Parent Ministries Research Articles

The Role of Stakeholders in Supporting Student Services in Higher Education in Cambodia

A major policy change was made in 1997 when the Royal Government of Cambodia began to privatize higher education institutions (HEIs). As a result of this reform, there were 189 HEIs in 2024, up significantly from just 8 in the late 1990s. To uphold and ensure the quality of higher education, the Accreditation Committee of Cambodia was established in 2003 as a formal legal mechanism for accreditation. Student Service is essential for improving higher education quality and students’ learning outcomes. Student Services was the fifth of nine standard criteria used to assess the quality of higher education in Cambodia. However, researchers and relevant higher education sectors have not yet shown interest in the student service area in the higher education system in Cambodia. This qualitative research study aims to explore stakeholders involved in supporting student services in higher education in Cambodia. The semi-structured interview was deployed with a purposive sampling of ten key informants from relevant institutions. This interview was in a face-to-face format. The key finding of this research revealed that seven stakeholders support student service in Cambodia's higher education. They are parent ministry, industry and community, development partner, higher education institutions, parent and guardians, religion, and student and alumni. Based on the findings, enhancing and maintaining student service quality requires the involvement of all stakeholders, high commitment, cohesive cooperation, and the upholding of student interests. Particularly, higher education institutions (HEIs) should prioritize creating a supportive environment that facilitates seamless student service processes.

Analysis of Current Management Strategies on Business Operations of Two State Enterprises

The study sought to establish how effective were the business management strategies currently being used by two state enterprises in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development namely, the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) and the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA). The study was prompted by the negative media reports and the complaints from key stakeholders about the operations of these institutions. The main theory underpinning the study was the Resource-Based Entrepreneurship theory (RBET) by Hussain et al. (2019) complimented by the organisation theory (Oyibo and Gabriel, 2020). The pragmatism philosophy was applied to ensure that both quantitative and qualitative aspects of study were accommodated. The study used the mixed methods paradigm and the explanatory sequential design. The target population was made up of 97 managers from both the GMB and the ZINWA, as well as government officials from the parent ministry from which a sample of 46 respondents was used to obtain quantitative data responses. A self -administered structured questionnaire and semi-structured interview guide were used. The major findings were that the two parastatals had several strategies which if fully utilised could improve their operations such as outsourcing some non-key services, holding of regular meetings to get updates on the economic activities which might impact on the entities and working with reputable partners to build business growth. The major recommended strategies are that both parastatals should conduct research to facilitate innovation and development, creating and enforcing prudent and transparent financial management systems, adoption of sound corporate governance framework (practices), as well as carrying out organisational restructuring, nurturing appropriate organisational culture and having effective performance management systems.

Navigating conflicting expectations in addressing healthcare scarcity: a q-methodology study on the Dutch National Health Care Institute.

In many European countries, semi-autonomous agencies have been created in health policy to safeguard general public interests. In executing their tasks, these agencies need to deal with conflicting expectations. Particularly avoiding the risk of regulatory capture and aligning with parent ministries are frequently studied challenges, even more so when complex issues such as scarcity are at stake. In this paper, we use q-methodology to provide a thorough overview of the debate regarding the role of an important agency in the Dutch healthcare system; the National Health Care Institute (Zorginstituut Nederland). We conducted 41 q-interviews with agency employees, evaluators, regulatees, ministry employees, health policy experts, members of its advisory committees, and peer agencies. We identify three viewpoints on what the agency should focus on. These are on societally relevant issues, strict package management, and efficient organisation of care. In doing so, our study shows how agencies are pulled in different directions by conflicting expectations. We show that this can be problematic because it complicates a clear role of the agency that allows addressing such issues. We thereby contribute to theories on agencies' complex relations with their external environment such as regulatory capture, tripartism, reflexive regulation, legal boundaries, and stewardship theory.

