Level Of Government Effectiveness Research Articles

Was global deforestation under lockdown?

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic and government responses led to a halt in economic activity. While this reduced pollution in urban areas, its effect on deforestation in areas outside of cities is unclear. Deforestation may have decreased due to the restrictions on economic activity, but, it may have increased due to the drying up of alternative income sources. We analyzed bi-weekly data on tropical forests worldwide in relation to the dates when different countries implemented lockdown restrictions. Our analysis found that while lockdowns did reduce mobility in forest municipalities, the average effect on deforestation was not significant. However, we did observe variations in the impact of lockdowns on deforestation based on the share of lockdown-vulnerable GDP and the level of government effectiveness. These results stand across tropical countries and within Colombia. These findings highlight the importance of alternative income sources and strong state capacity for effective policies aimed at reducing deforestation.

GOVERNMENT EFFECTIVENESS, CORRUPTION, AND DECISION-MAKING IN STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES

The purpose of this study is to identify if there is a difference in decision making behavior of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) when exposed to different scenarios of corruption and government effectiveness. The research used the difference-in-differences technique with 96,114 observations of companies from 31 countries. The results obtained in this study exposed the differences in the behavior of SOEs when facing different scenarios, as proposed in the analytical framework. Thus, it is possible to say that SOEs located in countries of high levels of corruption may work differently, considering the levels of government effectiveness. In environments of high effectiveness, SOEs increase long-term expenditures, spending more and building a context where it is more difficult to perceive the diversion of funds. Issues of government effectiveness and corruption have been addressed, however, little attention has been paid to cross-country comparisons considering the effectiveness of governments and levels of corruption.

Family‐supportive organisational culture, work–family balance satisfaction and government effectiveness: Evidence from four countries

AbstractThis study examines the extent to which perceptions of family‐friendly organisational culture relate to employees' satisfaction with work–family balance (SATWFB) and how this, in turn, associates with their turnover intentions (TIs). Furthermore, we explore the extent to which employee experiences of different levels of government effectiveness (GE; high, medium and low) moderate these associations. Drawing on the work–home resources (W‐HR) model, we test our hypotheses with a sample of 1185 employees drawn from countries with substantially different levels of GE—Nigeria, the Philippines, Guatemala and Spain. Our results show that employees' perceptions of SATWFB mediate the relationship between the two dimensions of family‐friendly organisational culture and TIs of employees. This mediation is weaker for countries where employees experience high GE. Our findings contribute to research on the drivers of work–family balance satisfaction from a cultural and organisational perspective. We expand this line of research by introducing a new resource: GE. Our focus on four different national contexts also strengthens the comparative work–family balance literature.

Is Global Deforestation under Lockdown?

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated government responses halted economic activity across the world. The environment benefited from the reduced pollution in urban areas. However, there is no evidence on the pandemic's environmental effect away from cities, specifically on deforestation. \textit{A priori}, the effect is unclear: deforestation might decrease with the restrictions on economic activity. But it might increase, given the drying up of alternative income sources. I combine bi-weekly data from 70 countries covering the entire world's tropical forest with the dates each country introduced lockdown restrictions. Using difference-in-differences strategies, I find that the average effect of lockdowns in deforestation is not distinguishable from zero. However, the effect on deforestation does vary by the share of lockdown vulnerable GDP and the level of government effectiveness. These results highlight the importance of alternative income sources and state capacity for policies that could reduce deforestation.

The impact of ICT-diffusion on government effectiveness: what role for cultural practices?

