Public Administration Organizations Research Articles

Public Policy Analysis on the Required Administration of Mountainous Areas in Turkey

Turkey is a mountainous country. 50% of Turkey's territory is located at an altitude of 1000 meters and 2/3 of it is located at an altitude of 500 meters and above. The percentage of mountainous areas in the total of Turkish lands is 74.6%. How aware is the administration of the mountains that bring multi-faceted and strategic meaning to the geographical structure of Turkey? Mountains need to be subjects of public policies. Yet they have not been regulated by law so far. What are the reasons behind this? Human beings must first design the spatial environment in which they live. This principle should be linked to the need for an effective administration planning of mountains. However, unfortunately even the word "mountain" does not clearly appear in the public policies of our country. These policies only focus on resources that are categorized as above-ground and underground. Administrative strategy of mountainous areas is not included in space analyses. It is also a security policy requirement to create basic public policies around the mountain in a multifaceted way, not by hiding mountain area administration under the title of any natural resource, but by handling it separately so that it is obvious within the goals of sustainable community development. Due to the characteristics of the mountains, international interest in the subject is also gradually increasing. 11th of December has been annually celebrated as the “International Mountain Day” since 2002. The ecological resilience of nature related to the existence of valuable resources also corresponds to the resilience of societies against all kinds of threats, especially against climate changes. The world now evaluates countries in terms of how they can manage these resources not just in terms of which goods and resources they have. It is important to make a distinction between the administration of mountainous areas within the public administration organization and the rural activities and to highlight the uniqueness of this type of administration. Public policies on mountains and administration of mountainous areas should rapidly be established in Turkey. In order to find balance between usage and protection, it is crucial to utilize the skills of developing scientific design strategies, objectively analyzing and interpreting and switching to new organizations and methods that are up-to-date. This paper focuses on the need for creating public policies regarding mountainous areas and proposes a model for these policies.

Public administration – legal regulations and its division and organization

In etymological terms, administration refers to activities performed in a permanent manner, aimed at achieving various goals and results. The Latin phrases ministrō and ministrāre mean: "to serve", "to perform" and "to manage", while the phrase minister refers to a person serving and performing. The use of the preposition ad should be interpreted in this context as directed activity - the equivalent of the Polish prefix "do", and therefore the expression ad ministro can be described as "directing" and "governing". The science of administrative law, just like the science of administration, provides that certain properties can be assigned to administration without defining it. It is such a complex phenomenon in itself that defining it is very difficult or even impossible. The same applies to individual forms of administration. Legal regulations were analyzed, including systemic ones related to the place, role and organization of public administration in Poland.

Job demands and resources perceived by hybrid working employees in German public administration: a qualitative study

BackgroundHybrid working arrangements that combine remote and office work are on the rise. Although hybrid work has been associated with mental health benefits in employees, challenges in the transformation to hybrid persist particularly in public administration organizations which have been connected to a pronounced culture of presence and inadequate technical infrastructure. Further evidence on the link between hybrid working conditions and employee health is needed. To support the establishment of healthy hybrid working conditions, this study aims to identify employees' job demands, resources and support needs in public administration.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with N = 13 employees who work hybrid in public administration organizations in Northern Germany between February and May 2023. Interviewees were asked about their perceived job demands, resources, and support needs in hybrid work. The data was analyzed in a deductive-inductive approach of qualitative content analysis, primarily supported by the job demands-resources model as a theoretical framework.ResultsSeveral job demands, e.g., an increase in work and meetings, and resources such as personal freedom and responsibility, were identified in the context of hybrid work. A multitude of the reported job resources and demands relate to work organization and social relationships. The results disclose discrepancies between participants' experiences of job demands and resources, underlining the subjectivity of employees' perceptions of hybrid working conditions. Interviewees' support needs for hybrid work also varied, encompassing structural-level aspects such as increased acceptance and promotion of hybrid work in the organization as well as behavioral-level aspects, for instance, strategies and self-discipline for boundaries and structure.ConclusionsThis study provides a first comprehensive overview of the job demands, resources and support needs in hybrid work in public administration. This study builds an important basis for further research to understand the impact of hybrid working conditions on health-related employee outcomes. The identified support needs provide a valuable point of reference for health-promoting hybrid working conditions which public administration employers should begin establishing as early as possible in the ongoing transition to hybrid work.