Challenges in Integrating Demographic Variables into Local Government Authorities’ Development Plans

This paper examines the Challenges in Integrating Demographic Variables into Local Government Authorities’ Development plans in Chemba and Mpwapwa district councils. The study population was LGA’s development planning officers. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design in which both qualitative and quantitative data from planning officers were collected. Descriptive statistics (Univariate analysis) was done to explore the characteristics and distribution of respondents presented in frequencies and percentages. Cross-tabulation with chi-square (χ2) test tested the association of variables at a 0.05 (95%) significance level. The study findings revealed that LGA planning officers face several challenges in integrating population variables into development plans. Such challenges are Institutional-based (Scarcity of data, lack of political commitment to the goal, limited access to computing facilities, and inadequacy of statistical sources. Resource-based (Unclear relevance of the move among development planners, Continuing discussions on the best ways can use population data in development planning, Lack of clear understanding of demographic variables that can be integrated into the development plans in different sectors, Inadequate conceptualization and understanding of the operation and effects of population variables, lack of sufficient expertise to prepare needed projection inputs). Planning process based (Bureaucratic structures of centralized planning offices; create a barrier between planners and the public) Relying on secondary data from socio-economic profiles, too many directives (central government priories).Technical-based (unclear approaches of integrating population issues into development plans, lack of appropriate methodology, lack of planning and projection techniques, missing manual on the methodology, inadequate research into the many facets of the demographic processes and of their interrelations with other social and economic processes. The chi-square (2) test of the findings revealed no significant (P>0.05) statistical variation by LGAs on the faced challenges in integrating population variables into development plans. The study concludes that institutional setup, resource constraints, the nature of the planning process, and some technical issues affect LGA’s in coming up with effective and comprehensive development plans that cope with the area-specific aging population. The findings require the LGAs to consider putting more effort into the reliable sources of data, knowledge, and skills of planners, planning tools, and planning approaches in order to come up with good and realistic development plans that foster increasing local economic growth and improve the living standard of people; that slow down youth rural-urban migration due to low economic efficiency in their places of origin. The study recommends that LGAs in collaboration with the parent Ministry have to design the means of curbing the encountered planning challenges including improving awareness and sources of data for planning purposes, reviewing the planning approach by making it rather horizontal and comprehensive instead of being vertical from central government policies because obstacles and opportunities for development are area specific, and planners should get acquainted with methodologies for integrating population variables into development plans.

Organizational Culture and Strategy Implementation in Kenya Government Tourism Agencies

Purpose: The main aim of this study was to examine the influence of organizational culture on strategy implementation in Kenya Government Tourism Agencies.
 Materials and Methods: The study used a positivist approach research philosophy. The research designs employed in this study were explanatory and descriptive research designs. The study population comprised of the tourism industry. The study included the ministry of tourism itself since it is the parent ministry that regulates and oversees the operations of the tourism agencies to give a total of 10 areas of study. A sample of 327 was achieved based on the following formula. This study used primary data. The study used questionnaires and interview guides to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. Quantitative data was analyzed through scientific methods using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS version 22) while qualitative data was analyzed thematically. The descriptive statistics was first used to analyze the demographic factors of the respondents using frequencies and charts. Inferential statistics such as correlation and multiple linear regression analysis were used to test the relationship among the variables as per the study hypothesis.
 Findings: The culture of an organization was found to play a critical role in implementation of strategies and consequently realizations of set objectives and profits in organizations. Organizational norms, ethics, employee training and organizational climate are very key in achieving success while implementing strategies.
 Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: It is recommended that organizations (tourism industry) create strategy implementation promoting culture, culture of timeliness, innovative culture, ethics and one which promotes team spirit. These aspects of culture need to be reinforced and strengthened to ensure implementation of strategies is smooth and quick enough. This study thus bridges the gap between theory and practice, offering a nuanced understanding of the interplay between organizational culture and strategy implementation in a critical sector for Kenya's economy.

Contribution of Organizational Structure on Strategy Implementation in Kenya Government Tourism Agencies

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the contribution of organizational structure on strategy implementation in Kenya government tourism agencies.
 Methodology: The study used a positivist approach research philosophy. The research designs employed in this study were explanatory and descriptive research designs. The study population comprised of the tourism industry. The study included the ministry of tourism itself since it is the parent ministry that regulates and oversees the operations of the tourism agencies to give a total of 10 areas of study. A sample of 327 was achieved based on the following formula. This study used primary data. The study used questionnaires and interview guides to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. Quantitative data was analyzed through scientific methods while qualitative data was analyzed thematically. The descriptive statistics was first used to analyze the demographic factors of the respondents using frequencies and charts. Inferential statistics such as correlation and multiple linear regression analysis were used to test the relationship among the variables as per the study hypothesis.
 Findings: The structure of an organization was found to have significant effect on the realization of objectives and profits in an organization. The organizational functions and targets, the structure of employee learning and growth and systems of communications have an influence on how organizations achieve their objectives and their profits. Culture also has been found to play its critical role in implementation of strategies and consequently realizations of set objectives and profits in organizations. Organizational norms, ethics, employee training and organizational climate are very key in achieving success while implementing strategies.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: To effectively implement strategies in the tourism industry, the organizational structures need to have lines of communication, simple layer of reporting, flexible structure and good systems which ensure quick decision making in organizations.

