Public Policy Management Research Articles

Indian Railways: enhancing northeast connectivity with Half-Y connection

Research methodology The case has been developed as an illustrative case study using primary data. The data and images used for developing the case have been collected from the Alipurduar Division of Indian Railways with suitable permissions. The specific newspaper studies used in developing the case content have been referenced as footnotes on the relevant pages of the case study document. Case overview/synopsis Train operations in Alipurduar Division of Northeast Frontier Railway zone of Indian Railways are difficult. The division provides the vital rail link between the northeast states and the rest of India. Railway lines in the Alipurduar Division pass through several forests with a significant elephant population. As an outcome of train–elephant conflicts, train operations on one of the railway lines operate under severe speed restrictions. Moreover, the region is known for heavy rainfall and thunderstorms for almost six months every year. For the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), the protagonist of the case, this implied repeated congestion, traffic disruptions, inadvertent delays and lack of time for critical maintenance of the tracks. A solution was planned several years ago for creating an alternative path to de-congest the traffic; however, it ran into a roadblock due to land acquisition issues.With all these limitations, could a solution be found and implemented? How could it be executed?The case illustrates how a simple yet innovative solution was proposed by the DRM in 2015 and implemented in 2016.With this case, students will be able to understand the innovation process that is embedded within long-term infrastructure projects. The case will help students understand how innovation can take place even in the later stages of project implementation, and how simple and creative solutions can have a long-term impact. Complexity academic level The case can be used in graduate and executive education courses in General Management and in Public Policy Management. It can also be used in Doctoral-Level Programmes such as those taught to scholars pursuing Fellow Programme in Management. Since the case brings out elements of problem framing and critical thinking, the case can be used for courses in strategic management. Many professionals, particularly those working in large organizations dealing with large infrastructure projects, will identify with the DRM and the challenges faced by him.

Economic assessment of fare revenue of brazilian metro-rail companies

Metro-rail transport is fundamental for urban mobility, and there is a recognition of the need for a subsidy so it can operate efficiently from a social point of view. Thus, this research aims to analyze, through cost functions, the economic viability of fare revenue of metro-rail transport companies. Methodologically, eight companies representing 90% of the passengers transported in the Brazilian metro-rail system were used as references for the capture of costs per passenger and estimation of the mean cost functions per Ordinary Least Squares. The results indicate the possibility of gains with better occupation of the scale and level of efficiency. However, these do not enable operations with the fares practiced by public companies. These results shed light on the management of public fare policies, justifying this research.

A slow-burning crisis: Executive relations and the normalisation of distrust in Northern Ireland's ‘cash for ash’ fiasco

This paper explores relationships between ministers, special advisers and civil servants through the lens of a high-profile government crisis in Northern Ireland (NI). Although political–administrative relationships are a mainstay of public administration research, we still have limited understanding of how these relationships feature and function within the ‘Westminster family’ of governance when operating within devolved institutions or post-conflict societies, nor of their role in crisis. We use Scott’s institutional pillars as an analytical framework and conduct a documentary analysis of public inquiry witness statements to explore the Renewable Heat Incentive crisis which led to the collapse of the NI legislature. Utilising a novel application of existing theory, we demonstrate that the implementation of the devolved, consociational power-sharing model incubated new governance norms, that prioritised and legitimised the agendas and actions of political actors (ministers and special advisers), over civil servants. Specifically, in understanding how relational norms – particularly distrust – feed public policy failure and institutional crisis, our findings contribute to this research area and to the broader public administration field. Government institutional crisis negatively impacts upon public service delivery and the wider health of democracy. Understanding such crises is an important first step in their amelioration. Points for practitioners Structural, systemic and day-to-day behavioural layering of distrust adversely impacts government professionals’ ability to recognise, communicate and respond to risk; this can create policy problems, which can escalate, unchecked, until they have become full-blown crises. In order to proactively mitigate crises in other public policy contexts, managers and teams should build in awareness raising, reflection and management processes to individual and operational performance reviews to improve relational norms, and prevent the normalisation of distrust.

