed to explore responsible and ethical AI governance in Africa. The study was guided by the following objectives: to explore the implementation of national and regional regulatory frameworks that address ethical AI use in governance, to determine the ethical guidelines for AI practitioners and organisations in Africa, and to establish mechanisms for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of AI technologies to ensure accountability and continuous improvement of governance practices. The study was anchored by decolonial AI theory and stakeholder theory. The study employed phenomenological research. The target population for the study consisted of stakeholders involved in AI governance across various sectors in Africa. This included government officials, AI developers, academic researchers, civil society organisations, and representatives from marginalised communities. The study utilised purposive sampling techniques to select participants who had relevant knowledge and experience related to AI governance. Therefore, a sample size of 30 selected stakeholders was taken. The primary research instruments used in the study were semi-structured interviews. Data collected were analysed descriptively. The study revealed that nearly 65% of the participants acknowledged the existence of national regulatory frameworks and regional guidelines aimed at addressing ethical AI use in governance throughout Africa. However, only 30% reported that these frameworks were actively implemented and enforced. Participants noted significant discrepancies in regulatory effectiveness between different countries, highlighting a lack of uniformity across the continent. Further, the findings indicated that only 25% of the stakeholders believed that effective mechanisms for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of AI technologies were in place to ensure accountability and continuous improvement in governance practices. The study concluded that some African countries have initiated efforts to develop national and regional policies addressing ethical AI use. These initiatives remain fragmented and often lack the necessary cohesion to effectively govern the diverse socio-economic and cultural contexts across the continent. The study recommended that African countries should prioritise the creation of comprehensive regulatory frameworks that address the ethical implications of AI technologies. These frameworks should be informed by international best practices while being tailored to the unique socio-economic and cultural contexts of each country. The governments should ensure that ethical considerations are integrated into the technology lifecycle, promoting accountability and transparency.

PurposeThis paper contributes to the existing literature by extending the empirical work on the relationship between corporate governance and capital structure by analyzing the mediating role of cost of capital in the non-financial firms listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX).Design/methodology/approachThe sample for this study includes non-financial firms listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (formerly Karachi Stock Exchange) for the period of 2004–2016. Based on 1800 firm-year observations, three approaches of panel data analysis are applied for the step-wise analysis of the underlying study. Firstly, Pooled OLS is applied. Secondly, fixed and random effect panel regression followed by the Hausman test to check the unobservable individual heterogeneity of the data. Hausman test indicates that the fixed-effects model is the most appropriate model for the sample panel data.FindingsThe study's findings are that board size, board composition, CEO/Chair duality, institutional ownership and managerial ownership have statistically significant direct effect on the firm's financing decisions. However, CEO/Chair duality, institutional ownership and managerial ownership have significant indirect effect on firm's capital structure decisions. The interesting finding of the paper is on the evidence of mediating role of cost of capital in the nexus of corporate governance and capital structure. Moreover, some conventional determinants of capital structure, including the firm's size, asset structure of the firm, profitability, business risk and growth, are found as determinants of capital structure decisions of the firms.Research limitations/implicationsThere are a few limitations to our study which could be addressed by upcoming research. We did not include all the four mechanisms of corporate governance including board structure, audit structure, compensation structure and ownership structure. However, we used only five important attributes including board size, board composition and CEO/Chair duality form board structure, managerial ownership and institutional ownership form ownership structure of corporate governance as our explanatory variables to examine their impact on the capital structure choices of the firms. Future studies may fill this research gap by involving some other attributes of corporate governance and analyzing their effectiveness and impact on value relevant capital structure decisions. Further, due to limited time and resources, we only tested the mediating role of cost of capital, hence, future researchers can analyze the mediating and moderating roles of different variables which may influence the relationship between corporate governance and capital structure choices of the firms.Practical implicationsThe study has many valuable guidelines and practical implications for the financial managers of the corporations. Our results will facilitate the policymakers in setting their corporate governance policies and practices and making the value relevant capital structure decisions in compliance with the implications of corporate governance mechanism. In addition, our study provides the empirical evidence in accordance with the argument that good governance practices, particularly the voluntary disclosures by the firm may reduce the information asymmetry which, ultimately, reduces the agency cost and the cost of capital for the firm. However, while deciding the financial policy of the corporations, managers can use our findings in order to assess the effectiveness of corporate governance practices employed by the firm in achieving the optimal capital structure at which the weighted average cost of capital is at its minimum level.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the literature by investigating the mediating role of the cost of capital in the relationship between corporate governance and capital structure decisions of the firms. This paper provides empirical evidence that corporate governance indirectly affects capital structure decisions through the mediating role of cost of capital.