Inclusive early childhood education practices for ECD learners with intellectual and learning disabilities: The ecological systems theory as a framework for a participatory action research

The purpose of the study was to probe whether the inclusive education practices at Early Childhood Development (ECD) adequately prepared learners for primary school. The study was conducted at a private primary school in Harare, Zimbabwe using a participatory action research design. Data were generated from interviews with key informants, participant and non-participant observations, as well as from document analyses. Our results showed that although the private school was open to inclusion and was well resourced for it, challenges emerged which were as a result of inadequate teacher training practices, and the lack of collaboration between the school and the parent ministry. It was also found that learners with severe learning disabilities were not adequately catered for. We concluded that there was a need for more support from government for inclusion to succeed. The teacher training colleges were not offering adequate practical modules to prepare teachers, and the schools could also do more to capacitate teachers for inclusion. The recommendations made should help the government and school administrators to improve the quality of early childhood education for learners with intellectual and learning disabilities.

Institutional geography: effects of physical distance on agency autonomy

Establishing government agencies outside ministerial departments is frequently justified by a need to safeguard agency autonomy. In addition to ‘formal agencification’, that is, erecting formal barriers between agencies and ministries, agencies are also frequently (re)located physically distant from ministries to both signal and strengthen agency autonomy. However, we know little of the effects of physical location and distance on agency autonomy. Using two large surveys from 2006 and 2016, this study examines how geographical location and distance affect agency autonomy. Our study establishes that agency autonomy is only weakly associated with physical location and distance, and is much less important than political salience. Whereas a conventional claim is that agency autonomy may be strengthened by physically (re)locating agencies at arm's length distance from the core executive, our study suggests that physical (re)location represents an ineffective administrative policy design-tool when applied to agency autonomy. Points for practitioners Physical distance between agencies and parent ministries is only remotely associated with agency autonomy. Physical location thus represents an ineffective design-tool if the purpose is to increase agency autonomy

Effects of Internal Control Weaknesses, Financial Independence and Size on Quality of Financial Statements in the Tanzanian Local Government Authorities

This study examines the relationship between internal control weaknesses (ICWs), independence, and size on the quality of financial statements of local government authorities (LGAs) in Tanzania. The analysis is based on data from a large sample of LGAs’ financial statements for four years from FY 2010/11 to FY 2013/14. The study employed logistic regression to examine whether ICWs (fraud prevention plan, risk management, accounting system, and IT controls), financial independence, and size of LGAs determine financial statement errors/restatements in the LGAs. The study shows that large and financially dependent LGAs with accounting system ICWs are more likely to have lower financial statement quality. However, other ICWs (IT controls, fraud prevention, and risk management) results were insignificant. These results may be attributed to the level of compliance and implementation of the parent ministry’s directives among LGAs. Therefore, practitioners and policymakers should ensure that LGAs not only adopt directives/policies but also fully comply and implement with their requirements as well as build financial management capacity to increase LGAs’ financial independence.

Happily unaccountable? Perceptions of accountability by public managers

This paper opens up the black box of agencies’ accountability relationships and zooms in on their top managers and the perceptions of accountability thereof. So far, very few studies have examined how agency managers perceive and experience attempts to control the public sector organizations that they manage. The paper seeks to address this gap through a focus on “felt” accountability, denoting (1) a manager’s (more or less high) expectation to have to explain substantive decisions to a parent department perceived, (2) to have (more or less) the expertise, and (3) to be (more or less) in a legitimate position to assess those decisions. We empirically explore in two steps (using quantitative and qualitative data) agencies’ felt accountability to the parent department in Switzerland, which presents a puzzling case of relatively low accountability according to a survey of agency managers in seven established democracies (Australia, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom). Our findings point to the differences between regulatory and non-regulatory agencies and show that the former’s perception of being weakly accountable largely stems from the passive attitude of the parent ministry as official accountability forum. Agency managers interpret this attitude as a manifestation of respect for the agencies’ independence, but also as a consequence of the forum’s lack of time and expertise. In some cases, the parent ministry is not even considered to be the relevant accountability forum, suggesting that this accountability relationship is just one facet of the accountability regime in which agencies are embedded.