Implementation Of Public Housing Management Policy: A Case Study In Rusunawa Of Cimahi, West Java, Indonesia

Insufficient and affordable vertical housing (rusunawa) availability is still emerging as an alternative option for temporary residence for low-income individuals. Therefore, this study purposes to explore the implementation of Rusunawa management policies managed by local governments in Indonesia. The theoretical framework used to analyze policy implementation is based on Kearns and Lawson's (2008) concept, which examines four factors: 1) the policy itself, 2) implementing agencies, 3) inter-organizational relations, and 4) social and political factors. This research adopts a qualitative case study approach, focusing on three Rusunawa (vertical housing) facilities managed by the Cimahi Government. The data were collected within interviews with 18 respondents using purposeful sampling, employing open-ended questions complemented by observation and analysis of relevant documents. The implications of this research highlight the requirement for public rental housing management policies to consider the income criteria of prospective residents, rental period duration, and budget allocation for expanding the Rusunawa Public Service Unit (PSU), effective communication and information dissemination channels, and improved Rusunawa management practices. The findings underscore the socio-economic factors influencing the beneficiaries of general rental housing policies, along with the budgetary requirements for expanding the Rusunawa PSU, optimizing communication and information channels, and enhancing the overall management of Rusunawa facilities.

The vast relevance of applications of spatial regression models has recently captured the interest of Economics and Agriculture, in the sense of better understanding the spatial behavior of the region under study, in the different forms of approaches. It is interesting to understand why some regions show greater variability than others, and why some forms of regional development are better

There is a steady increase in research on livestock monitoring systems that offer new ways to remotely track the health of the livestock, early predict the diseases that may affect them and intervene in the early stages to save the situation by monitoring the various vital biodata of the livestock, as well as monitoring their feeding and tracking their location to prevent any damage or rustling. In this context, this paper comes in order to highlight and discuss the most recently published articles that study the topic of cattle health monitoring and location tracking systems using advanced IoT sensors. In addition, the research provides a review of the most important software and dashboards available in the market that can be used for this purpose. The research constitutes a reference for researchers in this field and for those who wish to develop similar monitoring systems.

Linear Parks as Urban Commons—Considerations from Mexico City

This article aims to understand, from the conceptual proposal of urban commons, the social processes of use and appropriation of infrastructures developed in the framework of urban sustainability policies in cities of the Global South. Specifically, it is part of the debate on the type of interventions needed to promote non-motorized mobility, based on a case study developed in the Ferrocarril de Cuernavaca, the first linear park built in Mexico City, which is 59 km long and covers several areas of the city. The spaces, actors, and uses of the linear park were documented using a mixed methodology that included participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and systematic image capture using a modification of the SOPARC system. Our fieldwork exposed substantial socioeconomic inequalities within areas intersecting the linear park, in conjunction with a pronounced imbalance of public funding dedicated to its maintenance and enhancement. Regardless of these disparities, we observed an array of diverse uses initiated by urban infrastructure users, adapting the space to cater to their individual requirements, interests, and endeavors. This variability plays a decisive role in shaping the public space management policies in several instances. Based on these results, we stress the necessity of fostering inclusive access to public spaces, as this is a crucial component of urban sustainability.

Pensamiento estratégico en la gestión de políticas públicas en escenarios de alta conflictividad social

One of the main aspects to be taken into account in the planning and design of public policies is foresight, a key word that allows a projection of the present moment to various scenarios whose nature can be pessimistic or optimistic, given the characteristics of government policies whose management and duration can be projected in turn: short, medium or long term. The objective of this article is to describe how strategic thinking acts in the process of public policy management in scenarios of high social conflict. An exposition of the main terms that compose the problem is made in order to develop a descriptive analysis of it. The methodology of the study was of the exploratory-descriptive type in terms of its purposes, since it uses qualitative elements and criteria to measure and analyze the variables of the problem posed. Among the conclusions, the importance of the projection of scenarios when designing public policies of central interest for the State is highlighted, which is why these should be formulated from strategic planning, in which strategic thinking is projected as a guide in the decision-making process in scenarios of high conflict.

Preface

Preface

Creative entrepreneurs and embeddedness in non-urban places: a resource exchange and network embeddedness logic

PurposeDrawing from resource-based theorising, the concept of network embeddedness and a process perspective on entrepreneurship, this paper establishes a conceptual framework to explain a multi-level and multi-locational network embeddedness of creative entrepreneurs in non-urban places. It challenges stylised facts about creative entrepreneurship as a predominantly urban phenomenon.Design/methodology/approachBased upon the conceptual framework for creative entrepreneurship in a non-urban place, an illustrative case study of small-scale creative-design entrepreneurs on the Lofoten Islands in Norway (2019) is utilised to discuss the framework.FindingsThe conceptual paper derives a fine-grained understanding about how creative entrepreneurship emerges and develops in non-urban places and contributes to a better understanding of how such places can nurture such entrepreneurship through multiple network embeddedness and resource-exchange configurations.Research limitations/implicationsThe article will enable further empirical research that tests, validates and, if necessary, refines the framework established.Practical implicationsCreative entrepreneurs should use various resource-exchange combinations with diverse networks to become locally embedded in non-urban places. Public-policy managers need to be aware of this variety that may exist with the network embeddedness of such entrepreneurs to support them and develop the location through resource provisions.Originality/valueThe paper uses an original conceptual framework.

