International Public Administration Research Articles

The Influences of Ambidexterity, New Public Management and Innovation on the Public Service Quality of Government Organizations

This study assesses the influences of organizational ambidexterity and new public management (NPM) innovations on public service quality in the under-researched and changing context of the Arabian Peninsula Gulf States. The data used were obtained from government organizations in the Sultanate of Oman and were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings indicate that exploitation is associated with public service quality and this relationship is partially mediated by public service innovation. The results show an indirect relationship between NPM practices and service quality mediated by service innovation. Moreover, the relationship between exploration and service quality is fully mediated by service innovation. This study extends the existing research on ambidexterity in government organizations and contributes to the international public administration reform and innovation literature by examining the applicability of Western practices in changing societal and politico-administrative cultures.

WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL UNICORN STARTUP FOUNDER? EXPLORING FOUNDERS’ BACKGROUNDS

Purpose: The rapid growth of unicorn startups — privately held startup companies valued at over $1 billion — has inspired researchers and investors to better understand the key factors behind their success. While product-market fit, timing, and business models are frequently studied, this paper dive deeper into the backgrounds of the founders themselves. By analyzing various educational, and professional attributes of unicorn startup founders, we seek to uncover common patterns and insights that might hint at the success criteria of unicorn creation. Design/Methodology/Approach: Our study adopted an exploratory approach utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods to discover the nuances of unicorn startup founders' backgrounds. Using a dataset of 3925 founders, we identified patterns in unicorn creation. In addition, qualitative insights were garnered through a review of existing literature. This approach provided a comprehensive view bridging the data with theoretical review. Findings: A significant proportion of unicorn startup founders 1163 of the 3925 examined, had prior entrepreneurial engagements, which underlines the value of experience in high-impact ventures. A pronounced gender imbalance was observed, with a whopping 93% of founders being male, spotlighting potential systemic and cultural barriers in the entrepreneurial field. Fields such as International Relations, Public Administration, and STEM disciplines like Bioengineering and Medical Informatics were represented among the unicorn producing majors. These findings suggest a cross-disciplinary effect resulting in unicorn creation. Originality: Instead of just focusing on one part of founders’ background, this study combines their education and experiences to give a full picture. This approach makes it unique and adds a new perspective to what we know about successful startups. This new angle can prompt more research and give us a deeper understanding of how unicorn startups come to be.

The Agency of the Global South’s Regional Organizations through the Institutionalization of Staff Recruitment

Abstract How is staff recruitment in regional organizations institutionalized? This article focuses on explaining the determinants of staff recruitment institutionalization in regional organizations (ROs). It is important to understand how ROs recruit their regional staff, as ROs have become players with an increasing influence in global governance, and as regional (and international) bureaucracies constantly contribute to the reshaping of power relations with member states. The institutionalization of staff recruitment offers an insightful and innovative way of unpacking the way ROs operate and exert agency. In this perspective, the article examines an RO from the Global South, the Central American Integration System (SICA), and argues that member states institutionalize staff recruitment for fear of losing control to a powerful combination of regional bureaucracy and international donors. This single-case study will be comparable with many Global South ROs that share similar characteristics, and will provide generalizable results in the realm of RO studies. This article sheds light on a very poorly known case among ROs and helps to extend the empirical scope of International Public Administration (IPA) studies beyond the “Global North,” and consolidate the field of comparative regionalism. To develop the argument, the article uses empirical material from several pieces of in-depth fieldwork conducted within SICA since 2009. It analyses official legal documents and internal documents relating to staff regulation, and uses semi-structured interviews focused on practices of recruitment standards. Keywords: Staff recruitment, Regional organizations, Institutionalization, Regional bureaucratic autonomy, External interventions

International public administration and management: Towards the third phase?

International public administration and management: Towards the third phase?