PurposeBased on data collected over a 15 year period (2000–2015) for 89 countries selected across nine geopolitical regions of the world, the purpose of this paper is to explore the role of economic development and the Hofstede index of national cultures in influencing level of government effectiveness and ICT diffusion; as well as the impact of ICT diffusion on government effectiveness. The level of economic development and a country’s ranking on the E-government index were found significant in explaining ICT diffusion and level of government effectiveness, respectively. But the findings also indicate that only the cultural factors such as Indulgence and long-term orientation (LTO) were quite significant in explaining level of government of effectiveness and ICT diffusion, respectively. The findings conclude that while some cultural factors may provide partial explanations for a country’s level of government effectiveness or ICT diffusion, but for other cultural elements, the path of influence is still unclear and at best debatable. Hence, in light of the growing emphasis placed on it in the literature, the effect of culture is limited and may have been overstated. ICT diffusion, while a necessary tool for administrative efficiency, is only but one piece of a larger puzzle and should be developed in consideration of and in the context of a broader framework of economic development, institutional design and behavioral practices.Design/methodology/approachThis study examines how existing ICT diffusion and infrastructures among a set of 89 countries spread across nine world geopolitical zones has been able to improve their government effectiveness – as measured by their relative scores or rankings on the global “government effectiveness index” over a 15 year period (2000–2015); and also how specific cultural factors may influence the level of ICT diffusion. Drawing data from the United Nations e-Government knowledge database, the United Nations Development Program, the GlobalEconomy.com, as well as other socio-demographic sources, I examine key and associated indicators that influence information technology diffusion and its contributory effects on level of government effectiveness; as well as the impact of national cultures on ICT diffusion.FindingsOverall, the finding from this analysis point to the fact that only two of the Hofstede national culture variables were significant (LTO and Indulgence). The other four national culture variables (Power Distance, Individualism, Masculinity/Femininity and Uncertainty Avoidance) were not. Indulgence has a negative effect on level of government effectiveness, while LTO has a positive effect on ICT diffusion. The other culture variables were not significant in any of the regression models, but they seem to congregate much closer to or around the mean.Originality/valueThis is the only work of its kind that has utilized the seven Hofstede indicators to test for the relationship between culture and technology over a long period of 15 years.

Kicking a crude habit: diversifying away from oil and gas in the twenty-first century

This article investigates the correlates of diversification away from oil and natural gas dependence in the context of the twenty-first century resource boom (and bust). In a sample of 40 oil- and gas-dependent economies, the majority showed significant sectoral diversification of GDP, but exports remained highly concentrated in fuel exports. Regression analysis indicates that countries that began the boom with higher levels of oil and gas dependence, poorer countries, and those with significantly larger- or smaller-than-average populations were more successful in diversifying their GDP during the commodities boom. Governance matters – more effective, capable bureaucratic structures are associated with greater GDP diversification away from oil and gas – though the effects are not uniformly positive. For any given level of government effectiveness, stronger rule of law is associated with less GDP diversification. Education appears to affect GDP and export diversification differentially. Consistent with endogenous growth theory, countries with more educated populations saw greater growth in their nonresource sectors than countries with less educated populations, though education is associated with greater export concentration. Internal economic diversification in the twenty-first century has been less a matter of policy formation and implementation, and more a matter of factors that shape the policy-making environment.

Kicking a Crude Habit: Diversifying Away from Oil and Gas in the 21st Century

This paper investigates the correlates of diversification away from oil and natural gas dependence in the context of the 21st century resource boom (and bust). In a sample of 40 oil- and gas-dependent economies, the majority showed significant sectoral diversification of GDP, but exports remained highly concentrated in fuel exports. Regression analysis indicates that countries that began the boom with higher levels of oil and gas dependence, poorer countries, and those with significantly larger- or smaller-than-average populations were more successful in diversifying their GDP during the commodities boom. Governance clearly matters — more effective, capable bureaucratic structures are associated with greater GDP diversification away from oil and gas — though the effects are not uniformly positive. For any given level of government effectiveness, stronger rule of law is associated with less GDP diversification. Education appears to affect GDP and export diversification differentially. Consistent with endogenous growth theory, countries with more educated populations saw greater growth in their nonresource sectors than countries with less educated populations, though education is associated with greater export concentration. Market proximity does not affect diversification. Internal economic diversification in the 21st century has been less a matter of correct policy formation and implementation and more a matter of factors that shape the policymaking environment, with the findings suggesting a difficult road to economic diversification for the Gulf Cooperation Council economies.

Organization design redefinition using design thinking

The scope of the paper is to explore the underlying determinants of governance quality at the global level. The study suggests that cross-country variation in governance is mainly attributed to differences not only in countries’ level of economic development but to the range of political freedom and level of social development. More specifically, the impact of economic development is stronger for the control of corruption, the rule of law and regulatory quality as far as the examined governance dimensions are concerned. Political development is strongly related to political stability and absence of violence as well as voice and accountability. A very interesting finding is the high correlation of social development, as depicted by the relevant human development index, with the level of government effectiveness. Therefore, strengthening and maintaining governance is achieved only through the adoption and effective implementation of the appropriate long-run policies. In a similar vein, concrete policy guidelines lie at the core of the good governance agenda. The associated reforms target a broad list of comprehensive governance objectives in order to achieve government effectiveness, anti-corruption safeguards, high standards of legitimacy and accountability, among other attributes of governance systems.