Governance Paradigm Research Articles

Understanding hybridity governance in Africa: A theoretical framework for hybrid structures, policies, and practices

The amalgamation of traditional and modern governance systems represents a transformative advancement in contemporary African government. This study examines the concept of "hybridity governance" within the African context, providing a comprehensive theoretical framework that integrates modern institutional procedures with traditional governance systems. The paper examines the evolution of African governance from pre-colonial to post-colonial eras, illustrating the emergence of hybrid governance as a response to internal dynamics and external influences. It accomplishes this by utilising historical studies. The philosophical underpinnings are investigated, highlighting organisational and social concepts that elucidate the acceptance of hybrid models. The paper elucidates the applications, accomplishments, and challenges of hybrid government in several African nations through various empirical case studies. A critical examination examines the consequences of these governance paradigms for public administration in Africa. It underscores opportunities for innovation and enhanced flexibility, while also emphasising intrinsic challenges such as job ambiguity and conflict. The report concludes with forecasts regarding the future trajectory of hybrid governance in Africa, considering the interplay of local socio-political dynamics, global interconnectedness, and technological advancements. This article serves as a vital resource for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders interested in the evolving governance paradigm in Africa, providing valuable applications and recommendations.

Data ethics and digital sustainability: Bridging legal data protection compliance and ESG for a responsible data-driven future

Despite being the most comprehensive data protection law in the world, Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has failed to ensure that data is processed in an ethical and sustainable manner. This is because the law does not regulate what is good and even lawful activities may lead to harms. At the same time, data ethics requires clear guidelines that can be adopted by organizations. To address this, the authors propose situating data protection within the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) paradigm. This incentivizes the adoption of ethical practices thanks to the potential for organizations to improve their ESG rantings. To this end, the Maastricht University Data Protection as a Corporate Social Responsibility Framework is provided as a solution. The Framework provides actionable and auditable controls with the ultimate aim of promoting responsible data practices that benefit not only businesses, but also individuals and society.Novelty and contribution to knowledge: This paper builds upon the work illustrated in Data Protection as a Corporate Social Responsibility (Edward Elgar, 2023) to provide an overview of the need for taking an ethical approach to data protection and cybersecurity compliance. It provides new insights into the relationship between ethics and data protection law and makes new connections between ESG and data protection. Essentially, it delves deeper into the potential for framing data protection under ESG to act as an incentive for virtuous data protection compliance to be achieved by companies.

A Comparison of Medical Education Policies in Japan and Singapore with a Focus on Governance: Implications for Korea

Among Asian nations, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea exemplify countries with high standards of medical quality. This review explores the differences in medical education policies between Japan and Singapore, particularly concerning governance, and discusses the implications for South Korea’s medical education policies. Relevant documents were analyzed by referencing scholarly articles and data from governmental and expert organizations in each country. In Japan, advances in medical education policies include initiatives such as the regional quota system and the core curriculum model, which emphasize stakeholder engagement and transparency. However, challenges persist due to limited stakeholder participation, necessitating a transition toward a more equitable governance paradigm. Singapore’s model features robust public-private partnerships with minimal direct governmental intervention, emphasizing innovation and community integration, as seen in the Healthier SG project. These case studies demonstrate effective governance involving significant stakeholder collaboration and strategic financial investments. Conversely, South Korea’s medical education policies face challenges from a predominantly government-centric approach, with an absence of cohesive governance structures and inadequate involvement from essential professional stakeholders. This situation has led to policy inconsistencies and a deficit of strategic direction, exacerbated by insufficient financial support for educational infrastructure and program development. The experiences of Japan and Singapore indicate that it would be beneficial for South Korea to adopt integrated governance frameworks that prioritize transparency and collaboration. Furthermore, increasing financial investment in medical education could mitigate existing deficiencies and improve the quality and effectiveness of its healthcare education system.

Toward Sustainable Water Governance? Taking Stock of Paradigms, Practices, and Sustainability Outcomes

ABSTRACTGovernance is key to ensuring the sustainability of water systems in the long run. With the recognition of the complexities inherent in governing water resources, new and diverse governance models have started to emerge and be diffused to various contexts. This systematic review explores 223 cases from 165 studies on water governance and sustainability. We assess the cases based on water governance paradigms and how these paradigms relate to governance characteristics, water‐related problématiques, and sustainability outcomes. Our results indicate a lack of knowledge cumulation and patterns connecting problématiques (e.g., “groundwater exploitation in agriculture”) and paradigms (e.g., “community‐based management”). We found that the “integrated approach to water management” was the most common paradigm, and paradigms might manifest with various governance characteristics, some of which may not fully align with the paradigm's fundamental principles. While certain paradigms, such as “integrated approach to water management,” “participatory and collaborative governance,” and “community‐based management,” are mostly associated with better sustainability outcomes, these successes should be interpreted cautiously due to the context‐sensitive nature of paradigms and potential biases in the reviewed studies. These findings provide a basis for further diagnostic work and suggest the need for more nuanced approaches to water governance and sustainability.

