Governance Institutions Research Articles

Objects of Expertise. The Socio-Material Politics of Expert Knowledge in Global Governance

Abstract Global governance institutions emerge around problems ranging from climate change to cybersecurity. Expert knowledge is instrumental in defining these problems, developing corresponding solutions, and thereby structuring international order. But in the process of problem construction, claims to expertise are competing, often contingent, and increasingly rely on graphs and models, black-boxing normative assumptions of knowledge production. Thus, international relations (IR) requires an approach that engages with the political dynamics of knowledge production happening within and beyond the spheres of traditional politics. This special forum on objects of expertise offers such an approach, and this introductory article lays out the overarching framework. It conceptualizes objects of expertise as authoritative knowledge relevant for governing put into a socio-material form. First, understanding expertise in terms of authoritative knowledge points to the contested attempts at rendering knowledge authoritative in a specific sphere; expertise is a relational category of (contested) group belonging. Second, knowledge becomes expertise when it is made authoritative in relation to a problem relevant for governing. Finally, expertise gains objectual character when it is put into a delineable socio-material entity in which it assumes a recognizable, specific form. This form grants objects of expertise a certain level of credibility and stability, allowing them to function as trusted sources of information and guidance.

Minilateralism and effective multilateralism in the global nuclear order

ABSTRACT Following the 2023 report of the United Nations High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism, this paper addresses the relationship between minilateralism and multilateralism in the global nuclear order. The paper theorizes minilateralism as a relational concept and fluid praxis, introducing a typology of inside and outside minilateralism. It then traces and analyzes these types of minilateralism within global nuclear weapons governance from 1970 to 2020. The paper finds that how states pursue minilateralism is conditional on how they perceive the effectiveness and legitimacy of wider membership multilateral institutions in nuclear governance. How complementary minilateralism is to effective multilateralism comes down to how minilateral groupings are positioned relative to multilateral institutions, how willing and able they are to integrate their activities in those institutions, and whether they, in turn, are considered legitimate. The paper concludes with recommendations for how minilateralism can complement effective multilateralism in global nuclear weapons governance and beyond.

Physicians' Perceptions and Experiences Regarding Leadership: A Link Between Beliefs and Identity Formation.

Despite the development of national recommendations and training programs for effective leadership, junior and senior medical leaders often find themselves ill-prepared to take on these new responsibilities. This study aimed to explore physicians' perceptions, feelings, and beliefs regarding leadership and to provide recommendations regarding appropriate training and institutional post-training support. We conducted a qualitative study at the Geneva University Hospitals. A purposeful sample of residents (R), fellows (F), attending physicians (A), and chairpersons (CP) were invited to participate in focus groups (or semi-structured interviews) between April and June 2021. We investigated their understanding of leadership, self-perception as leaders, difficulties, and paths to improvement in their leadership skills. Focus groups were transcribed verbatim and analyzed both inductively and deductively using Fishbein's model of behavior prediction and Irby's professional identity formation framework. We conducted ten focus groups (R=3; F=4, A=2, and CP=1) and one interview (CP). Physicians expressed poor self-efficacy at all hierarchical levels: feelings of insecurity and confusion (R and F), frustration (A), and feeling stuck between divisional and institutional governance (CP). Such negative feelings were nurtured by personal beliefs with an intuitive and idealized representation of leadership. Beliefs focused more on personal characteristics rather than on skills, processes, or perceived institutional norms. Unclear expectations regarding physicians' role as leaders, overemphasis on academic achievement, and silo professional organizations fueled their feelings. Participants reported developing their leadership through trial and error, observing role models, and turning to personal resources rather than formal training. Our results show that physicians' leadership skills are still mainly acquired intuitively and that institutional norms do not encourage clarification of leadership roles and processes. Physician training in leadership skills, together with more explicit and clear institutional processes, may help to improve physicians' self-efficacy and develop their identity as leaders.

Energy Subsidies and Energy Access in Developing Countries: Does Institutional Quality Matter?

Millions of people in developing countries lack access to modern energies and for long, these countries have relied on energy subsidies to scale up their access rate. However, there is no evidence that those energy subsidies contribute to energy poverty reduction. Similarly, while good governance and strong institutions are touted as critical for implementing energy policy and improving access rate, empirical evidence of their impact remains very scanty. This study assesses the impact of energy subsidies and institutional quality on access to electricity in selected developing countries. Result from the Praise-Winston regression revealed that energy subsidies as a policy tool for achieving universal electrification do not hold in the selected developing countries. We also found that energy subsidies accompanied by a strong governance mechanism can help developing countries scale up their electricity access rate. We recommend practical ways to help developing countries achieve universal access to modern energy solution.

