Governance Policy Research Articles

Exploring the Nexus: Bibliometric Analysis of Tax Avoidance and Investment Efficiency

A deep understanding of tax avoidance practices can offer a theoretical basis for mitigating the negative impact of investment inefficiency on firms. However, current research on tax avoidance and investment decisions often focuses on specific studies and lacks a comprehensive perspective. In this study, we analyzed 16 years (2008-2023) of publications on tax avoidance and investment efficiency from the Scopus database using bibliometric methods. Our findings indicate a significant increase in the number of published articles over recent decades. The United States, China, and the United Kingdom have been the most prolific contributors to this field. Additionally, several leading journals dominate the field, and there has been substantial collaboration among authors, providing diverse insights and perspectives. Our analysis reveals that tax avoidance affects investment efficiency through various factors, including the quality of accounting information, managers ability, corporate governance, and public policies. By examining keywords, we have identified current research trends and offer recommendations for future research directions.

Toward an evidence‐informed, responsible, and inclusive debate on solar geoengineering: A response to the proposed non‐use agreement

AbstractA prominent recent perspective article in this journal and accompanying open letter propose a broad international “non‐use agreement” (NUA) on activities related to solar geoengineering (SG). The NUA calls on governments to renounce large‐scale use of SG, and also to refuse to fund SG research, ban outdoor experiments, decline to grant IP rights, and reject discussions of SG in international organizations. We argue that such pre‐emptive rejection of public research and consultation would deprive future policy‐makers of knowledge and capability that would support informed decisions to safely and equitably limit climate risk, sustain human welfare, and protect threatened ecosystems. In contrast to the broad prohibitions of the NUA, we propose an alternative near‐term pathway with five elements: assess SG risks and benefits in the context of related climate risks and responses; distinguish the risks and governance needs of SG research and deployment; pursue research that treats uncertainties and divergent results even‐handedly; harness normalization of SG as a path to effective assessment and governance; and build a more globally inclusive conversation on SG and its governance. These principles would support a more informed, responsible, and inclusive approach to limiting climate risks, including judgments on the potential role or rejection of SG, than the prohibitory approach of the NUA.This article is categorized under: Climate and Development > Social Justice and the Politics of Development Policy and Governance > Multilevel and Transnational Climate Change Governance Policy and Governance > National Climate Change Policy

The Negative Impact of ESG on the Australian Minerals Supply Chain

With the full implementation of the ESG standards in Australia, supply chain management in the mining industry faces challenges. This research utilized Mineral Resources Limited (MRL) as an example to discover how environmental (E), social (S), and governance (G) factors affect supply chain management. It applies MRL management costs and operations to analyze and integrate with the academic literature on ESG frameworks and supply chain management. It concludes with three points: Environmental management issues affect the delivery of minerals downstream in the supply chain, and an EMS system should be applied to manage them dynamically. Community cooperation and employment equity issues affect the cooperation and operation of mining businesses upstream of the supply chain, so the Community Engagement and Development Program (CEDP) system should be adopted to maintain community communication. Non-transparent governance issues affect both upstream operations and shake downstream investors' confidence. The Governance Enhancement and Compliance Programme (GECP) system can enhance decision-making transparency and compliance with governance policies. This research bridges the gap in negative ESG impacts on the mining industry. It proposes three new systems that serve as a model for future company adoption to cater to ESG standards.

Why federalism matters: policy feedback, institutional variation and the politics of trade policy-making in Canada and Germany

ABSTRACT Sub-federal units in federal systems increasingly participate in international trade policy-making, a domain that historically represents an exclusive jurisdiction of the federal level. A first strand of research emphasised exogenous factors, most notably the changing scope and depth of trade agreements and social contestation, to explain this trend. This study, by contrast, contributes to more recent efforts that focus on endogenous factors to elucidate variation in terms of how and with what implications sub-federal units have entrenched themselves in trade policy governance. The paper makes two contributions. First, it introduces a new theoretical argument suggesting that ideational and institutional feedback effects can explain variation in sub-federal trade policy-making. Second, the paper tests this framework by using two contrasting cases of federalism: Canada and Germany. The study shows that in Canada intergovernmental institutions facilitating sub-federal participation in trade policy-making had to be created through layering, while in Germany existing institutions were activated through conversion. Although both patterns of institutional change have empowered sub-federal units, they differ in terms of their robustness.