Addressing governance challenges of digitalisation and sustainability: The case of central bank digital currency

AbstractDigitalisation and environmental sustainability are widely discussed topics. However, their nexus remains underexplored and can pose significant challenges for governments and industries alike. The environmental implications of digitalisation are becoming increasingly pertinent with the advent of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and their inherent energy consumption and production of e‐waste. On the other hand, digitalisation could potentially support sustainability efforts. This begs the question of how systems of governance, such as regulatory frameworks and internal organisational governance, should harmonise digitalisation and sustainability goals. Such harmonisation entails ensuring that digitalisation processes are environmentally responsible while exploring how the application and features of digitalisation can help achieve environmental goals. By drawing insights from the case study of CBDCs, this article will utilise the paradigm of adaptive governance to seek potential solutions to the environmental implications of digitalisation.

Demystifying trauma in international relations theory: From incomprehensibility to the liberatory real

Recent work on trauma and memory in international relations has sought to emphasize the key role trauma plays in state and community formation, security policies, the mediatization of atrocities, and transitional and social justice. This article problematizes the doxology of trauma in this body of work: the assumptions about the traumatic that go without saying because they come without saying in the discipline. We counter, in particular, international relations’ unreflective consumption of Cathy Caruth’s paradigm of trauma as an incomprehensible shock. In this article, we excavate the contours, origins, and effects of this doxology. We first use the examples of post-conflict struggles for truth and reconciliation and the COVID-19 pandemic to illustrate that international relations’ vision of trauma centralizes a psychiatric and medicalized paradigm of governance and management that depoliticizes suffering. We then seek to provide an alternative account of trauma woven in dialogue with the psychoanalytical reflections of Francophone and Lusophone scholars in the Black Radical Tradition, particularly Fanon, Mbembe, Kilomba, Nascimento and Gonzalez. The goal is to move from a theory of trauma-as-event to an understanding of (colonial/racial) trauma as it appears in the writings of those who never felt protected or at peace in the white colonial order.

Navigating Governance Paradigms: A Cross-Regional Comparative Study of Generative AI Governance Processes & Principles

As Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) technologies evolve at an unprecedented rate, global governance approaches struggle to keep pace with the technology, highlighting a critical issue in the governance adaptation of significant challenges. Depicting the nuances of nascent and diverse governance approaches based on risks, rules, outcomes, principles, or a mix, across different regions around the globe, is fundamental to discern discrepancies and convergences, and to shed light on specific limitations that need to be addressed, thereby facilitating the safe and trustworthy adoption of GenAI. In response to the need and the evolving nature of GenAI, this paper seeks to provide a collective view of different governance approaches around the world. Our research introduces a Harmonized GenAI Framework, “H-GenAIGF”, based on the current governance approaches of six regions: (European Union (EU), United States (US), China (CN), Canada (CA), United Kingdom (UK), and Singapore (SG)). We have identified four constituents, fifteen processes, twenty-five sub-processes, and nine principles that aid the governance of GenAI, thus providing a comprehensive perspective on the current state of GenAI governance. In addition, we present a comparative analysis to facilitate identification of common ground and distinctions based on coverage of the processes by each region. The results show that risk-based approaches allow for better coverage of the processes, followed by mixed approaches. Other approaches lag behind, covering less than 50% of the processes. Most prominently, the analysis demonstrates that amongst the regions, only one process aligns across all approaches, highlighting the lack of consistent and executable provisions. Moreover, our case study on ChatGPT reveals process coverage deficiency, showing that harmonization of approaches is necessary to find alignment for GenAI governance.

Legal mechanisms of public management of financial and economic processes

The article considers the assertion that law and public administration are each an independent system inevitably interconnected in terms of scientific research or in practice. The role and nature of legal mechanisms within the frame of public administration, in particular in management of financial and economic processes, are considered through the lens of public administration transformation from New Public Management to Smart Governance paradigm.