ESG rating uncertainty and institutional investment—evidence from China

Using panel data on China's A-share listed enterprises from 2015 to 2022, this study applies a fixed effects model of the year, industry, and region to empirically test the impact of ESG ratings and ESG rating uncertainty on institutional investment. The results of this study find that: (1) ESG ratings significantly and positively affect institutional investment, but the existence of ESG rating uncertainty significantly and negatively affects institutional investment. Meanwhile, ESG rating uncertainty weakens the influence of ESG ratings on institutional investment. (2) Institutional investors are more sensitive to the ESG rating uncertainty of enterprises that are government-related (state-owned and politic connected), executive-right-expanded, loss-making, non-heavy-polluting, non-high-tech, and in the eastern region. Meanwhile, passive institutional investors are more sensitive to the ESG rating uncertainty. (3) The number of institutional investors, government subsidies, and securities market performance are the channels through which ESG rating uncertainty affects institutional investment.

The Current Issue of Reporting Zakat in Indonesia: A Critical Analysis

The functions of zakat collection and distribution in Indonesia are carried out by both government and private institutions. Zakat funds hold significant economic development potential. Despite rapid growth in the past decade, the true potential of zakat remains largely untapped. Various factors contribute to suboptimal zakat management in Indonesia, such as ineffective zakat collection organizations, high administrative costs, and ineffective dissemination of information on the importance of zakat payment. This study focuses on the governance of zakat institutions in Indonesia, with a primary emphasis on the National Amil Zakat Agency (BAZNAS) and authorized Private Zakat Institutions (LAZ). This paper is based on a descriptive-analytical method, and it adopts qualitative research for the analysis of the available literature. The research is crucial for building trust, ensuring efficient zakat utilization for poverty alleviation, and enhancing social welfare within the Indonesian context. This research delves into the governance of zakat institutions in Indonesia, primarily focusing on the National Amil Zakat Agency (BAZNAS) (Zakat Institution of the Republic of Indonesia) and authorised Amil Zakat Institutions (LAZ) LAZ (Private Zakat Institutions). Despite official recognition, a lingering lack of trust among some members of the Muslim community necessitates a closer examination of transparency and accountability in zakat collection and distribution. The study aims to assess the reporting practices of zakat institutions, identifying areas for improvement to bolster confidence in the Muslim community. The research holds significance in fostering trust, ensuring effective zakat utilisation for poverty alleviation, and promoting social welfare.

THE ROLE OF BOARD STRUCTURES IN INCREASING BANK ACCOUNTABILITY: GLOBAL EXPERIENCE

The governance of banking institutions plays a critical role in the stability and integrity of financial systems globally. The structure of the board of directors significantly influences how banks manage risks, comply with regulations, and align operations with the interests of shareholders and other stakeholders. Understanding how board structures differ across regulatory and cultural landscapes is crucial for enhancing bank accountability and performance. This article aims to critically evaluate how various board structures impact the accountability of banking institutions across different global contexts. The goal is to identify effective governance practices that can be adapted to improve bank accountability worldwide. Employing a comparative case study methodology, this research analyzes board structures in banking institutions across continents including North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Data from primary sources like interviews and secondary sources such as regulatory documents and academic articles are synthesized to assess the impact of board configurations on governance and accountability. The analysis reveals that effective board structures often include a high proportion of independent directors, robust audit and risk committees, and a commitment to diversity, which correlate with enhanced accountability and financial performance. However, variations exist due to cultural, economic, and regulatory differences that influence board effectiveness across regions. The findings suggest that while there is a global trend towards standardizing governance practices, local adaptations remain essential. The study recommends that banks and regulators focus on enhancing board independence, diversifying board composition, and strengthening risk oversight to improve governance frameworks. Future governance models should incorporate a dynamic approach to adapt to technological advancements, economic shifts, and societal expectations, ensuring that banking institutions can effectively meet emerging challenges and opportunities.

Trade openness, governance quality, and economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean

The existing literature on the relationship between trade openness and economic growth is extensive, but there is a dearth of research that examines whether this relationship is contingent on the quality of governance institutions in a country. In this study, we address this gap by investigating the moderating effects of governance quality on the trade openness-economic growth nexus in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) during the 2000–2021 period. We utilize six indicators of governance quality from the World Bank's world governance indicators and employ correlation and the dynamic panel System Generalized Method of Moments technique for robust and efficient analysis, which yields more accurate results when the number of cross-sections exceeds the time dimension of the dataset. Our findings indicate that governance effectiveness, rule of law, control of corruption, and regulatory quality have a significantly positive impact on the positive relationship between trade openness and economic growth. In contrast, the moderating effects of voice and accountability and political stability on the trade openness-economic growth relationship are negative and statistically significant. Based on these results, we conclude that each governance dimension has distinct effects on the trade openness-economic growth nexus. In term of policy recommendation, policymakers need to harness the benefits of international trade for promoting economic growth; therefore, LAC countries should focus on investing in institutional quality and designing policies that would enhance the overall quality and effectiveness of governance.