Reestructuración en la organización del poder judicial del estado de Paraíba, Brasil: Un análisis de los discursos de los actores jurídicos a la luz del principio de eficiencia

With the recent financial crises and the lack of resources faced by the State, its branches, and various entities have been promoting a restructuring of their administrative organization. In this scenario, the State Judiciary of Paraíba (TJPB) was no exception. It had to adopt internal measures to navigate this situation, particularly the public policy of closing courthouses scattered throughout the State. To address these issues, this work aimed to analyze and assess this restructuring in light of the constitutional principle of efficiency, while also addressing the main social implications such measures could cause, especially concerning the constitutional principles of broad judicial protection and the dignity of the human person. Based on important legal scholars, the theoretical framework covered essential topics for understanding the issue, such as the basic organization of the Brazilian public administration and the constitutional principles applicable to public administration. The methodology used was descriptive, qualitative, and bibliographic, also employing the method of argumentation analysis from the New Rhetoric theory. In the discussion of the topic, the reasons justifying the closure of courthouses by the judiciary were made explicit, as well as the reasons and counterarguments expressed by civil society entities that criticized these measures based on the social impacts they will cause. Thus, it became evident that administrative measures cannot apply the principle of efficiency solely through technical or quantitative perspectives but must also weigh social consequences as relevant criteria.

Management of IT projects of public institutions

The organization and activity of public administration is subject to the standards established by law, according to which individual organizational units of ministries in the Slovak Republic are governed. The management of information and communication technologies is a specific area of management in the conditions of public administration, which requires high expertise, systematicity and a properly set legal environment. The aim of the contribution is to clearly identify the legislative framework for the management of IT projects of the public administration of the Slovak Republic during the implementation of selected operational programs in the department of government departments. In order to achieve the main goal of the presented professional article, we set sub-goals. The necessary partial tasks are to systematically define and explain concepts related to project management in public administration, to find out the requirements for its implementation and to find out to what extent the legislation affects the issue we are dealing with. The result of our area of research represents a logically complete framework of the legal environment of project management of public administration and takes on the nature of practical use in the creation of our dissertation.

New ways of working and psychological well-being: work intensity as a target variable of job resources

PurposeDigitalization and flexibility of workplaces as aspects of new ways of working are associated both positively and negatively with employees’ well-being. However, the mechanisms behind this relationship are not clear yet. We present work intensity as a link between new ways of working and psychological well-being. Furthermore, we address two job resources to alter this association: autonomy and boundary control.Design/methodology/approachOverall, 1,099 employees of a public administration organization participated in the survey and answered a web-based questionnaire. The organization was in the transition to new ways of working including the introduction of a digital filing system and remote work.FindingsThe results of regression analyses provided evidence that flexibility and dissolution of boundaries were positively related to work intensity, which in turn was associated with emotional exhaustion and work engagement. Thus, new ways of working were negatively associated with psychological well-being, mediated by work intensity. Further analyses revealed that the job resources of autonomy and boundary control moderated the relationship between flexibility respectively dissolution of boundaries with work intensity. Thus, these job resources acted as buffering factors and mitigated the association of new ways of working with work intensity.Originality/valueThe results indicated that work intensity could be perceived as a conceptual bridge between new ways of working and psychological well-being providing a promising target variable for the deployment of job resources to preserve employees’ well-being.

Establishment and Organization of Public Administration in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Austrian-Hungarian rule (1878-1918)