Poslovno pravo i pravo održivog razvoja – između profitabilnosti i etičnosti

As for applying the knowledge from EU law, the author points out two tendencies affecting company law in the context of sustainability. The first one is the legal duty of the companies to incorporate the statement of purpose, which is no longer limited to profit. The second one is the corporate duty of care in line with ESG standards as well as the corporate purpose. It is an integral part of a company’s business and culture. Having in mind French, German or Dutch law, directors are expected to promote long-term business success, to take care of the open list of stakeholders’ interests and to apply corporate due diligence standards. Thought leaders, however, generally describe ESG as a business strategy that creates long-term stakeholder value by addressing social, economic, and environmental opportunities and risks that are material to a company. Preservation as well as environmental protection is one of the biggest challenges that modern generations will have to face. The term green transition has been coined as an expression of the efforts to ensure the transition to a sustainable business model in order to preserve the ecosystem and the planet as such. Non-financial reporting plays a very important role in the green transition process. Integral part of the EU agenda remains the discussion about corporate directors’ duties in the context of human rights as well as environmental risks. There is no doubt that the key word of the new corporate governance paradigm is risk.

Bureaucracies’ Extended Arm in Co-creation: A Study of Institutional Complexity in the Context of Public Services

Co-creation, as a central strategy of the New Public Governance (NPG) paradigm, is deemed essential to address complex societal challenges. A qualitative, in-depth study was conducted to explore collaborative processes between the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) and three external organizations. The aim of co-creation among these actors was to limit/prevent outsiderness by providing more individualized work inclusion services to young adults facing vulnerabilities. Our study examines collaborative processes between NAV and external actors in work inclusion efforts and explores how institutional complexity within NAV influences the potential for co-creation among these actors. We found that the bureaucratic logic of the Traditional Public Administration (TPA) within NAV forces external actors to engage in challenging, time-consuming procedures, turning them into bureaucracies’ extended arms rather than independent contributors of resources. Additionally, core principles of New Public Management (NPM), such as resource control and optimization, overshadow the importance of shared responsibility, equality, and knowledge sharing (NPG). With NAV as an example, the article demonstrates the importance of effectively managing institutional complexity in public organizations to succeed in co-creation. It contributes empirical and contextual examples of co-creation processes in the public sector, as the co-creation literature is still very theoretical, descriptive, and conceptual.

Accountability as a function of power relationships in public governance networks

AbstractIn public governance, power and accountability are inextricably linked. However, although an integrated exploration of these concepts could enhance our understanding of how governance operates, few studies have examined them together. Drawing on resource dependency theory, we suggest that power relationships within networks shape accountability and have a concomitant impact on the prevailing governance paradigm. Specifically, where principals possess important resources that enable them to exercise power over agents and hold them to account through hierarchical mechanisms, Traditional Public Administration approaches predominate. Where resources are diffused within elite networks in New Public Management contexts, individual actors can exercise greater power to achieve their objectives, and accountability arrangements become increasingly multidirectional and complex. Finally, if resources are shared across society as in the New Public Governance paradigm, actors generate power with each other to achieve shared goals, and accountability relationships are more horizontal with a focus on learning.

How does digital transformation affect corporate governance paradigms? A synthesis of the literature

At present, digital transformation has become a vital way for companies to achieve sustainable growth. This paper reviews the literature on the correlation between digital transformation and corporate governance paradigm, analyzes the specific impact mechanism of AI technology and big data technology in the field of corporate governance, and explores the influence effect of the most popular ChatGPT technology on corporate governance from the perspective of business practice. It is found that digital transformation has an important impact on stakeholder management, information disclosure, green governance and other aspects of corporate governance. The purpose of the study is to provide a new reference for the construction of corporate governance paradigm and help companies achieve long-term development in the digital wave.

Hydro-Political Dynamics Between China–India–Pakistan: Dams and Transboundary River Governance Amidst Geopolitical Contestations

Transboundary rivers raise critical concerns for state security amidst contemporary ecological strain and regional geopolitics in South Asia. The challenge of ‘water security’ is underscored by the substantial reliance on transboundary rivers, compounded by the multifaceted impacts of climate change and the simmering geopolitical tensions among riparian nations, especially in the complex dynamics between India–China and India–Pakistan. This study endeavours to illuminate distinctive characteristics of the South Asian transboundary governance framework, wherein rivers are subjected to intensive damming aimed at (a) harnessing hydroelectric potential and (b) leveraging water resources as geopolitical bargaining chips, thereby exerting pressure; however, order is not specified, particularly. In this intricate milieu, international conventions often fail to reconcile internal contradictions inherent within the transboundary governance paradigm. Consequently, transboundary water resources have metamorphosed into an extension of geopolitical realities, embodying intricate interplay between hydrology, geopolitics and state security within the region, especially between China, India and Pakistan.