Institutional governance priorities to foster exports in Egypt

PurposeThe paper studies types and mechanisms of vertical and horizontal multilevel institutional governance (IG) (multilevel governance [MLG]). The relation with exports is reviewed and quantified to attempt prioritizing institutional reforms fostering merchandise exports in Egypt.Design/methodology/approachThe paper studies data (from 1996 till 2020) to estimate impact of IG on Egyptian merchandise exports using two autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) models: to test the World Governance Index (WGI) composite index, followed by its main indicators; and to determine governance priorities in Egypt. “Institutional” approach is adopted to assess mechanisms boosting Egyptian exports. Design comprises three sections – (1) conceptual and literature review, (2) main MLG mechanisms and (3) key findings of empirical results – to find out which institutional reforms enhance exports competitiveness in Egypt.FindingsAmong MLG different levels of governance, the macro level is highly related to boosting exports competitiveness. Institutional differentials between countries and regions affect competitive edge. In Egypt, results show that IG priorities that could foster exports are the rule of law, regulatory quality, government effectiveness and political stability and absence of violence.Practical implicationsBy adopting IG mechanisms, i.e. legislative, organizational and digital; and instruments, e.g. National Single Window, Time Release Standards and others, Egyptian exports could reach new heights.Originality/valueExports competitiveness does not rely solely on monetary and fiscal factors; IG dynamics could be more important in Egypt. ARDL model for Egyptian merchandise exports using WGI 2021 dataset.

Public administration modernization: regularities of normative concept application

The object of this study is to assess administrative reforms and change from the point of view of theoretical administrative models of hierarchical (traditional) administration, New Public Management (NPM), and New Public Governance (NPG) in Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovakia. Normative models offer a critique of legacy administrative practices; their wholesale implementation is seldom practical or successful. Reforms framed as “modernization” in these countries over the past three decades have generally followed the principles of NPM. Although policy arguments for introducing elements of NPG can be observed in the studied cases, the paper argues that NPG’s rhetorical attractiveness for resolving perceived shortcomings of other models lacks specific implementation mechanisms that would be viable within the existing institutional framework of the studied countries. Factors, such as the relatively small size of Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovakia, and obvious benefits of EU integration, appear to have moderated reforms to a point that core institutional features have become stable, and are also similar among the three countries: the dominance of hierarchical administrative model with rigid separation of powers structure and strong courts that can adjudicate administrative decisions, with numerous NPM inspired “modernization” measures, including the introduction of various interactive public services. The paper’s findings support the idea that Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovakia are administrative systems that have stable core governance institutions, and national public administrations modernize various aspects of their operation by introducing elements of NPM and NPG within the executive, but not reviewing the basic setup of these institutions. From this point of view, the findings are in line with the assumptions of the normative model of Neo-Weberian State (NWS)

Impact of Ownership-Location-Internalization (OLI) Paradigm and Investment Development Path (IDP) on Gravity Model of Foreign Direct Investments in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) Region

This study investigates the impact of OLI paradigm and the IDP on the gravity model of FDI in EECA region. Using panel data from 1995 to 2017, the analysis employs POLS, Fixed Effects, and Random Effects estimation methods to examine the determinants of FDI inflows. The results highlight the significance of the receiving country's GDP and labour market quality as the most consistent and statistically significant factors influencing FDI inflows. The distance between source and receiving countries also exhibits a negative relationship with FDI flows. Other variables, such as the source country's GDP, tertiary education, institutional governance, taxation, infrastructure, foreign exchange rates, and labour costs, do not show consistent or statistically significant effects across the estimation methods. The Fixed Effects model demonstrates the highest explanatory power, suggesting its suitability for capturing the variation in FDI inflows. These findings contribute to understanding the determinants of FDI and provide insights for policymakers and investors. Countries aiming to attract FDI should focus on promoting economic growth, improving labour market conditions, and reducing perceived distances between source and receiving countries.