How has stakeholder theory served the public administration literature? In search of the intellectual structure of the field

ABSTRACT This investigation aims to contribute to the intellectual structure of public administration stakeholder theory. There is a need for dedicated effort to understand the real contribution of the most cited references in the field. The literature review is carried out using bibliometric and lexical analyses. The main conclusion is that articles have used concepts from four theoretical bases: collaborative governance, stakeholder salience, legitimacy, and wicked policy problems. This represents a step forward in the existing literature on public administration stakeholder theory extant literature as we advocate the return to using stakeholders to explain performance determinants.

The development of community governance in China: involution and precarious professionalisation

ABSTRACT From 1949 to the 1980s, the Communist Party of China (CPC) adopted a “mass movement” strategy to avoid bureaucratisation and maintained a semi-formal mode of community governance. After the 1980s, China’s community governance policies were re-directed towards corporatisation and professionalism, and mass movement was combined with technical and quasi-professional strategies. This article demonstrates that regardless of the changing discourse from people-centred to modern “professionalism”, China’s community governance remains authoritarian resilience. Local government bodies continue to expand their power networks to local civil spaces, altering the professionalisation of governance at the community level. Consequently, the modernisation of grassroots governance has created an involution trap and resulted in a precarious professional scenario for social work. This article argues that the true road to the modernisation of community governance is neither a semi-formal mode of governance nor new public management strategies but through professionalisation to promote the democratisation of grassroots governance.

Evaluating the effects of ECON-ESG on load capacity factor in G7 countries

For the first time, this study introduces the ECON-ESG quadruple, developed by Işık et al. (2024a), by adding the economy (ECON) dimension to the classical ESG (environment, social, governance) triad. Based on this new concept, it explores the impact of ECON-ESG factors on the Load Capacity Factor (LCF) in G7. The impact of ECON-ESG factors on LCF is vital because sustainability through these factors plays a critical role in a sustainable environment with LCF. CS-ARDL model finds that while governance factors (GOVNF) positively affect LCF, economic factors (ECONF) have negative effects. Environmental factors (ENVF) and social factors (SOCF) do not affect LCF. These findings can be interpreted as follows: (i) Negative effects of ECONF on LCF can be interpreted as high productivity levels in G7 leading to high resource consumption, exceeding biocapacity. (ii) In G7 with high-income levels, increased consumption may lead to overconsumption of natural resources and exceeding biocapacity. (iii) High technological progress in G7 can sometimes paradoxically lead to greater resource consumption rather than encouraging more efficient resource use, increasing an ecological footprint. The positive effects of GOVNF on LCF can be interpreted as follows: (iv) High and quality governance practices and policies in G7 can increase biocapacity. (vi) Under good governance, governments and environmental organizations can positively impact LCF by raising public awareness of environmental issues and enabling society to use natural resources more sustainably. Therefore, policymakers should harmonize economic policies through ECONF and governance policies through social factors (GOVNF), which contradict each other in LCF. Additionally, the effect of the single composite form ECON-ESG introduced and proposed in this study on LCF is found to be negative. This requires policymakers and firms to re-evaluate their sustainability one more time from a holistic perspective, including economic factors, as done in this study.

Risk mitigation strategies in urban investment bonds: Insights from local government implicit debt governance

Growing concerns surrounding urban investment bond (UIB) defaults in China necessitate a thorough examination of risk mitigation strategies. This study investigates the impact of local government implicit debt governance on UIB credit risk using a propensity score matching difference-in-differences (PSM-DID) approach. Our findings reveal that effective debt governance significantly reduces UIB credit risk, particularly for bonds issued by local government financing vehicles (LGFVs) with “high bargaining power”. However, financial technology development may obscure credit risks and dampen the positive effects of governance. Further analysis, grounded in the “financial potential energy” framework, highlights the mediating roles of asset extension and risk warranty. Comparing the 2014 "Document No. 43" with the 2018 debt governance policy, we find the latter to be more effective in mitigating UIB credit risk. This study offers valuable insights into the micro-level effects of local government debt governance and provides guidance for policymakers in managing credit risks.