Current paradigm of corporate governance and determinants of share issuance by Mexican companies

This research analyzed the issuance of shares by all Mexican companies that were listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange (MSE) during the 2012–2022 period to determine if they continue to maintain the paradigm of corporate control through ownership of the highest percentage of shares among family members and their close circles. Additionally, the extent to which the variables of company age, sales level, and business sector are determinants of using the issuance of shares as a source of financing was evaluated. The methodology applied included a comprehensive analysis of the percentage of issuance of new shares, a Pearson’s correlational analysis, a simple linear regression, a linear binomial analysis, and the ANOVA model. The results showed that although a few MSE companies have begun to issue shares, the level of issuance is still lower and does not constitute evidence of a paradigm change. Concerning the variables of age, sales, and business sector, it was found that there is insufficient evidence that these variables are determinants of MSE companies that issue shares as a financing method.

VILLAGES AS SUBDISTRICT APPARATUS IN THE ERA OF REGIONAL AUTONOMY

<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="389"><p class="TableParagraph">The Kelurahan (urban village) government in the era of Regional Autonomy has undergone many changes in line with the shift in governance paradigms as mandated by Law No. 23 of 2014 on Regional Government and Government Regulation No. 73 of 2005 on Kelurahan. The purpose of structuring Kelurahan and implementing governance in the Regional Autonomy era is to improve the coordination of governance, public services, development implementation, and the empowerment of village/kelurahan communities. The method used is empirical research with a legislative review approach, as well as conceptual and sociological approaches. The data analysis method employed is the interpretation of legislation and authentic interpretation. The expected outcome is that the Kelurahan government is required to be transparent with the community regarding both development programs and the budget received, thus fostering high levels of trust in the Kelurahan government from the public, thereby realizing the vision and mission of the Kelurahan. All public services and civil services, which were previously conventional, are now required to be technology-based. The Lurah, as the head of the government at the Kelurahan level, along with other government units including the Technical Implementation Unit, should cooperate and coordinate in all sectors by empowering the community, thereby creating a just, prosperous, and prosperous society.<em></em></p></td></tr></tbody></table>

The paradigm logic of blockchain governance

Blockchain technology is mainly composed of public-key cryptography, hash algorithms and consensus mechanisms. Blockchain solves the two trust problems inherent in human interaction: the Byzantine Generals Problem and the Prisoner's Dilemma, which allows blockchain to replace the function of public power as a centre of trust to a certain extent, and also enables it to become a kind of decentralised large-scale collaborative infrastructure for human beings. Blockchain itself has a strong escape from public power, and the blockchain order is also non-rational. Its emergence has impacted the traditional constructivist-rationalism governance paradigm. Current research exploring blockchain governance issues at the level of governance paradigms is still limited. This study mainly adopts a normative analysis methodology, firstly outlining the decentralised technology model of blockchain and the economic ecosystem model built on top of this technology model. Secondly, this study explores the ontology of blockchain technology and its economic model on a philosophical level as well as the philosophical roots of the limitations of the traditional governance paradigm when confronted with blockchain governance. On this basis, this study further proposes ideas for shifting the blockchain governance paradigm. Specifically, it includes that a judicature-based governance paradigm should be established while the executive power should shift to focus on the issue of equality on the blockchain, and in the context of weakly centralised legislation, soft law governance should be allowed to play more of a role. Considering the popularity and development of blockchain technology, this study provides insights into the theoretical level of blockchain governance.

Are female directors more employee-friendly? Board gender diversity and employee benefits: evidence from China.

The imperative of gender diversity in corporate governance and the adoption of a human-centric governance paradigm are intensifying globally. The structure of board directors, key influencers to corporate decisions, notably shape policies, crucially in emerging markets like China where gender issues are still evolving. Therefore, employing a penal dataset comprising 8,973 firm-year observations from publicly A-share-listed Chinese firms spanning 2006 to 2021, this study empirically examines the impact of board gender diversity on the responsiveness to both employee monetary incentives and non-monetary rewards. The findings unveil a positive correlation, indicating an augmentation in per-employee compensation and an increased likelihood of implementing non-monetary programs, including stock-ownership plans, retirement benefits, and occupational safety certification, in the presence of higher board gender diversity. Notably, these positive associations are more accentuated in state-owned firms, as well as those with lower executive compensation and diminished institutional ownership. Our results remain consistent after considering robustness as well as endogeneity. This empirical evidence not only contributes robust statistical support to the ongoing global initiatives advocating for gender diversity in corporate governance but also underscores the efficacy of boards of directors in effectively managing stakeholder interests, particularly in fostering employee-friendly practices within emerging markets like China.