University Extension and Social Responsibility: Synergies and Discourses Around University Educational Policies

Objective: The objective of this article is to show the relationship between university social responsibility and educational policies and management from the scenarios of university extension and social projection. Theoretical Framework: The topics of university extension, university social responsibility, stakeholders in the framework of institutional governance are highlighted, which provide a solid basis for understanding the context of the research. Method: The methodology adopted for this research comprises a qualitative study of documentary analysis at international, Latin American and local level of normative documents, with emphasis on higher education institutions attached to the state university system (SUE). Data collection was carried out with the support of the Atlas Ti. 23 tool. Results and Discussion: Among the most important findings is that public universities have included university social responsibility (RSU) in the framework of extension and social projection policies, through the incorporation of management practices linked to their mission areas. Research Implications: It is concluded that it is important to permeate the internationalization processes, continuing education and educational quality, as well as academic and administrative management. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature because it presents strategies to support university decision-making in relation to society. The relevance and value of this research is evidenced in the possibility of modifying and permeating aspects that are immersed in such diverse aspects as educational quality, internationalization, design of indicators, continuing education, etc.

Alternative agrifood systems and the economic sustainability of farmers' cooperatives: The Chinese experience

AbstractMost registered farmers' cooperatives in China are de facto private enterprises; while many bring economic gains to farmers, they do not function as cooperatives. Among the small minority that started as authentic cooperatives, however, most struggled to provide economic benefits to members, unable to achieve economic sustainability. The failure of true farmers' cooperatives in China has been widely studied; the success of the few that did become economically sustainable, however, remains poorly understood. Using a sample of 70 farmers' cooperatives across the country and comparing three “extreme cases”—cooperatives that are both authentic and economically successful—with the rest, this study argues that participation in alternative agrifood systems is the key to their success. In the Chinese context, smallholders are deeply integrated into the conventional agrifood system and have gained technology and market access through the mediation of private enterprises and public institutions, leaving little space for cooperatives. Only in alternative agrifood systems, which prioritize product quality and authenticity and value closer relationships between producers and consumers, do cooperatives, as a unique governance institution based on trust, have advantages. Our case analysis shows how cooperatives brought smallholders economic gains and achieved economic sustainability through shifting to ecologically sustainable farming and building alternative distributive networks. This finding adds a new dimension to our understanding of the relationship between smallholder cooperatives and sustainable development: in capitalist agrifood systems, ecologically sustainable agrifood alternatives provide the basis for cooperatives' social and economic sustainability.

Implementing a Biomedical Data Warehouse From Blueprint to Bedside in a Regional French University Hospital Setting: Unveiling Processes, Overcoming Challenges, and Extracting Clinical Insight.

Biomedical data warehouses (BDWs) have become an essential tool to facilitate the reuse of health data for both research and decisional applications. Beyond technical issues, the implementation of BDWs requires strong institutional data governance and operational knowledge of the European and national legal framework for the management of research data access and use. In this paper, we describe the compound process of implementation and the contents of a regional university hospital BDW. We present the actions and challenges regarding organizational changes, technical architecture, and shared governance that took place to develop the Nantes BDW. We describe the process to access clinical contents, give details about patient data protection, and use examples to illustrate merging clinical insights. More than 68 million textual documents and 543 million pieces of coded information concerning approximately 1.5 million patients admitted to CHUN between 2002 and 2022 can be queried and transformed to be made available to investigators. Since its creation in 2018, 269 projects have benefited from the Nantes BDW. Access to data is organized according to data use and regulatory requirements. Data use is entirely determined by the scientific question posed. It is the vector of legitimacy of data access for secondary use. Enabling access to a BDW is a game changer for research and all operational situations in need of data. Finally, data governance must prevail over technical issues in institution data strategy vis-à-vis care professionals and patients alike.

Effects of Trade Openness and International Financial Inflows on Africa's Productive Capacity: A Study of the Moderating Role of Governance Institutions

Effects of Trade Openness and International Financial Inflows on Africa's Productive Capacity: A Study of the Moderating Role of Governance Institutions

Research of Factors for Economic Development of the Far East and Arctic

The article contains a correlation analysis of development factors in the Far East and the Arctic for the period of 2013-2022. The results of the study have shown, that the development of the Far East has been dominated by economic and geographical factors related to the proximity of regional and world markets, as well as the level of the economically active population in them. Organizational and economic socio-economic factors (the volume of industrial production and the availability of qualified personnel) have also been the strong factors. The importance of import of machinery, equipment and vehicles, as well as institutional regimes of investment activity (territories for advanced development, the free port of Vladivostok and others) are noted. As for the Arctic, its economic development has been determined equally by natural-climatic, organizational-economic and socio-economic factors, which include mining, the volume of industrial production, as well as the growth of human capital and unemployment rate.

