Local Government Management Research Articles

The Role of Local Government and Environmental Management in Managing Tidal Floods in Bintan Regency

Indonesia is highly vulnerable to natural disasters, with tidal floods being a significant concern in Bintan Regency due to its exposure to sea tides and extreme weather events. The local government's role and environmental management strategies are crucial in mitigating these risks. This research seeks to evaluate these aspects by focusing on the measures implemented by Bintan Regency to manage tidal floods. The study employs a qualitative approach, relying on literature reviews to collect data from various sources such as scientific journals, books, research reports, and other relevant documents. This method provides a comprehensive understanding of the current practices and effectiveness of flood management and environmental management strategies in Bintan Regency. The research findings indicate that the Bintan Regency local government has undertaken significant initiatives to reduce tidal flood risks. These initiatives include spatial planning that integrates disaster risk considerations, the development of flood management infrastructure, and community education programs aimed at increasing preparedness. The effective implementation of environmental management practices, including the use of advanced technology for monitoring and evaluation, has been instrumental in these efforts. The local government’s approach reflects a proactive stance in addressing the challenges posed by tidal floods, emphasizing both preventative measures and responsive strategies. The study concludes that a holistic and sustainable approach is essential for effective tidal flood management. The integration of comprehensive spatial planning, infrastructure development, community engagement, and modern technology forms a robust framework for disaster mitigation.

A Categorical Framework of Ethical Leadership for Public Organizations: Testing a Multi-Dimensional Model of Local Government Managers

Organizational managers serve as ethical role models in their capacity as leaders. Mainstream research on ethics leadership is multidisciplinary, although empirical research is dominated by business administration and psychology scholars with less empirical work in public administration. This article develops and tests a categorical framework for ethical leadership behavior by applying it to data from a national survey of Chief Administrative Officers (CAO) of local governments in the United States. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) is used to test six dimensions of ethical leadership behavior and support is found for the model. This research is novel since it extends the ethical leadership research in business administration and psychology to local government managers and by extension, to public managers in general.

Knowledge Management in Local Governments: A Boost or a Brake on Productivity?

This study analyzes the impact of knowledge management on the productivity of a local government, to determine whether it acts as a boost or a brake on institutional performance. Using a quantitative approach, a non-experimental design and an explanatory level, 119 municipal workers were evaluated using validated and reliable instruments. The dimensions of knowledge detection, capture and development were examined, applying Spearman correlation and ordinal regression. The results revealed a positive and significant correlation between knowledge management and productivity (Rho = 0.810, p = 0.000), indicating that effective management is associated with higher levels of productivity. The regression model showed that knowledge management explains 66.2% of the variability in productivity, reflecting an important influence. However, areas for improvement were identified, especially in knowledge detection, where significant levels of inefficiency and regularity were perceived. It was concluded that knowledge management in the local government studied acts both as a boost and a brake on productivity. It is recommended to implement strategies that strengthen detection, capture and knowledge development practices, in order to optimize operational efficiency and offer higher quality services to the population.

A Situational Analysis of Attitudes toward Stray Cats and Preferences and Priorities for Their Management.

Current cat management approaches are outdated and ineffective, failing to reduce stray cat numbers or related complaints and negatively impacting the job satisfaction and mental health of veterinary, shelter, and municipal staff. We undertook a situational analysis prior to implementing a Community Cat Program based on free sterilization of owned, semi-owned, and unowned cats in the city of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. The study involved 343 residents in three suburbs in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia with high per capita intake of cats into the receiving shelter and municipal pound. We investigated the prevalence and impacts of free-roaming cats in urban areas, focusing on sightings, associated issues, and community preferences for cat management. Stray cats were observed by many respondents (71%), primarily at private residences (52%) and in alleyways or streets (22%), which caused serious or moderately serious problems for 38% of those who saw stray or wandering cats. Key concerns included the killing of native birds (38%) and animals (35%), noise (33%), and soiling (32%). Actions taken by respondents who saw stray or wandering cats included chasing them away or using deterrents (25%), capturing the cat for removal or calling council (18%) and preventing home entry (14%). Respondents' priorities for the local government management of cats included preventing kittens from being born (94% of respondents) and stopping cats from preying on native animals (91%); reducing disease spread to pets (89%), wildlife (89%), and humans (87%); decreasing stray cat numbers (75%); and preventing cat fights (70%). Respondents favored sterilization (65%) over euthanasia (35%), aligning with the results of previous research. Cat ownership and feeding unowned cats were predictors of management preferences. Only 29% of respondents were satisfied with the current local council management of the problem. Information on the benefits of management by sterilization could further enhance community support.