The subject of this paper is the analysis of the process of establishment and organization of public administration during the Austro-Hungarian rule. At the Berlin Congress in 1878, Austria-Hungary was given a mandate by the great powers, with the consent of the Ottoman Empire, to occupy Bosnia and Herzegovina. The occupation brought about various social, military, political, and legal issues that needed to be resolved. In fact, these issues that arose represented the classical domains of state administration, such as the army, police, foreign affairs, justice, and finance. The new authority, represented by the Joint Ministry of Finance, maintained the existing administrative-territorial structure with certain necessary adjustments. Operationally, these tasks were handled by the Bosnian Office, which was superior to the Provincial Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The administrative-territorial organization was defined by the decree of the Provincial Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1882, which prescribed that all administrative tasks be carried out in district offices with broad and diverse jurisdiction. It is important to note that the inhabitants of Bosnia and Herzegovina, within the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, had territorial affiliation instead of citizenship, which represented a special legal relationship between individuals and the state. The state administration functioned based on a hierarchical principle of subordination and responsibility, where lower organs were subordinate to higher ones. All general acts of the Provincial Government were previously submitted to the Joint Minister of Finance for approval and only came into force after obtaining such approval. The Provincial Government consisted of four departments: the political-administrative department, the financial department, the judicial department, and the civil department. The departments were headed by heads of departments. The challenges set by Austria-Hungary in the context of establishing a new administrative structure required a state administration with loyal and capable officials. A significant challenge in achieving this goal was the problem of the lack of suitable personnel, both due to the lack of professional qualifications and the departure of a significant number of educated individuals. Considering the demands of modern state administration, good education was required from officials, which, among other things, led to a significant number of officials in both central and local administrative structures being foreigners. They were mostly Austrians, Hungarians, Poles, Czechs, and Slovaks. Many of them stayed in Bosnia and Herzegovina for only a short period, but there were also those who permanently remained. The districts were divided into district offices led by district heads. A special characteristic of the administrative organization was that district offices, to a large extent during the Austro-Hungarian rule, also performed judicial functions. After the occupation, the Austro-Hungarian administration began establishing local self-government. Urban and rural municipalities were formed, and local people participated in their organs. Although municipalities were conceived as units of local self-government, analyzing their scope of authority, it can be determined that they mostly performed delegated tasks of the state administration with a very low degree of autonomy. The public administration operated on a hierarchical principle of subordination and responsibility, within which lower administrative organs were subordinate to higher ones. This paper aims to provide insight into the complexity of administrative organization and structure in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Austro-Hungarian period. This is significant because during that period, the foundations of modern public administration in Bosnia and Herzegovina were established, encompassing not only state administration but also local self-government and public services.

Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Korea: History and Modernity

The article is devoted to the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Korea (hereinafter RoK, Republic). The authors examine the history of the creation in the Korean government of the department responsible for the implementation of laws, law enforcement personnel, and judicial processes. The Ministry of Justice functioned until the Japanese occupation in 1910. The new history of the Ministry began after the liberation of Korea. In 1948, the Korean Constitution came into force. Currently, the system of executive authorities of the Republic is determined by the Law on the Organization of Public Administration. In accordance with this law, the Ministry of Justice is an independent structure. The Presidential Decree on the Ministry of Justice and its subsidiaries regulates the structure and competence of the department. Certain powers of the Ministry of Justice are regulated by the laws on the prosecutor’s office, on probation, on immigration, on lawyers, on notaries, on civil servants and other regulations. A wide range of issues fall within the scope of the Ministry. The Ministry of Justice is responsible for the execution of laws, the prosecutor’s office, migration, correctional institutions, prosecutorial and legal personnel, legal assistance in civil and criminal cases. The article analyzes in details the provisions of Korean legislation on the structure and competence of the Ministry of Justice. The authors examine closely the status of Ministry employees and holding them accountable. Contemporary issues related to the activities of the Ministry of Justice are revealed. The role of the Ministry of Justice in the supervision of the prosecutor’s office, the legal profession, correctional institutions and probation is highlighted. The powers of the Ministry of Justice in the field of execution of punishment, rehabilitation of off enders and immigration are analyzed. The authors show how the Ministry is involved in international cooperation. Particular attention is paid to the importance of the Ministry of Defense in the process of improving Korean legislation.

Electronic governance in EU member states and candidate countries (using the exampleS of Poland and Ukraine): comparative legal analysis

The article addresses the issue of further improvement and development of Electronic Governance in Ukraine through the analysis of experience gained by various countries. It has been established that Electronic Governance currently plays a pivotal role in the development of society, which necessitates the need for superior and effective improvement of this sphere to ensure the maximum level of its development and support for society. Comprehensive utilization of information technology is the main mechanism in achieving this goal, as it can meet the needs of society at the highest level. However, the further development and improvement of Electronic Governance in Ukraine is currently hindered by the conditions in which the country has found itself due to the war. These conditions necessitate the search for fundamentally new solutions and approaches related to the most effective use of information resources, and the provision of effective, efficient and high-quality support and assistance for society. Efforts are currently focused on finding the optimal solution for the operation, improvement and future effective development of Electronic Governance. For Ukraine, this is the path it must travel from the idea of transformational changes in the field of information technology and resources to the gradual alignment of Electronic Governance with European standards. This path involves declaring this direction as a top priority at the highest level. The introduction of Electronic Governance as a form of organization of public administration began in Ukraine a few years ago, and has been gaining increasing public support.Analysis of the main foreign initiatives and practices in this regard provides evidence of an above-average level of development of Electronic Governance in the countries of the European Union and other states, which enables the rapid and efficient fulfilment of public needs. At the same time, it has been established that the most effective (in the context of improving electronic governance) has been Poland, which has already fully established its Electronic Government, operating efficiently and providing various electronic services to society. This system is transparent, flexible and convenient. It allows users to save time and avoid unnecessary bureaucratic procedures, and society now has easier access to the necessary information. It has been established that improving Electronic Governance in Ukraine by drawing on Poland’s experience in this regard has the potential to modernize public administration and, on a practical level, provide more opportunities for direct access to information. This will allow for the implementation of new initiatives, including the digitalization of the country, democratization of society, and achieving goals of sustainable development.