The Role Of Good Governance In Mediating Literacy, Income And Cash Waqf Decisions

This research aims to analyze the influence of literacy, income and good governance on cash waqf decisions and examine the role of good governance as a mediating variable in this relationship. The research method uses a quantitative approach with primary data by distributing questionnaires online and offline to the waqifs. This research's population is the General Ahmad Yani Mosque, Malang City congregation. A total of 76 samples were collected using a purposive sampling technique. The research model uses Partial Least Square structural equations with the help of SmartPLS software version 4.1.0. by testing the outer model, inner model, and hypothesis. The research results reveal a positive and significant influence between literacy, income, and good governance when giving cash waqf. Good governance can mediate the influence of literacy and income on giving cash waqf. Cash waqf is not only influenced by literacy and income factors, but the implementation of institutional solid good governance can strengthen the trust of wakifs, thereby increasing cash waqf revenues. This research can complement previous theories and become a reference for further research. This research can be a reference for cash waqf managers in increasing the number of waqifs and implementing good governance.

Factors influencing commercial bank profitability in Iraq: A quantile regression approach

This study aims to empirically examine the influence of bank-specific determinants, macroeconomic factors, and governance factors on profitability in Iraq’s banking industry. In addition, bank-specific and macroeconomic determinants were included in the analysis. In terms of governance, the average of corruption control and rule of law was used. Different pre-estimation tests were used to check the properties of the data. The method of moment quantile regression was used as the baseline model. The PCSE and FGLS techniques were used for robustness checks. A sample of balanced panel data consisting of nine commercial banks listed on the Iraq stock exchange from 2012 to 2021 was selected. The results suggested that liquidity and total debt to total shareholders’ equity ratios have a significant positive relationship with ROA. Inflation and openness negatively impact bank profitability only at the 50th and 90th quantiles. Institutional governance appeared to be a positive and significant contributor to bank profitability. The findings suggest that a certain level of liquidity is required for a continuous increase in ROA. Moreover, institutional governance emerged as a noteworthy and positive factor influencing bank profitability.

ASPIRE for excellence in student engagement: Examples of how institutions operationalize a complex construct

Student engagement is a key contributor to educational programme quality. It is a complex construct often defined with the focus on student behaviors. However, a broader, more organizational approach takes into account the institutional context and how this can be structured to encourage and support students’ willingness and ability to become engaged. This paper includes suggestions for a student engagement system using key elements recognized in the literature and concrete examples from medical schools that achieved recognition in the ASPIRE-to-Excellence student engagement initiative. The examples from the ASPIRE participants demonstrate that the presence of certain key features creates a mutually beneficial collaborative approach between students and their institutions. This includes opportunities for students to formally engage in four domains touching on the breadth of student life, including institutional governance and policy-making, educational programme development and evaluation, participation in activities in the academic community, and participation in local community and international outreach. Based on an in-depth review of the information from three medical schools that recently received an ASPIRE-to-Excellence award in student engagement, it was possible to identify certain specific practices that individually and taken together allow an institution to demonstrate excellence in this complex construct. As an overarching concept, it was clear that student participation in each of these domain areas benefitted from a supportive institutional culture characterized by specific formal attributes and activities. Examples included codifying student involvement in governance through institutional policies; maximizing communication routes among students and between students and school administrators and faculty; and formalizing a participatory environment through missions statements or strategic plans. For programme planning, a helpful conceptualization is that a successful student engagement programme occurs when change is championed by all stakeholders within an institution and the organization supports a collaborative culture that includes students as active participants and partners.

On pipelines, readiness and annotative labour: Political geographies of AI and data infrastructures in Africa

Data infrastructures are expanding rapidly across African societies, renewing the promise of modernisation, and providing a massive data resource to the dominant tech powers of the world. Google's private undersea cable, named Equiano, landed in west Africa with the intention of igniting data services, smart environments, investment opportunities and jobs. Non-governmental and multilateral agencies are busy supporting African governments in building regulatory frameworks that aim to ‘ready’ countries for the 4th industrial revolution. Young Africans labour in remodelled shipping containers to annotate data and train algorithms. While future promises pan out in wide-angled, utopian visions, this paper sets out an approach to understand African contexts as sites of heterogeneous experience of data infrastructures that are historically and politically contingent. The paper explores the spatial politics of extraction, surveillance, and exploitation in three examples of the Equiano pipeline, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Readiness Index, and the AI annotative labour force. We challenge the homogenising discourses of global tech companies and transnational governance institutions in accounting for the geographical histories of colonialism and its afterlives in African societies. We further call for empirical studies that examine the granular multiplicities of data, providing nuanced understandings of AI in and from Africa.