Social work and migration: the Spanish case

ABSTRACT The following article studies the role of the social work profession in Spain with regard to the increasing importance of migratory phenomena in the planning and management of public policies. The objective is to review the academic publications that have been made on this topic from 2016 to 2020 inclusive through a systematic review of the main scientific databases (Web of Science and Scopus). The results of this work provide an overview of the situation and detail the social work topics being researched in the field of immigration, which principally concern women, health and cultural education. The methodology of the articles studied is fundamentally qualitative, although it would be beneficial if more triangulated approaches were carried out. It should also be noted that more than half of the articles analysed do not place the social work professional in a central role. Finally, the study highlights aspects that still need to be covered or improved, which could provide guidance both for the development of future research and for orienting decision-making at the political level.

The possibilities and limits of trade secrets to protect data shared between firms in agricultural and food sectors

Both public policy and business management are increasingly interested in how to manage trade secrets. One of the driving forces is the growing significance of data as an asset, as ‘oil of the 21st century'. Trade secrets are often seen as the major Intellectual Property (IP) tool for protecting data. There is also the understanding that the need to share data is increasing to allow for new types of innovation. This paper seeks to understand how data sharing practices and the use of trade secrets are evolving in the agricultural industries. Using explorative empirical data from four in-depth case studies, the paper develops a framework for data sharing practices, value sharing, and trade secrets use. We find that current data sharing practices pool around two scenarios, where data is not shared or shared only with limited partners (hence closed) and there are differences whether value created from the data is shared. We conclude that a nuanced view on the use of trade secrets in data sharing is mandated for both IP/data managers and scholars analysing the topic.

Efficient parameter tuning of neural foundation models for drug perspective prediction from unstructured socio-medical data

The phenomenal popularity of social media platforms over the past decade has accelerated the development of intelligent applications that leverage social media data for informed decision-making in diverse domains like finance, education, public policy and healthcare management practices. While understanding the colloquial language of users on social media remains a challenging problem, access to users’ medical perspectives that conversationally divulge healthcare-related experiences and insights can help reshape healthcare ecosystems like chronic disease management, pandemics, public health, pharmacovigilance and more. Most existing models are constrained to a particular dataset while neglecting model adaptability across data sources and domains. Model generalization across variable data sizes also has received very little research attention. Conventional foundation models can be fine-tuned by adding additional model heads or by appending contributing network layers, however, there has been very little focus on effective parameter calibration for adapting neural foundation models to a specific task. In this study, an Adaptive Learning mechanism for Socio-Medical data (AL4SM) built on generic foundation neural models with efficient parameter learning is proposed, to categorize users’ perspectives on prescription drug-related experiences and adapt to diverse socio-medical data sources of variable sizes. AL4SM aims to lighten the over-parameterized mechanisms adopted by existing foundational techniques by efficiently learning latent medical information based on optimized parameter calibration and weight reinitialization techniques. Comprehensive cross-domain and cross-data analyses are undertaken to explore specific user perspectives related to prescription effectiveness and side effects. Validation experiments conducted on standard datasets obtained from Drugs.com and Druglib.com revealed that the proposed AL4SM outperformed state-of-the-art models, achieving an improvement of 6.06% in accuracy and 7.62% in F1-score for 3-class and 2% in F1-score for 10-class drug perspective categorization. The cross-data experiments further emphasized the superiority of the proposed model, with improved accuracy of 17% on Drugs.com and 9% on Druglib.com datasets, respectively.

Shark bycatch of the acoupa weakfish, Cynoscion acoupa (Lacèpede, 1801), fisheries of the Amazon Shelf