Implementation of Blended Learning Rotation Model in Teaching Business English and Business Ukrainian in Higher Education Institutions

The article is devoted to the problem of implementation of a blended learning approach in the language training of undergraduate students specializing in International Economic Relations and Public Management and Administration. The historical background, structural and functional features of blended learning are outlined. The relevance of the study is determined by the benefits of combining online and offline learning modes at Ukrainian universities in wartime as well as by the absence of specialized scientific works providing linguistic and methodological support for interdisciplinary teaching of Business English and Business Ukrainian. Based on the ideas of foreign and Ukrainian scientists and modern methods of scientific research, the present experimental study proves the effectiveness of the rotation model of blended learning for the acquisition of systematized linguistic knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for the effective use of the native and foreign languages in professional communication. The article is illustrated with tables, figures, and samples of instructional materials placed on the Moodle online platform. It also outlines the perspectives for future research on other aspects of blended language learning and interdisciplinary teaching at the university.

Análisis de política exterior en un contexto cambiante: Una aproximación

The foreign policy constitutes a particular field of study, attracting the attention of academics and research centers due to its intermestic nature (formulated in the internal or domestic sphere and implemented in the international or external sphere) and because it results from the contributions of International Relations, Political Science and Public Administration. Thus, it constitutes a bridge discipline of International Relations. In addition, its definition and characterization are complex since depend on how the State that formulates and implements it perceives itself; but also, because it relies on the type of State actor in question. A great power is not the same as a small State; necessary to highlight more than three-quarters of the countries in the international system are small agents. For this reason, since the mid-twentieth century, the interest of international analysts has focused on this field. In the same way, the analysis of foreign policy, as a research space, has shown an important evolution, requiring novel approaches and methodologies. On the other hand, the changes in the international system, particularly the end of the Cold War and the attacks of the so-called 9-11, introduced variants in the approach to this issue. However, it was with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the war in Ukraine that reality has become more complex and demands new perspectives for analyzing foreign policy, especially of great powers and small states. Then, this article reviews the main texts on foreign policy, from the mid-last century and up to what was published this year (2023). The intention is to offer a sort of state-ofthe-art, for those who are interested in dabbling in the analysis of foreign policy and identifying the main ideas and approaches for subsequent research work

Import substitution policy: Breaking the limits

The study focuses on forming an instrumental approach in the field of import substitution policy as a country development strategy implemented through identifying the main constraints of the situational (sanction-caused) and fundamental (related to the policy content) nature. The research subject is the import substitution policy in Russia, as well as the conditions created by economic sanctions. Methodologically, the study relies on the theories of international trade and public administration that allowed determining the main types of import substitution and restrictions emerging when managing this process at the government level within a large-scale system, as well as establishing feedback in the implementation of macroeconomic policies counteracting import substitution, i.e., parallel imports and zero duties. The research methods are comparative and taxonomic analysis, and generalization of statistical estimates. Empirical evidence comes from the industry-specific import substitution programmes and orders of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation. The author proposes a pyramid of import substitution significance levels reflecting various scales of import substitution policy – starting from products and services, technologies, and institutions (rules) to regulatory methods and policy models, cultural imperatives, and economic doctrines. The generalized Russia’s experience shows that progress in import substitution is relative. This implies investing more efforts in the development of a national project that would link national design and implementation of sectoral programs at all levels with evidence-based substantiation of resources and priorities within the goals of import substitution.

МУИС-ийн оюутнуудын англи хэл сурахад нөлөөлж буй дотоод, гадаад сэдлийн судалгаа

In the last few years, the topic of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation has raised a lot of interest in EFL learning and teaching. The focus of this research is on examining intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of 58 students of the School of International Relations and Public Administration (SIRPA), the National University of Mongolia (NUM), with the aim of answering the question whether or not the students are intrinsically/extrinsically motivated for learning English as a second language and to what extent. The results obtained from 25-question questionnaire show that there are generally low levels of intrinsic motivation present among both female and male students. The differences in motivation are minimal in relation to gender, even though female students show an increase of intrinsic motivation.

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE OF REFORMING PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND ITS ADAPTATION IN UKRAINE

An evaluation of international public administration systems was carried out on the example of the member states of the European Union. Systematized the most common reform trends that are key components of the "European" approach to public administration reform: open government initiatives and reforms to strengthen external transparency: legislation on freedom of information, open data, procurement reforms, creation of anti-corruption bodies; civil service reform with an emphasis on retrenchment measures to reduce the size and costs of civil servants, improve performance appraisals and introduce codes of conduct; measures of electronic governance; reforms to strengthen the coordination capacity of the government and merger of bodies (mainly created during the reform period); performance management and productivity reforms; reducing the administrative burden on enterprises and citizens. The directions for adapting positive vectors of public administration reform to Ukrainian realities are systematized. Strategic directions for increasing the efficiency of the public management system are proposed: implementation of the open data strategy; focusing on sub-themes rather than comprehensive and often overly general activities; measurements that can be used for learning purposes less than for evaluation; using the survey method. Keywords: strategy, public administration, reform, experience, efficiency.