Dynamics of agency governance: Evidence from the Nuclear safety sector

Public organizations are compound bodies characterized by competing endogenous dynamics of governance. This study makes two main contributions. First, it contributes to an organizational approach to studies of public policy and administration by conceptualizing compound agency governance. Second, by determining how variation in agency governance reflects endogenous organizational factors. Based on a study of the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA), two observations are highlighted: Firstly, DSA staff are torn between two competing behavioural logics: A governmental and a transnational logic. Moreover, portfolios of core state powers are more closely monitored by parent ministries than portfolios that relate to non-core state powers. Secondly, the study suggests that organizational factors are vital determents in balancing behavioral logics in agency governance.

Will what is measured be used? An analysis of performance management systems in Pakistani state organizations

PurposeWith performance as a core theme of public sector reforms, this article explores performance management systems in inter-organizational settings while testing the effect of performance measurement on its use for accountability and control. Using economic neo-institutional perspective in a hierarchical context with turbulent political history, the article investigates the variations in the use of performance information in inter-institutional settings across different legal categories of state organizations.Design/methodology/approachThe performance management framework of Van Dooren et al. (2010) is employed as the basis for this research that explains the link between performance measurement and use. To explore the management of performance in Pakistan, the survey data was collected in 2018; after two democratic governments completed their tenures.FindingsThe research indicated a lower extent of performance measurement and use by the parent ministries in the democratic regimes. This finding adds to the implications of economic institutional theory in a politically turbulent context, where political actors place less emphasis on performance and more emphasis on procedures. It was confirmed that the ministries use the measured performance information for accountability and control on the results, but the moderating role of legal categories in the performance framework did not get confirmation.Originality/valueThe article empirically tests the performance management framework from a Western context in a developing country that has not been discussed frequently in the performance management systems literature.

How Creating Semiautonomous Agencies Affects Staff Satisfaction

Structural reforms such as the creation of autonomous agencies are a widely heralded solution for a multitude of problems in the public sector. These reforms have effects on public employees. This article shows how the structural disaggregation of ministries into autonomous agencies affects staff satisfaction with the organization. The article discusses three cases, where Dutch public organizations were either disaggregated from a ministry or reaggregated to the ministry. These structural reforms constitute a quasiexperimental setting where effects on agency staff and parent ministry staff are compared. In one case, creating the agency led to a decrease in staff satisfaction with the organization as compared to the staff that remained within the ministry. A second case showed that these negative effects linger and can last for more than eight years. An inverse organizational change—reaggregation—caused inverse effects: increasing satisfaction with the organization.

Balancing financial autonomy and control in agencification

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the practices of financial autonomy and control the emerging issue of agencification in the higher education sector.Design/methodology/approachThe practices are investigated using case studies from seven semi-autonomous state universities in Indonesia. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 17 respondents including university officials, policymakers, and experts. The interview results were analysed using an inductive-deductive approach.FindingsThis research highlights an unstable balance between financial autonomy and control practices in the universities. Autonomy supports agencification mainly by simplifying financial procedures and control is seen by university managers to be overemphasised compared to in the other state universities. Despite successes in introducing a business-like atmosphere within bureaucratic universities, questions about balancing financial autonomy and control remain.Research limitations/implicationsThe small number of cases implies limited generalisability. The two characteristics used, size and parent ministries do not represent all university variabilities.Practical implicationsAgencification has become a key reform practice for state universities. Rather than using a “one size fits all” approach, the government needs a repertoire of models for these institutions.Originality/valueThis study provides empirical evidence of agencification in the higher education sector with an emphasis on the financial dimension of autonomy and control in a developing country setting.

Las agencias públicas en España: tensiones entre autonomía y rendición de cuentas

This article contributes to our understanding of the autonomy, control and management of public agencies in Spain, based on managers’ perceptions of their financial and operational capacities as well as their mechanisms of accountability. Its findings derive from the opinions of senior officials of Spanish public agencies, gathered through a survey conducted between July and November 2013. The survey is modeled on an international collaborative project (COBRA) that aims to analyze the processes of agencification among public administrations in different countries. The results of this study suggest that managers of Spanish public agencies enjoy a high level of autonomy. The results additionally show that agencies perceived as more autonomous tend to be more accountable towards their respective parent ministries. The study thus conclude that the implementation of the public agency model has not reduced the level of accountability and transparency of public administration in Spain, but, on the contrary, has contributed to encouraging the emergence of a new public manager profile more concerned about the importance of being accountable for its activities.