In recent years, the populations of many shark species have been depleted drastically around the world. In the present study, we analyzed the shark bycatch in the monthly landing data of the acoupa weakfish (Cynoscion acoupa) gillnet fisheries of the state of Pará, on the northern coast of Brazil, between January 1995 and December 2007. Based on 4,659 landings, we estimated that a total of 1,972.50 tons of shark were taken as bycatch during the study period. The acoupa weakfish fisheries operate on the Amazon Shelf, an important fishing ground, and we analyzed the shark landings in relation to the Amazon River Discharge anomaly (ARD) and the climatic variability in the Atlantic Ocean. We applied cross-correlation, cross-wavelet, wavelet coherence, and redundancy analysis techniques to the analysis of the data time series. The shark bycatch landings peaked between 1998 and 2000, a period associated with an increase in fishing effort by the acoupa weakfish fisheries, in particular during the dry season of the Amazon basin. The cross-correlation analysis indicated that shark landings were associated with Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs), the characteristics of the wind, and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), while the fishing effort of the acoupa weakfish fisheries was associated with the meridional wind component, the AMO, and the ARD. The cross-wavelet and coherence wavelet analyses indicated that environmental variability was linked systematically with shark landings and acoupa weakfish fishing effort. We observed a phase change in this signal between 1998 and 2000, due to a strong and persistent La Niña event. Despite the resistance from the fishing industry, development and deployment of devices designed to reduce bycatch should be incentivized in order to reduce the unintentional capture of endangered species such as sharks. The findings of the present study highlight the importance of a continuous and accurate fishery database, and the need for continuous fishery statistics to ensure adequate management practices. Adequate public fishery management policies must be implemented urgently to guarantee the survival of shark species, with the effective participation of all the actors involved in the process, including managers, researchers, and fishers.

A Systematic Review of Social Media and Government in the Social Science Discipline

The technical viewpoint recognises the critical role of information and communication technology as a driving force in our time. The importance of public policy management in the environment of public service institutions and regional commands is investigated from the standpoint of public administration and the use of social media. Academics need to map out ideas about how social media and government interact. This research aims to see the important themes or issues raised by scholars in social media and their government articles. What are the comprehensive factors that influence the use of social media in government circles? The research method used was a literature review on social media and government by reviewing journal articles on social media and government published in Scopus as data-based and processed using the NVivo 12 Plus analysis tool. The results of this study reveal five significant problems between social media and the government. These problems include digital difficulties, policies, information, communication, and politics. This research also gave birth to social media and government, which must take the form of digital activism; secondly, access to information disseminated by the government through social media; and third, administrative communication, which looks at how ideas are offered via social media to the government. Fourth, to achieve social media and government goals, it is necessary to demonstrate ethical and political behaviour, formulate policies following those goals, and then evaluate those policies through the implementation of rules or laws.

Public Policy Management in Determining the Feasibility of the Smart City Project in Malang, Indonesia

Public Policy Management in Determining the Feasibility of the Smart City Project in Malang, Indonesia

Managing common resources in Gilgit-Baltistan: a case of Markhor trophy hunt

Learning outcomes 1. What are public goods? What are the defining characteristics of public goods?2. What is special about managing common resources like Markhors/Ibex (and other rare species)? What is the free rider problem?3. How the incentives-based system works?4. What are the consequences of Community Trophy Hunt Program (CTHP) in Pakistan? Learning objectives Learning objectives are as follows:1. applying new approaches to manage common resources;2. understanding the various types of goods that society needs for its material progress;3. understanding the challenges associated with the management of common resources because of their particular nature; and4. understanding the need for incentive-based engagement in the management of public policies at the community level. Case overview/synopsis Management of shared resources is challenging. This case uses the problem of a forest officer who was given the task of managing the animal population of the region. The primary focus of the case is common resources and how it can be managed through incentive-based system. The case demonstrates how individual actions have external effects. These external effects are sometimes good for the community, but sometimes, they are bad. Many desirable outcomes require social cooperation, but they cannot be achieved because individual self-interest dominates collective well-being, the issue called Prisoners' Dilemma. Gulnar (the fictional forest officer) was convinced about the potential of managing common resources by means of a CTHP in the Gilgit–Baltistan region (in Pakistan). The CTHP provided not just environmental benefits but also substantial social and economic benefits to the local community. The financial gains from the initiative can be used in community projects that help locals become less reliant on their natural environment, create more space for wildlife and enhance the quality of life for people. Complexity academic level BS (Hons.) Economics, MS Economics (Public Policy), MBA (Business Economics) Supplementary materials Supplementary materials teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 4: Environmental Management

Management for Alleviating Poverty Among Fishermen Through Empowering Female Fishermen in North Kalimantan

Research related to poverty alleviation models for fishermen has been widely carried out. However, models involving female fishermen have not been thoroughly investigated. This article explores the public policy management model in alleviating poverty in fishermen by involving female fishermen. In this study, the researchers employed the descriptive-qualitative method with a documentation study by reviewing the results of relevant previous studies. The collected data were analyzed using an inductive approach to social phenomena related to female fishermen. Results showed that: (1) poverty in fishermen was caused by the low monthly income, the use of traditional fishing gear, the lack of corporate effort, and the low level of education of fishermen; (2) the ineffectiveness of poverty alleviation policies, among others, were caused by inaccurate program targets, being not in line with objectives, administrative problems, resource problems, misuse of assistance, the lack of socialization, inaccuracies of data, the low commitment of program participants, education level of program participants, low community participation, and lack of technical performance of program management; and (3) the right model for alleviating poverty in fishermen with the concept of women’s empowerment is through business development in the form of the establishment of cooperatives for female fishermen. Therefore, affirmative action is needed for the management of the cooperatives so that these female fishermen can manage their businesses more efficiently and productively through an empowerment model by collaborating with local governments, universities, and private sectors/companies. The local government may provide a series of training and assistance for the management of the cooperative, while the private sector reinforces managerial, production, and marketing aspects. Furthermore, universities can implement their Tri Dharma of higher education by helping the government and cooperatives managed by female fishermen, thereby improving the fishermen’s family economy.
 Keywords: Poverty, Women’s Empowerment, Collaboration.