Leadership and communication in sustainable management of local governments – a perspective of Slovak mayors

Leadership and communication in sustainable management of local governments – a perspective of Slovak mayors

Exploring Gender Involvement in Solid Waste Management in Ibadan, Nigeria: Roles, Challenges, and Opportunities for Sustainable Development

Solid waste management practice in Ibadan has been largely focused on the technical issues of waste disposal with little or no attention paid to the gender involved. This study examines gender involvement in solid waste management in Oluyole local government, Ibadan, Nigeria. Gender activities play an important role in solid waste management as there is clear understanding of the perceptions of both men and women that is required in waste management. Data analysis was based on 374 households/shop owners and 2 waste management companies by survey questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS. Results showed that waste management practices are influenced by the demographic factors such as income level. The result also shows that both gender handles solid waste effectively but the women participation are found to be higher than that of men in some areas of waste management practices. The study concludes that proper integration of both men and women into the existing solid waste management can lead to sustainable management practices and possibly alleviate poverty. Based on this research results, recommendations are made to improve gender involvement in solid waste management for sustainable development in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Exploring the institutional barriers to rural water management in Ghana

ABSTRACT Framed within policy support for bottom-up community water management in development practice in the global south, this paper explores the institutional barriers that impede effective community management of water infrastructure in water-stressed rural communities in the Upper Manya District and Yilo Krobo Municipality in the Eastern region of Ghana. The study adopted a qualitative research approach, using data collection methods such as in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with local government and community water management committees and participant observation across four communities. The findings revealed that irregular and inadequate monitoring, poor financial auditing and transparency, inadequate technical support, and limited community engagement were the institutional barriers confronting sustainable rural water management. The study argues that in community water management, hybrid models are more likely to work better than models that focus entirely on either top-down or bottom-up approaches since the former can strengthen technical capacity, financial accountability, and the experimentation of infrastructure co-design initiatives. The paper concludes that by addressing institutional lapses in Africa's infrastructural management regimes, rural populations can become part of, rather than left behind, in the global quest to ensure water availability and sustainable water management for all.

The Sustainability of Local Governments—Evidence from the Online Environment in the Slovak Republic

In recent years, sustainability as a concept has become the subject of several scientific debates. Along with the smart city trend, emphasis is also being placed on the sustainability of cities and towns, yet there is a research gap for smaller municipalities where there is no current scope for increasing the level of digitization or implementing smart city practices. Sustainability here has to be achieved differently, in particular through communication and transparency. This issue is addressed in the present research, which examines 116 Slovak municipalities, as well as their strategic documents and online communication with citizens, using a content analysis method. The study aims to provide knowledge about the functioning of online communication in Slovak local governments by answering seven research questions. These are linked to two research hypotheses, which are also evaluated using a statistical test. One of the main findings is that the overall sustainability work in a local government is dependent on its size. Thus, larger local governments are more likely to implement sustainability. It was also found that larger villages and towns use term sustainability more actively in their strategies than the smaller ones. Additionally, more information channels do not always mean better informing about plans and strategies connected to sustainability in local governments. This paper presents the findings from our research, which can contribute to the field of local government research and management by broadening the view on smaller villages and their functioning in terms of online communication with inhabitants.