Contribution of enterprise risk management and internal audit function towards quality of financial reporting in universities in a developing country

Quality of financial reporting is limited to issues of compliance to statutory provisions under which state enterprises in Zimbabwe operate, usefulness of the reports produced and their impact on the national fiscus. It is thus measured by way of compliance to these expectations and is indicated by way of a disclosure index signifying the presence of each of the expected aspects. This study therefore sought to establish the contribution of enterprise risk management and internal audit function towards the quality of financial reporting in universities in Zimbabwe. The study adopted a desktop analysis where relevant literature was reviewed. Quality of internal audit function was found to influence quality of financial reporting in that the strength, or quality, of the IAF will contribute to a distinctly different control environment depending on the strength of the good corporate governance in the university. Findings of this desktop research have undoubtedly revealed the gaps in the governance processes in state universities and it is envisaged that a careful analysis of these lacunas will provide a guide in the development of strategies and policy that strengthen state enterprise governance processes. It is hoped that this will help the parent ministry in charge of state enterprises, and, the relevant management of specific state enterprises to determine the magnitude of resources and efforts for implementation of efficient and effective enterprise risk management, internal audit function and corporate governance systems.

Why Do Autonomous Public Agencies Use Performance Management Techniques? Revisiting the Role of Basic Organizational Characteristics

Why Do Autonomous Public Agencies Use Performance Management Techniques? Revisiting the Role of Basic Organizational Characteristics

One Scandinavian approach to management by objectives and results?


 This article details a comparative study of Management By Objectives And Results (MBOR) in three different tasks, Prison and Probation Services, Food safety and Meteorology, in central government in the three Scandinavian countries, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The article examines differences and similarities in the design and use of MBOR across the countries (within each of the different tasks), and within each of the three countries (across the three tasks). The empirical basis comprises case studies in nine agencies and their parent ministry, carried out in 2010-2011. The article shows a range of differences as well as similarities in MBOR across the countries and tasks studied. Important factors at state-level as well as agency level such as the political-administrative structure and the measurability of tasks affect the design and use of MBOR. Although patterns can be discerned, the patterns are now and then quite complex. The findings point to the importance of the national and organisational context in which MBOR is implemented. The implication hereof is, that it is important to consider how the specific context, in which a MBOR system is implemented, will affect the system, and which consequences it will have.

Accountability and Performance Management: The Norwegian Hospital, Welfare, and Immigration Administration

This article addresses the following questions: How are administrative and managerial accountability combined, and to what extent does it depend on agency characteristics? We study the performance management between parent ministries and five state agencies in Norway in the area of hospital administration, welfare administration, and immigration. Four combinations of administrative and managerial accountability are examined: accumulation, substitution, persistence, and absence by applying a structural and a task specificity perspective. To understand the hybrid forms of public accountability in performance management, we have to look at how the tasks agencies perform as well as at their structural affiliations to parent ministries.

The Implications of Centre-local Relations on Service Delivery in Local Authorities in Zimbabwe: The Case of Chitungwiza

The area of centre-local relations in local government is a contemporary and topical debate in Zimbabwe. It was on this background that the research on centre-local relations was undertaken with a view to assessing the implications of service delivery in Chitungwiza Municipality (CM). The views of different authorities on centre-local relations were reviewed to further analyse the implications of centre-local relations on service delivery in municipalities. The study triangulated different data collection methods such as key informant interviews, documentary search, in-depth interviews, observation and survey to obtain detailed data on the state of centre-local relations and its implications on service delivery in CM. The findings of the study revealed that centre-local relations between the Ministry of Local Government and the CM are highly centralised. The parent ministry retains overall powers and control over the municipality. The Minister who is supposed to play a strategic role in policy formulation and implementation is involved in the day to day running of the municipality leaving little room for elected councillors and residents in general to determine their own destiny. It has been established that centre-local relations that are supposed to foster independence and autonomy of the municipality has turned into a master-subordinate relationship that has negatively affected service delivery. The study concluded that hyper-centralised governance relations are hindering effective service delivery in the municipality. This has been evidenced by erratic water supply, potholed roads, poor refuse collection and bursting of sewer pipes. The study recommends that the central government through the Ministry of Local Government must grant the municipality more autonomy as a measure of improving service delivery.