Toward global net zero: The voluntary carbon market on its quest to find its place in the post‐Paris climate regime

AbstractThis focus article traces the evolution of the voluntary carbon market (VCM), putting emphasis on the more recent developments following the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015. It focuses on the interplay between the privately governed VCM and the global climate regime under the United Nations (UN). For years, the VCM and the UN carbon market operated in parallel and mutually influenced each other. The adoption of the Paris Agreement, however, marked a turning point for the VCM. It triggered the proliferation of net zero targets, sparking the interest in the VCM as a supplier of carbon credits to offset companies' remaining emissions. At the same time, the global scope and ambitious targets set by the agreement have put the future of the VCM in limbo, raising concerns about double claiming and more generally, questioning the adequacy of offsetting. Considering these challenges, numerous stakeholders have started a process to redefine the rules of the market to ensure its credibility and legitimacy. While some areas of convergence were identified, the VCM's private governance has long been unable to address the question of how to deal with double claiming and the claims companies should be allowed to make. In this situation, signals from international policy and regulation under national policy point the way forward for the VCM. By moving from offsetting toward a contribution claim model, the VCM may overcome its “identity crisis” and find a new place within the broader climate change regime.This article is categorized under: The Carbon Economy and Climate Mitigation > Policies, Instruments, Lifestyles, Behavior Policy and Governance > Multilevel and Transnational Climate Change Governance Policy and Governance > Private Governance of Climate Change

Fog and haze control and enterprise green total factor productivity - evidence from China

Advancing fog and haze control and improving environmental quality levels reflect the Chinese government's institutional efforts to establish a green economic system. This paper examines the relationship between fog and haze control and enterprise green total factor productivity. The results show that fog and haze control can promote enterprises to improve green total factor productivity, and this effect is more pronounced in state-owned enterprises and enterprises in the central region. The government should advance environmental governance policies, induce enterprises to innovate in related green technologies, and achieve a win-win for both the environment and economic development.

Strategic implications of carbon pricing on global environmental sustainability and economic development: A conceptual framework

This study critically evaluates the strategic implications of carbon pricing mechanisms on global environmental sustainability and economic development. Employing a systematic literature review and content analysis, the research synthesizes recent findings from peer-reviewed articles, reports, and policy documents published between 2010 and 2024. The study's objectives include analyzing the effectiveness of carbon pricing in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, assessing its economic impacts, exploring environmental benefits, and understanding the role of international cooperation in enhancing the efficacy of carbon pricing policies. The methodology hinges on a structured search strategy, applying rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria to ensure the relevance and quality of the literature reviewed. The analysis reveals that carbon pricing, encompassing both carbon taxes and cap-and-trade systems, serves as a pivotal tool for mitigating climate change while fostering economic growth and structural transformation. Key findings highlight the potential of carbon pricing to drive innovation in green technologies, the importance of addressing social equity concerns, and the critical role of international policy coordination in mitigating cross-border carbon leakage and competitiveness issues. The study concludes that carbon pricing mechanisms, when effectively designed and equitably implemented, can align environmental sustainability with economic development goals. Recommendations for policymakers emphasize the need for comprehensive strategies that integrate carbon pricing with broader economic and environmental policies, underscore the importance of international cooperation, and advocate for continued research to refine carbon pricing models and strategies. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse on carbon pricing, offering insights into its potential as a cornerstone of global climate governance and sustainable economic policy. Keywords: Carbon Pricing Mechanisms, Environmental Sustainability, Economic Development, International Cooperation.

Research and Analysis on Policy Governance Based on Traffic Congestion in Beijing

This paper proposes three-game models to improve Beijing's traffic environment through the analysis method of game theory. First, the author examines the impact of improving drivers' moral character on alleviating traffic congestion. Second, this paper focus on the role of improving the public transportation environment in reducing road stress. Finally, this research examines the possibility of mitigating traffic congestion through a reward-punishment system. Comprehensive analysis of the results of these three game models, this paper conclude that a single policy of license restriction and traffic restriction is not enough to solve the traffic congestion problem in Beijing, and multiple policy measures need to be considered comprehensively. However, these policy measures also face some challenges and limitations, including time and education investment, people's travel needs and transportation network layout, and the design and implementation of the reward and punishment system. Therefore, future research and policy development need to further explore these issues and find more comprehensive and feasible policy solutions. Finally, this article recommends that the Beijing Municipal Government comprehensively consider the results of different game models and formulate comprehensive policy measures based on the actual situation, including improving road transportation facilities, encouraging green travel methods, and promoting intelligent transportation systems. Through these efforts, it is expected to improve Beijing's traffic environment, enhance citizens' travel experience, and achieve the goal of sustainable urban transportation.