Sustainability reporting from the preparers’ perspective in locally-owned public enterprises

IMPACT Locally-owned enterprises (LOEs), which are businesses that are wholly owned by a local government, provide services that are required by law on a monopoly basis. Preparers of sustainability reports for LOEs know first hand what information is available, how to calculate the indicators and interpret them. These people can provide a first insight into the challenges, political will and local government management priorities that regulators consider in their sustainability reporting requirements. The views of Spanish LOE preparers, presented in this article, can be used to improve sustainability disclosure practices in other European LOEs. Preparers’ experiences can also be useful for policy-makers in improving legislation in this field.

The Influence of the Tanah Lot Art and Food Festival on Tourist’ Visiting Interest

Purpose: This research aims to determine the influence of the Tanah Lot Art and Food Festival on tourists' interest in visiting Tanah Lot. Method: This research employs a quantitative approach at the Tanah Lot Tourist Attraction (DTW) in Beraban, Tabanan, over a five-month period (January - May 2024). Data was collected through questionnaires to examine the influence of the Tanah Lot Art and Food Festival on tourists' interest in visiting. Data analysis was conducted using simple linear regression with SPSS. Result: The results indicate that the Tanah Lot Art and Food Festival has a positive and significant impact on tourists' interest in visiting, both partially and simultaneously. Partially, the t-value (5.398) exceeds the t-table value (1.660), and the significance value (0.000) is less than 0.05. Simultaneously, the F-value (12.875) exceeds the F-table value (2.70), and the significance value (0.000) is less than 0.05. The festival contributes 35.2% to the tourists' interest in visiting, while 64.8% is influenced by other variables not examined in the study. Contribution: This research makes significant contributions in several areas. Theoretically, it enhances the literature on the impact of art and food festivals on tourist interest. Practically, the findings offer valuable insights to the management of Tanah Lot Tourist Attraction (DTW) and local government on strategies to boost tourist visits through event organization. Additionally, from a policy perspective, the empirical evidence provided can support the formulation of policies for the development and promotion of event-based tourism

Insights from local government managers: Navigating crises through organizational capacities and perceptions

AbstractRecent years have shown that strategic responses to crises by local governments (LGs) depend on the type of crisis, the institutional environment, but also internal capacities and sensemaking processes. However, such relationships have not been tested widely yet. Based on a survey of managers (n = 590) from cities with more than 15,000 inhabitants in France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, this study explores the role played by specific organizational capacities (critical thinking, bricolage, and financial capacities) and crisis perceptions (valence—i.e., threat vs. opportunity; and controllability) in shaping adaptive or regressive response strategies. Results show that these capacities are associated with how LGs' managers perceive crises and the type of responses adopted. Higher financial capacity, bricolage, and critical thinking are associated with stronger sense of organizational controllability, but they have different relationships with threat and opportunity perceptions. The study confirms the importance of distinguishing valence (threat and opportunity) from controllability perceptions.

Smart Practice of Integrating Administrative Management and Human Resources of Chinese Local Governments under the Background of Digital Transformation

Local Chinese governments face a challenge in improving the efficiency and quality of services provided during administrative management in the digital transformation era. The present study identifies three prime drivers for integration—technical, organisational efficiency, and policy support. Finally, it runs the hypotheses through the structural equation model for 133 data points from the questionnaire prepared for the local government administration. Superior integration is primarily contributed to by as discussed, technical support, organisational efficiency, and policy suit will improve effective management and organisational efficiency while reducing the cost and time required for integration; policy support will ensure legal compliance and standardisation. The study also finds that by adopting these factors, local governments can foster efficient and speedy integration of administrative management and human resources. These findings provide practical guidelines for the effective application of digital technology, organisational design, and public policies that promote innovation and sustainable development in public administration. It is necessary to investigate the particular technological approaches and multi-faceted methods for improving organisational performance in various digital contexts.