Association of public policy on the management of secondary schools in Kwara State, Nigeria

This study examined the association between public policy and the management of secondary schools in Kwara State. The research design adopted for this study was the descriptive research design of survey type. The population for the study was 523 principals in Kwara State secondary schools, and a purposive sampling technique was used to select 333 principals. The instrument used for this study was a researcher-designed questionnaire. The reliability of the instrument was tested using the test-retest method within an interval of four weeks. The data collected was analyzed using Cronbach’s alpha. The analysis of the collected data was done, and a reliability coefficient of 0.84 was obtained. Pearson product moment correlation was used to analyze the hypotheses raised for this study at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings of this study revealed that there was a positive significant relationship between public policy and academic planning (R-value 0.140, p-value = 0.017); between public policy and financial management (R-value 0.140, p-value = 0.023); between public policy and record keeping (R-value 0.140, p-value = 0.021); and between public policy and discipline (R-value 0.140, p-value = 0.015). This study recommended, among others, that school administrators and managers should always be guided by the policy and laid-down rules in decision-making and ensuring effective implementation of policies guiding school management.

Determinants of Public Health Personnel Spending in Spain.

Public health is funded with government funds gathered from tax revenues, whether national, provincial or municipal. The health system therefore suffers during economic crisis periods, whether due to disinvestment, loss of purchasing power among health care personnel or the decrease in the number of professionals. This worsens the situation, as it is necessary to cover the needs of an increasingly elderly population and with a longer life expectancy at birth. The present study intends to show a model which explains the determination of the "Public Health Personnel Expenditure" in Spain for a determined period. A multiple linear regression model was applied to the period including the years 1980-2021. Macroeconomic and demographic variables were analyzed to explain the dependent variable. Variation in health personnel expenditure: "We included those variables which presented a high or very high correlation above r > 0.6. The variables which explain the behavior of Variation in health personnel expenditure". It was a determining factor in the present study to consider that the variables with the greatest repercussions on health policy were mainly macroeconomic variables rather than demographic variables, with the only significant demographic variable that had a specific weight lower than macroeconomic variables being "Birth Rate". In this sense, the contribution made to the scientific literature is to establish an explanatory model so that public policy managers and states in particular can consider it in their public spending policies, bearing in mind that health expenditures in a Beveridge-style health system, as Spain has, are paid with funds drawn from tax revenues.

Social Sustainability Orientation and Supply Chain Performance in Mexico, Colombia and Chile: A Social-Resource-Based View (SRBV)

The global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us the importance of reflecting on the essential resources and capabilities that enable companies to react to disruptions. In this regard, studies have shown that social sustainability is a crucial resource for the operational performance of supply chains in emerging contexts. Although the literature has responded to the call for research on the social dimension of sustainability in emerging economies, most research has focused on emerging Asia, leaving a void in Latin America. Two socially focused frameworks are used to address the ontological challenge of defining sustainable human well-being around the firm. Amartya Sen’s capabilities approach and the theoretical extension of the Social-Resource-Based View (SRBV) are appropriate to address social sustainability under two essential aspects: (1) the firm as a generator of social performance and (2) social sustainability as a generator of firm performance. This paper aims to analyze the predictive capacity of Social Sustainability Orientation on social performance and supply chain operational performance in the context of emerging Latin America, with representative cases from Mexico, Colombia, and Chile. The methodology was empirical–statistical and based on a structured questionnaire applied to 217 purchasing managers of large multisector companies (Mx n = 64, Co n = 100, and Cl n = 53). Hypotheses were tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show the intrasample and extrasample predictive ability of Social Sustainability Orientation on social and Supply Chain Performance. It is concluded that socially sustainable culture and investment orientation is a valuable resource that provides the capability for Latin supply chain welfare and operational performance. A call is made to procurement and public policy managers to disseminate and care for the social aspects of sustainability as a resource that enhances business competitiveness and social justice in the Latin American region.