Family business sustainability: the impact of governance and women’s empowerment in Saudi Arabia

Due to their strong emotional interest and ownership control, family firm owners significantly influence their firm’s strategies and governance, which has consequences for their business sustainability practices. The failure to establish or maintain formal organizational structures, and adopt good governance principles, may hinder family firms in their pursuit of long-term sustainability. This study empirically investigated the impact of corporate governance on family firms’ sustainability, with women’s empowerment and culture as moderating and mediating factors, respectively. Data for the study were obtained from a sample of 126 family firms from Saudi Arabia. The study adopted the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) method. The study results empirically confirmed that corporate governance is positively associated with women’s empowerment, which also assists in achieving business sustainability in family-controlled firms. The adoption of good corporate governance policies, and empowerment of women through their appointment on corporate boards operating in a supportive culture, can reinforce an organization’s mission, purpose and strategies, which can create an enabling environment for family business sustainability.

Inspiration and Innovation of Informal Economic Governance under Socialism with Chinese Characteristics: Reconstruction of Street Vendor Governance Model in Fuyang City

Vallholder economy is an important driving force for urban economic and social development in the new era. Under the background of socialism with Chinese characteristics, through comparative research, empirical research, investigation and analysis, this paper concluded that the street vendor economy is informal, long-term and complex. For the governance of Chinese street vendors, we should learn from the theory, absorb foreign experience based on the national conditions and urban status, and find the breakthrough of governance from the root. Formulate “flexible” flexible policies, optimize space politics, divide and rule, break through the constraints of regularization, reconstruct and innovate the economic governance model of Chinese street vendors, and realize the “Sinicization of governance concept, local governance policy and contemporary governance model”. The research has enlightenment and reference significance for enriching the development of political economy theory, innovating the informal economic governance model and developing the informal economy in the new era.

Gender mainstreaming in urban projects: A measurement proposal applied to Spanish Urban regeneration policies

Urban policies financed in the framework of the European Cohesion Policy are a privileged area for the study of the Gender Mainstreaming (GM) due to the gender European rules and to the importance of the European Union in urban development. The aim of this paper is to validate an instrument for the systematic measurement of the application of the GM tool, and to evaluate the implementation of GM in Spanish urban policies financed by the EU. For this purpose, based on previous measurements and analysis, a specific methodological tool has been elaborated and applied to the 89 urban intervention projects implemented in Spanish big cities in the framework of the URBAN I, URBAN II, URBANA, and ISUD (Integral and Sustainable Urban Development) calls for proposals (1994–2020). The results reflect a sectorial orientation in the application of the GM. Moreover, we observed a more significant implementation of the strategy in the direction setting dimensions and a scarcer integration in the actor-oriented dimensions. The dimensions' scores could reflect the classic difficulties for actor-oriented dimensions in urban policy design and the effect of the EU's lack of clarity about gender equality on a multi-level governance policy.

Factors Affecting the Implementation of Risk-Based Internal Auditing

This paper aims to investigate the factors affecting risk-based internal audit (RBIA) implementation in public sector organizations in Saudi Arabia. This paper utilized 234 usable answered questionnaires from internal audit managers, internal auditors, accountants, and executives working in Saudi public sector agencies. The gathered data were analyzed by applying partial least squares–structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Results show that management support, internal auditor role, risk management system, and training in risk management all positively and significantly influence the RBIA. Improved internal auditing procedures and an efficient internal monitoring system will significantly curtail any risks impeding the organization’s goals, diminish the temptation to fabricate financial data or statistics, and enhance the accuracy of financial reporting/statements. Moreover, this study’s results have crucial implications for managers of public sector organizations, heads of internal audit departments, internal auditors, and accountants seeking to improve the reliability of internal audits and other aspects of financial information. Published research on what variables are influencing RBIA implementation is scarce. This study adds to the nascent literature by focusing on Saudi Arabian public sector organizations, establishing empirical variables based on an in-depth review of the relevant research and conducting an empirical investigation of the factors associated with RBIA implementation in the Saudi economy. By concentrating on public sector organizations in Saudi Arabia, this paper sheds light on other nations with comparable systems for governance policies and processes in their government-run entities.