The entrepreneurial orientation of special district governments: a study of public entrepreneurship in local governments in Tennessee

ABSTRACT Special districts are an increasingly prevalent form of local government. The creation of special districts is an act of public entrepreneurship. However, it is not clear if special districts are imprinted with an enduring entrepreneurial orientation when they are founded or if their entrepreneurial orientation fades as the organisations mature and become more bureaucratic. Building on theories of imprinting and organisational structure and utilising computer-automated text analysis, we explore the persistence and performance implications of the entrepreneurial orientation of special districts through text analysis of local government documents. In a sample of 277 special districts in Tennessee (USA), we find that special districts exhibit an entrepreneurial orientation, this orientation differs based on special district type, and a nonlinear (inverted-U) relationship exists between entrepreneurial orientation and special district performance. Our findings contribute to research at the intersection of local governments and public entrepreneurship and generate actionable insights for local government managers.

Social Media Management in Local Government: A Case Study of Bandung City Government's Instagram and Twitter (X), Indonesia

Effective social media management by the local government plays a central role in generating and shaping public engagement. Bandung City Government's just setup their Instagram and Twitter (X) accounts in year 2022, which consider having low engagement. This study aims to analyse reasons for low public engagement in the local government social media. Specifically, this study focuses on the Bandung City Government which has experienced using other social media for more than 10 years. The approach used was a case study and quantitative content analysis on Instagram and Twitter (X) accounts during the 2022 period. The results showed that the social media management of the Bandung City Government has not been effective in creating high-quality engagement. The team has not been able to optimize planning activities to create creative content. According to the needs of citizens, interaction and response to public comments are still inconsistent. In addition, evaluation activities have not been optimally used to improve management strategy improvements. The results of this study have important implications for social media management practices in local governments. The weaknesses of social media management found in this study can be used as lessons learned by other local governments to increase engagement with the public. Keywords: Local government, social media, social media management, public engagement, Twitter (X).

Unique attributes of official endorsers in destination marketing

Along with the digital transformation of the administrative environment and the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, official endorsers have nurtured a new channel for tourism destination marketing, which is of great significance to local economic recovery. However, less attention has been paid to the different effects of endorsement between ordinary endorsers and official endorsers, mainly due to their contrasting social statuses. To bridge the research gap, the source credibility model and social identity theory are integrated to construct the distinctive attributes of officials, as well as structural equation model is utilized to explore the underlying mechanism of official endorsement. Findings indicate that trustworthiness, the sense of authority, expertise, and attractiveness have direct positive effects on official identification, while also indirectly influencing tourists’ attitudes toward the destination through official identification. These findings provide theoretical and managerial implications for the local government managers involved in tourism destination marketing.

Risk Management in Indonesian Local Government: A Literature Study

The primary objective of this research is to provide an in-depth understanding of the concept of risk management in Indonesian local governments, specifically focusing on the legal frameworks and cultural aspects surrounding risk awareness. The research employs a literature review methodology, utilizing articles, research journals, and 30 open-access local risk management regulations. Data analysis follows Miles and Huberman's qualitative approach, involving four key phases: data collection, data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion/review. The study reveals that some Indonesian local governments have established legal frameworks for risk management since approximately 2017. Key elements for effective risk management include a culture of risk awareness, robust risk management processes, effective communication and consultation, and sound assessment and reporting practices. The development of a risk-aware culture involves communication of risk understanding across all organizational levels, internalization of risk management in decision-making processes, and the enhancement of a control environment supporting a risk- aware culture. While this research sheds light on the progress of risk management in Indonesian local governments, there may be limitations inherent in the study, such as the scope of literature available and potential variations in local practices. The implication of these findings suggests the need for further research to delve deeper into specific regional contexts and challenges that may impact the effectiveness of risk management.