Tennis is one of the world's most practiced racket sports, with clubs serving as the main venues for participation, training, and community engagement. Despite their central role, research on the governance of tennis clubs remains scarce. This study aims to provide an international comparison of governance practices in tennis clubs across Southern Europe. The analysis covered 30 tennis clubs from Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Malta. A validated governance assessment model was applied, grounded in three key principles: democracy and participation, ethics and integrity, and accountability and transparency. Key governance indicators included board diversity, stakeholder involvement, president turnover, document transparency, and decision-making structures. Clubs were clustered into four governance types using k-means analysis. The results revealed marked differences among clubs. Some exhibited balanced and participatory governance, while others demonstrated restricted and opaque practices. Clubs with more independent board members tended to experience greater leadership turnover, and those with higher financial transparency were more likely to disclose governance documents. Conversely, gender equality metrics showed minimal correlation with other governance indicators. The study highlights the need for enhanced inclusivity, structured oversight, and transparency in tennis club governance. The findings offer valuable insights for club managers, federations, and policymakers seeking to professionalize governance in sports organizations. Future research should explore governance variations across club types, regions, and socio-economic contexts, and develop longitudinal strategies for inclusive and sustainable governance practices in tennis.

A new perspective in criminology has emerged over the last three decades, a perspective with considerable potential to add to our understanding and control of crime. In the same way the invention of the microscope opened up a biological world scientists had not previously seen, this new perspective opens the world of small geographic features we had overlooked. Research has demonstrated that actions at these microplaces have strong connections to crime. Just as the microscope paved the way to new treatments and advances in public health, this new perspective in criminology is yielding improved ways of reducing crime. This new perspective shifts our attention from large geographic units, such as neighborhoods, to small units, such as street segments and addresses. This shift in the “units of analysis” transforms our understanding of the crime problem and what we can do about it. There are two aspects to this shift in units. The first shifts our attention from large geographic units to small ones. This we have just mentioned. The second shifts our attention from people to events, from those who commit crimes to the crimes themselves. Criminology has been primarily focused on people (Brantingham and Brantingham 1990; Weisburd 2002). Frank Cullen (2011) noted in his Sutherland Address to the American Society of Criminology in 2010 that the focus of criminology has been even more specific. He argued that criminology was dominated by a paradigm, which he termed “adolescence-limited criminology,” that had focused primarily on adolescents. To what extent have person-based studies dominated criminology? Weisburd (2015a) examined units of analysis in all empirical articles published in Criminology between 1990 and 2014. Criminology is the highest-impact journal in the field and the main scientific publication of the largest criminological society in the world, the American Society of Criminology. He identified 719 research articles. Of the 719 articles, two-thirds focused on people as units of analysis. The next main units of study were situations (15 percent) and macrogeographic areas such as cities and states (11 percent). Eck and Eck (2012) examined the 148 research papers published in Criminology and Public Policy from its first issue in 2001 until the end of 2010, and the 230 articles published in Criminal Justice Policy Review during the same time period.

ABSTRACTThe article synthesizes existing research on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices and explores their impact on corporate sustainability and financial outcomes. [Correction added on 17 December 2024, after first online publication: In the Abstract section, the definition of ESG has been corrected from ‘economic, social, and governance’ to ‘environmental, social, and governance’.] A systematic literature review (SLR) followed PRISMA guidelines, analyzing 85 peer‐reviewed articles from high‐quality journals indexed in Scopus. The results reveal that robust governance mechanisms—such as board diversity, strategic integration of ESG criteria, and effective risk management—are key drivers of enhanced ESG performance and corporate profitability. However, the findings also highlight significant gaps in current knowledge, particularly regarding emerging concepts like green innovation, ESG controversies, and digital transformation. The study concludes that further research is needed to develop a more nuanced understanding of how different governance structures and ESG practices interact and to provide clearer guidance for policymakers and corporate managers in fostering sustainable business practices.

PurposeThis paper aims to increase the current understanding of the connection between operational level information and communication technology (ICT) projects and national level digital transformation by researching how project governance structures and practices are applied in an e-government context.Design/methodology/approachAn elaborative qualitative study through public documentary analysis and empirical multi-case research on Finnish central government is used.FindingsThe study constructs a multi-level governance structure with three main functions and applies this in an empirical setting. The results also describe how different governance practices and processes, focusing on project portfolio management, are applied vertically across different organizational levels to connect the ICT projects with the national digitalization strategy.Originality/valueThis study integrates project governance and portfolio management knowledge into public sector digitalization, thus contributing to project management, e-government and ICT research streams by improving the current understanding on the governance of ICT projects as part of a larger-scale digitalization. This study also highlights perceived gaps between current governance practices and provides implications to managers and practitioners working in the field to address these gaps.

This paper summarizes the results of a survey of financial supervisory agencies in IMF member countries conducted in 2007. Responses were received from 140 financial sector supervisors in 103 countries. A majority of these are separate stand-alone agencies, though, a majority of bank supervisors are part of a central bank. The survey asked respondents about their governance structure and practices, as well as practices and policies related to public transparency and accountability. Most agencies reported having operational independence. Bank supervisors were unique in viewing financial stability as part of their mandate.