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE: REGIONAL ASPECT

The globalisation processes are expanding, making all the subjects of the global functioning system interdependent on each other. One of the pros of globalisation is the possibility to exchange goods and services between the subjects either on the global or regional levels. Such an exchange of goods and services is considered international trade. International trade is carried out in the forms of exports and imports. International trade influences any region’s economic functioning, including dynamics and volatility of economic growth as well as labour market performance. Public administration includes state governance (executed by the state authorities), regional and local governance (executed by the regional and local bodies of state power) and public governance (carried out by the non-state entities, NGOs, etc). The subject of international trade public administration to be paid attention at in this research is the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ukraine, which is a non-governmental non-profit self-governing organization that unites legal entities and citizens of Ukraine registered as entrepreneurs, as well as their associations, on a voluntary basis. The regional structure of chambers of commerce includes the central Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ukraine and 25 regional Chambers. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ukraine a member of the International Chamber of Commerce and the World Federation of Chambers as well as the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The public administration of international trade effectiveness has been evaluated through its indirect impact on the regional performance in general. The amounts of Gross Regional Product for the regions of Ukraine and their shares of the Gross Regional Product have been visualised, analysed and compared. The subjects to use the research itself and its results have been defined and the prospects as well as the further research development limitations have been stated.

The organisational dimension of executive authority in the Global South: Insights from the AU and ECOWAS commissions

AbstractThe growing importance of executive authority at the international level has fuelled scholarly debate about the level of autonomy enjoyed by international public administration (IPA), that is, the executive arms of international organisations. Insights from IPAs in the West or Global North, such as the European Union, have largely shaped these debates, whereas data from IPAs in the Global South are largely missing in the discussion. This article seeks to remedy this imbalance and contribute to an organisational‐theory‐inspired conceptualisation of IPA autonomy: We draw insights from survey data from the commissions of the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). We demonstrate that, although both commissions are embedded in inter‐governmental organisations, they demonstrate remarkably strong features of actor‐level autonomy. Thus, this study suggests that even IPAs constrained by an inter‐governmental environment may still wield some degree of autonomy. Finally, the article draws practical implications for reforming IPAs.

Introduction to the symposium on international and comparative public administration education

Introduction to the symposium on international and comparative public administration education

Harumi Goto-Shibata, 2020. The League of Nations and the East Asian Imperial Order, 1920–1946 Karen Gram-Skjoldager, Haakon A. Ikonomou, and Torsten Kahlert, 2020. Organizing the 20th-century World: International Organizations and the Emergence of International Public Administration, 1920–1960s Deepak Mawar, 2021. States Undermining International Law: The League of Nations, United Nations, and Failed Utopianism Bob Reinalda, 2020. International Secretariats: Two Centuries

"Harumi Goto-Shibata, 2020. The League of Nations and the East Asian Imperial Order, 1920–1946 Karen Gram-Skjoldager, Haakon A. Ikonomou, and Torsten Kahlert, 2020. Organizing the 20th-century World: International Organizations and the Emergence of International Public Administration, 1920–1960s Deepak Mawar, 2021. States Undermining International Law: The League of Nations, United Nations, and Failed Utopianism Bob Reinalda, 2020. International Secretariats: Two Centuries of International Civil Servants and Secretariats" published on 26 Aug 2022 by Brill.