Intra-Party Rules: Rebuilding the Chinese Communist Party’s Political Ecology

This article offers an in-depth analysis of intra-party rules development within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since the Eighteenth Party Congress in 2012. Through examining fifty-three major intra-party rules, leaders’ speeches, media articles, and 9,412 punishment verdicts, the study uncovers a three-stage process aimed at revitalising the CCP and constructing a “political ecology.” The analysis identifies three stages of intra-party rules development, characterised by nascent attempts to define political–moral and organisational norms, the tension between expansion and centralisation from 2016 onwards, and a period of deepening and advancement coupled with increasing arbitrariness in enforcement. This investigation enriches our comprehension of the intricate interplay between organisation, morality, and punishment within the CCP under Xi Jinping, shedding light on broader ramifications for China's societal structure, governance, and foreign policy approach.

Essential Ecosystem Area Policies as a Means to Promote Participatory and Inclusive Conservation in Forest Landscape Governance: Centering Perspectives of Marginalized Women in Taman Kili-Kili, Indonesia

This study analyses dimensions of participatory forest landscape governance of the Essential Ecosystem Area (EEA) of Taman Kili-Kili, Indonesia. The voices of marginalized communities, and especially women, are rarely incorporated into forest landscape governance and conservation policies. The recently established Indonesian EEA policy mandates a participatory approach, with explicit requirements to involve marginalized groups and gendered perspectives. However, on a practical level, policy formulation and application unfold in very different ways. Using a Postcolonial Feminist Participatory Action Research (PFPAR) approach, we center local communities' power relations in our analysis as a specific means for drawing out various intersectional relations to conservation areas. The study found that local communities around EEA Taman Kili-Kili have a clear interest in participating in inclusive mangrove forest management models as they not only have the knowledge and capacity, outcomes significantly affect their lives and livelihoods. Findings suggest that the activism of local communities, specifically in the form of various women's gatherings, is reshaping policy milestones and opening up pathways towards gender and ecological justice.

Rainbows and Ratings: Assessing indices of LGBTQ+ inclusivity in the Japanese workplace

ABSTRACT With a growing global interest in environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies, ESG indices and ratings have gained significant influence, but have also come under increasing academic scrutiny as to their validity. As part of this development, LGBTQ+ indices and pledges have also grown in popularity to signal the LGBTQ± friendliness of companies worldwide. This article begins by discussing the overall state of LGBTQ+ employees in the Japanese workplace and addresses to what extent Japanese LGBTQ+ indices can help to assess inclusive work environments. After proposing a novel framework to evaluate the components behind such indices, we apply it to two Japanese LGBTQ± friendliness indices, namely the PRIDE Index and the D&I Award. We find that both LGBTQ+ indices show potential to assess the degree of LGBTQ+ inclusive policy measures. At the same time, they still have weaknesses and leave room for misuse. Yet, these indices have a much stronger validity than other LGBTQ± friendliness markers used in Japan, such as the widely popular United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These findings are not only a timely contribution to the academic literature on the validity of ESG indicators, but they are also relevant to the LGBTQ+ community in Japan, as the newly enacted LGBTQ+ Understanding Law in 2023 lacks effective anti-discrimination measures.

The “China Model”— Merits and Demerits, A Review of the Last 20 Years of the Chinese Economy

The “China Model,” which combines Chinese Communist Party (CCP) dictatorship with the use of a market economy, has been a long-term growth driver of the Chinese economy, but its content has undergone a transformation in terms of both governance and economic policy. In the early 2000s, competition among local leaders who were given sizeable discretionary authority led to dramatic regional growth but also produced various side effects. In the 2010s, however, a transformation to investment competition through debt occurred in local governments, resulting later in a real estate bubble and local fiscal crisis. The adverse effects of the Xi Jinping regime’s concentration of power have created balance sheet deterioration caused by years of excessive debt and overinvestment. The Chinese economy is now being forced to liquidate its deteriorated balance sheets, which have been weakened by years of excessive debt and overinvestment. The ineffective investments and the interest payments resulting from “implicit guarantee” by the governments have become a heavy burden on the economy, further distorting the distribution of wealth and leading to a slump in consumption. To break the current deadlock, major reform is needed, including the write-off of non-performing assets, which would bring about deflationary pressure, and the reduction of the role of state-owned enterprises, a change so significant that it would reshape the “form of the nation.” However, this would inevitably clash with President Xi Jinping’s pledge for “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” a promise made to secure his extended tenure. Given that an extraordinary concentration of power is centered on President Xi and the Chinese autocratic system lacks a mechanism for regime change, achieving such reforms will be very difficult.