NPM reconsidered: towards the study of enduring forms of NPM

ABSTRACT In this introduction to the special issue ‘The New Public Management: Dead or still alive and co-existing? State of play at 40+’ we suggest that we are witnessing two principal developments when it comes to NPM: its endurance in practice and reconsideration in theory. Building on recent research, we argue that NPM ideas and practices continue to be adopted, used, and tailored to meet reform requirements and preferences, resulting in enduring forms of NPM. Given its lasting influence on administrative practice, we propose the need for a reconsideration of the NPM paradigm within public administration scholarship. We conclude that NPM is a remarkable case of how management and governance ideas endure, leading to important implications for the conceptualization, research, and assessment of administrative movements and governance paradigms as they develop over time.

Information Sharing and Outreach as Social Capital in Groundwater Governance

Successful governance of groundwater is process, people, and policy implementation working in tandem. While its success may be measured in desired outcomes, sustaining those outcomes depends on the interaction of these three elements. This paper reports the results of interviews conducted with local groundwater district Directors and district Managers in the state of Texas who make policy decisions and implement those policies, respectively. New paradigms of groundwater governance see public engagement as social capital that results in more effective groundwater management outcomes. The focus of this paper is to test this paradigm by presenting groundwater management and public engagement from the perspective of the professionals and practitioners in groundwater management. I conduct thirteen interviews with groundwater Managers and Directors in Texas. Three themes emerge from a qualitative analysis of these interviews. First, sharing Information and expertise with the public is seen as a public service by groundwater Managers that augments their professional roles. Second, this sharing is an informal, two-way exchange with those who have local experience and knowledge. The two-way exchange is built on social networks that form social capital, lowering the transaction cost of implementing policy by Managers. Third, factors beyond the control of Managers can also affect transaction costs of groundwater management. The transaction costs of groundwater management include coordinating user activity and managing the conflict or tensions that arise over groundwater supply and demand. This paper contributes to the literature on the importance of social capital to groundwater management. Results of the study illustrate the importance of user, well-owner, and stakeholder group engagement to effective and efficient groundwater management and policy outcomes.

Regulating Dominant Platforms: Challenges and Opportunities of Content Moderation on Jio Platforms

Abstract Indian multinational technology company, Jio Platforms with an active subscriber base of 467.6 million (February 2024, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India data) continues to lead the market in India. Digitisation has transformed India’s governance model as deep penetration of telecom and the internet in India has laid the foundation for a digital economy. This article examines the role of self-regulation mechanisms and censorship in India’s dominant platform company Jio Platforms which contributes significantly to changing the paradigm of digital governance, thereby making services seamless, and easily accessible and improving the ease of living and doing business. Facebook’s investment in Jio for a 9.99 percent stake makes it the largest investment for a minority stake by a tech company anywhere in the world. With Jio Platforms and Facebook parent Meta Platforms rolling out a grocery delivery app using Meta’s WhatsApp messaging service, the transnational ties are deepening and expanding, making it imperative to examine the role of self-regulation and censorship in a market that is open, diverse and the largest in a democratic governance structure. This article will examine the key concerns of data sharing and privacy, especially when the central plank of government policy is digitisation. With stricter government regulations for foreign players in the market, there is a distinct focus of the government on boosting Indian companies to capture and control the market. Data collated by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) show India’s overall internet user base grew to around 936.16 million in 2023. Such a diverse and vibrant open market calls for effective regulations and restrictions on privacy, algorithms, deceptive practices, antitrust, financing, and governance. This article aims to investigate the challenges of regulating dominant platforms. It delves deep into understanding and analysing the challenges and opportunities that evolve in regulating Jio Platforms. The study will also inquire whether favourable government policies and national legislation boost the processes of digitisation and whether there is a need for a new regulatory framework laid by the government for platforms to abide by. India has an open market dominated by US multinational firms, such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Content removal and other online censorship efforts are topics of heated debate, in academia and policy circles. This makes it arduous to ensure that data protection and privacy are safeguarded, particularly by dominant platforms such as Jio Platforms which is almost monopolising the Indian market.