The creation of international collaborative governance discourse during the process of teaching vocabulary at the university

To improve the practice of public administration (PA) work at the time when collaboration governance principles and values have been especially needed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the new educational approach providing the creation of international collaborative governance PA discourse has become a very important task for public administrations of all the countries of the world because the common terms could help to make the communication of public servants and citizens more effective both in one and the same country and between different countries and regions. The literature concerning collaborative governance PA discourse creation has been thoroughly studied by the author. The experience of the creation of international collaborative governance PA discourse during ELT (English Language Teaching) and ESP (English for Specific Purposes) training of PA students at the Institute for Social Sciences (the ISS) of Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) has been analyzed. The research methods included theoretical research, analytical research methods, methodology of empirical research, and methods of comparative research. The results of the analysis made it possible to conclude that in modern conditions of globalization and international communication in order to understand better the common values of citizens, to avoid discrepancies in vocabulary application and to improve mutual understanding of civil servants speaking different languages, the unification of the descriptive list of English terms concerning public administration activity is needed; the creation of international collaborative governance PA discourse during educational and training process of future public administrators should contribute to PA activity. The International PA Vocabulary as well as the process of writing new textbooks and teaching aids based on it and using new digital technologies and new methodology should be introduced into educational process.

Bridging international political economy and public policy and administration research on central banking

ABSTRACT Central banking as an avenue of research has been of interest to scholars from International Political Economy (IPE) and Public Policy and Administration (PPA) disciplines. Nevertheless, there is very little dialogue between these two perspectives to bridge macro, meso, micro-level analyses and examine the reciprocal relationship between the global and domestic political economy context and monetary policy conduct. This article investigates the Turkish experience to bridge IPE and PPA scholarship on central banking in emerging economies. In doing so, we adopt an analytic eclectic approach combining multiple structural, institutional, and agential causal explanations with particular reference to the Structure, Institution, and Agency (SIA) theoretical framework. This is because analytic eclecticism complements, speaks to, and selectively incorporates theoretical approaches such as the New Independence Approach (NIA) of IPE and institutional and ideational PPA approaches. Drawing on the empirical context of the historical evolution of the Turkish political economy, we explore domestic and international interactions among micro, meso, and macro levels that shape central banking behavior. Our analysis also reveals how global dynamics are translated into domestic policy choices and how particular ideas influence the policymaking process. The analysis underscores the constraining and enabling influence of international dynamics, politics of ideas on emerging economy central banking, and the essential role individual and organizational agency play in the policymaking process.

Contents

Language is never just an instrument of communication, but also a political symbol. Translators, interpreters, and other language professionals working for governments and international organizations often have to take their personal preference out of the equation while taking into account the legal and political connotations in choosing the most appropriate words and expressions when handling official documents relating to international relations, public administration, and law. The case of Hong Kong is probably one of the best examples illustrating the interface between language and politics. Of particular note is the equal status enjoyed by the Chinese and English languages. Translators and interpreters working for the Hong Kong government both before and after 1997 have to consider legal and political factors in performing their duties. Translation or interpretation is no longer just a matter of language and communication, but also serves legal and political purpose. With reference to the political discourse relating to the change in Hong Kong’s political status from a British dependent territory to a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China, what then are the legal and political connotations of words and expressions that translators and interpreters of the Hong Kong government have to consider? To answer this question, the author is writing this paper with at least two identities: a practitioner and a researcher. As a practitioner, the author has been a translator and conference interpreter serving at high-level meetings between the Hong Kong government and the authorities of the Mainland of China for more than ten years. As a researcher, the author is developing a theoretical framework by having dialogues with the relevant political discourse that he himself has participated in producing. The author has integrated discourse analysis with his first-hand experience as a translator and conference interpreter, borrowing concepts from such disciplines as international relations, politics, law, and translation.

A Survey of the Nexus between the Group Theory in Public Policy-Making; and Diplomacy and Diplomatic Practices; and Its Impact on International Public Administration

This article seeks to discern the nexus between the group theory in public policy-making in domestic politics; and diplomacy and diplomatic practices in international relations. Apparently, diplomacy and diplomatic practices, though strands of international relations, pivot on group theory’s doctrines. Herein, I argue that, there exist a nexus between the group theory, diplomacy and diplomatic practices, which fashions the character of international public administration. Given the literature dearth in this domain, I offer a framework based on Charles Lindblom’s Incrementalism and the Realist Theory to show how the nexus between the group theory of domestic politics; and diplomacy and diplomatic practices impacts international public administration. The research purpose is to boost deeper theoretical and empirical understanding of public administration, since the group theory aims at causing group equilibrium amongst competing groups in domestic politics; while diplomacy promotes group’s (state) interest (power) over another group’s (state) interest (power) in international politics.