Glocalizing sustainability: how accounting begins for sustainable development goals in city administration

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the adoption of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the new performance perspective in cities. It also aims to understand how accounting for SDGs begins in city administrations by following Power’s (2015) fourfold development schema composed of policy object formation, object elaboration, activity orchestration and practice stabilization.Design/methodology/approachFocusing on a network of cities coordinated by the Finnish local government association, we analyzed the six largest cities in Finland employing a holistic multiple case study strategy. Our data consisted of Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs), city strategies, budget plans, financial statements, as well as results of participant observations and semi-structured interviews with key individuals involved in accounting for SDGs.FindingsWe unveiled the SDG framework as an interpretive scheme through which cities glocalized sustainable development as a novel, simultaneously global and local, performance object. Integration of the new accounts in city management is necessary for these accounts to take life in steering the actions. By creating meaningful alignment and the ability to impact managerial practices, SDGs and VLRs have the potential to influence local actions. Our results indicate further institutionalization progress of sustainability as a performance object through SDG-focused work.Originality/valueWhile prior research has focused mainly on general factors influencing the integration of the sustainability agenda, this study provides a novel perspective by capturing the process and demonstrating empirically how new accounts on SDGs are introduced and deployed in the strategic planning and management of local governments.

The role of managerial hierarchy in the moral reasoning of local government managers

AbstractFalling public trust in Australia's institutions warrants revisiting how public sector managers approach ethical decision‐making. This study presents the findings of in‐depth interviews with 35 local government managers in Australia and seeks to understand how managerial hierarchy influences the moral reasoning of managers. Through the lens of social learning and moral development theoretical perspectives, the findings indicate that local government managers do engage in different types of moral reasoning when presented with hypothetical ethical dilemmas, and their managerial status plays a pronounced role in shaping the content of that reasoning. We also find support for differences in moral reasoning across gender, which appear more evident at lower levels of management. Through providing an in‐depth analysis of managerial hierarchy and ethical decision‐making, the findings from this study can be used to guide organisational and individual managers’ ethics training and development.Points for practitioners The declining public trust in public administrators warrants regular risk management audits of internal and external environments of public sector organisations to identify potential or existing ethical challenges that require a response. Moral reasoning and ethical decision‐making are context specific and include the ethical climate of the organisation. We find support for the importance of organisational leadership visibly ‘walking the talk’ when it comes to ethics. While management hierarchy is seen to influence moral reasoning, or the deliberations when arriving at a decision, there is widespread acceptance of the basic tenets of abiding by the law and being truthful. Therefore, organisational ethical policies and codes of conduct should clearly articulate the legal implications, and consequences of any breaches. A one‐size‐fits‐all approach to ethics training is not advised. We find that moral reasoning differs with managerial experience. A case is made to account for training tailored at different managerial levels, along with scenario‐based training and mentoring from higher levels of management.

International Experience in Ensuring Cybersecurity in Local Self Government Management as a Component of the National Security of Ukraine

The study examines the critical relationship between cyber security as a component of national security and its provision in local government administration. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the international experience of ensuring cyber security in the management of local self-governments in Germany, Poland and Ukraine. In research were used visual and graphic methods, a set of methods of processing, comprehension and interpretation of information. This highlights the level of trust in local authorities in Poland, Germany and Ukraine, as well as a comparison of the systems of local self-government entities in the selected countries. It was established that there is a need to create and develop an adequate cybersecurity system. The result of the study is an analysis of the cyber security strategies of Germany, Poland and Ukraine. Prospects for further research are the analysis of the possibility of consolidation and differentiation of powers by subjects of local self-government in ensuring cyber security. An analysis of the real need for the powers related to providing cyber security and the ability to perform them is appropriate.

Corporatization of Professional Bodies: A Comparative Study of the Chartered Institute of Government Finance Audit and Risk Officers (CIGFARO) and Institute of Local Government Management (iLGM)

Corporatization of professional bodies may be seen as a new phenomenon, but it has been a call since the 1980s when many professional bodies started experiencing decline. Although corporatization, as practice, is a private sector concept, applying it in the management and administration of professional bodies is likely to provide a better turn-around in how professional bodies are managed. Part of corporatization is having corporate governance structures including ethics codes which are meant to professionalize professional bodies. This study therefore compared the Chartered Institute of Government Finance Audit and Risk Officers (CIGFARO) and Institute of Local Government Management (iLGM) with a view to establish if they apply corporatization.