Administrative convergence in the United Nations system? Patterns of administrative reform in four United Nations organizations over time

This article asks how and why United Nations organizations reform their administrative structure and processes over time. It explores whether we can observe a convergence towards a coherent administrative model in the United Nations system. Like in most nation states, reform discussions according to models like New Public Management or post-New Public Management have permeated international public administrations. Against this background, the question of administrative convergence discussed for national administrative systems also arises for United Nations international public administrations. On the one hand, similar challenges, common reform ‘fashions’ and an increasing exchange within the United Nations system make convergence likely. Yet, on the other hand, distinct tasks, administrative styles and path dependencies might support divergent reform trajectories. This question of convergence is addressed by measuring the frequency, direction and rationales for reforms, using a sample of four international public administrations from the United Nations’ specialized agencies (the Food and Agriculture Organization, International Labour Organization, International Monetary Fund and World Bank). We find that convergence depends on the area of reform (human resources or organizational matters are more harmonized than others) and time (some international public administrations are faster or earlier than others). Points for practitioners This article identifies different drivers of reforms, as well as several supporting conditions, and obstacles to reform in international public administration, which is useful for understanding and planning change management. It highlights the issues policymakers should consider when implementing reform measures, especially institutional context, administrative styles and relevant actor constellations. Among other things, it shows that: the establishment of coordination bodies clearly leads to more homogeneous administrative practices; executive heads have a decisive role in the shaping of administrative reforms and have a specific interest to foster coordination and control in public organizations; and autonomy enables organizations to pursue reform policies apt to their individual challenges.

Why National Ministries Consider the Policy Advice of International Bureaucracies: Survey Evidence from 106 Countries

AbstractScholars of international relations and public administration widely assume that international bureaucracies, in their role as policy advisors, directly influence countries’ domestic policies. Yet, this is not true across the board. Why do some countries closely consider the advice of international bureaucracies while others do not? This article argues that international bureaucracies’ standing as sources of expertise is crucial. We tested this argument using data from a unique survey that measured prevalent practices of advice utilization in thematically specialized policy units of national ministries in a representative sample of more than a hundred countries. Our findings show that ministries’ perceptions of international bureaucracies’ expertise, that is, specialized and reliable knowledge, are the key factor. International bureaucracies influence national ministries directly and without the support of other actors that may also have an interest in the international bureaucracies’ policy advice. Our analysis also demonstrates that the effects of alternative means of influence, such as third-party pressure and coercion, are themselves partly dependent on international bureaucracies’ reputation as experts. The findings presented in this article reinforce the emphasis on expertise as a source of international bureaucracies’ influence, and provide a crucial test of its importance.

Public Administration as an Object of Scientific Research and a Direction of Civil Servants’ Education

The article is devoted to systematizing and updating the research and educational characteristics of public administration. The research method is a problem analysis of the public administration research discipline and the design of the problem of training personnel for the contemporary public service. The result of the study is the justification of the need to match the key competen- cies of civil servants to the priority areas of public administration as a scientific discipline. The article concludes that contemporary public administration should be understood as a practical activity to achieve national and regional goals and objectives through state organizations and public participation. This definition allows to accumulate both domestic and foreign experience, as well as combine practice-oriented and research characteristics of the concept under study. The theoretical basis of public administration is determined by two key methodological approaches: socio-engineering that is focused on the search for optimal management models for solving prob- lems that arise in society in a way; and humanitarian, that is based on the need to overcome bureaucracy and inertia of the management system. The subject of contemporary public admin- istration consists of some problem areas, including: international, national, regional and local public administration systems; organization and implementation of sectoral and sectoral policies, strategies, projects and programs; administrative processes and procedures; research of the state and municipal service; civil society; information support and digital transformation of administration. The article substantiates that the Russian education system has now created conditions for more flexible consideration of the requests of the state and municipal service system in terms of the composition and quality of officials’ competencies. The author comes to the conclusion that the dynamics of the competence approach to the civil servants education is quite optimistic: on the one hand, educational standards and training plans flexibly take into account the needs of the state and municipal service, and on the other hand, they correspond to modern trends in the transformation of the public administration system towards a more efficient organization of interac- tion between the state and citizens.