Sustainability-Oriented Leader, Please! Effects of Industry on Followers’ Preferences

With sustainability becoming the new norm, the discussion about followers’ attitudes towards sustainability-oriented leadership is growing globally. Therefore, this study investigates the extent to which employees’ industry and sector background influence their perception of the ideal leader in relation to preferred sustainability orientation. This study also examines preferred sustainability leadership values and the role of culturally endorsed leadership in this process. Using the Preferred Sustainability Leadership Orientation (PSLO) survey, we gathered and analyzed data from 11 countries and 11 industry backgrounds (n = 5530). Our findings show that there is a statistical significance in followers’ valuing a leader with a high sustainability orientation most. Moreover, our results indicate that respondents working in public administration organizations value a leader with a strong sustainability orientation in addition to environmental and equality goals. While respondents associated with agriculture and real estate do not seem to place so much value on an ideal leader focusing on gender equality, in industries such as finance, manufacturing, and real estate, followers seem to value a leader with a stronger focus on profit and less emphasis on promoting gender equality. This research offers implications for the development of the PSLO (preferred sustainable leadership orientation) as a useful sustainability leadership barometer tool for measuring an organization’s sustainability culture and suggests avenues for future research.

Decoding the Digital Landscape: An Empirically Validated Model for Assessing Digitalisation across Public Administration Levels

This research advances the field of digital government by developing and empirically validating a model for measuring the digital state of public administration, with a specific focus on Slovenia. Moving beyond traditional digital maturity models, our study introduces a holistic framework that integrates elements of technology, process, structure, people and organisational culture, enriched by dimensions of digital principles, good governance, and external environmental factors. This framework is grounded in an adaptation of Leavitt’s diamond model, tailored to capture the nuances of digitalisation in public administration. The empirical validation is conducted through a comprehensive questionnaire administered to Slovenian public administration organisations at both local and state levels. The results provide a nuanced understanding of the current digital state that extends beyond technological aspects, including process optimisation, organisational structure, people elements and culture dynamics, and insights into internal and external barriers to digitalisation as well as principles of good governance and digitalisation. The study’s results show that ministries in Slovenia generally possess a more advanced digital infrastructure than municipalities, particularly in various aspects of ICT development and integration. While Slovenia aspires to align with the EU digital strategy, it faces various challenges, particularly at the municipal level, in achieving coherent development of digital skills and policy implementation. The comprehensive approach allows for a more informed evaluation of digital transformation efforts, offering insights into areas of strength and opportunities for further development. The findings have significant implications for policymakers and stakeholders, highlighting critical areas for targeted improvement and strategic planning in the digitalisation of public administration.

Public administration contributes to happiness: a study on the relationship between public value and happiness in Switzerland

PurposeIn public management research, the focus in the public value debate has been on public administration organizations’ broader societal outcomes. Public value describes how public administrations form a vital part of the social context in which people develop and grow. However, there has not yet been an analysis of how public administration contributes to happiness in society.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, we empirically analyze the relationship between people’s happiness and the public value of public administration. Our approach is based on a unique Swiss survey dataset comprising 870 individuals.FindingsWe find a positive relationship between public administration’s public value and happiness. We also find preliminary evidence with a moderation analysis that the relationship between a value-creating public administration sector and self-reported happiness is stronger for public administration employees.Research limitations/implicationsWhile correlation studies cannot claim causal explanations and common method bias may additionally limit any research in social science, we took a number of measures to mitigate related problem. We tested our model in two samples and took both several procedural techniques and a survey design minimizing common method bias.Practical implicationsThe paper discusses implications for public sector performance measurement for public management and practitioners.Social implicationsThis study calls for a more positive view on the multiple functions public administration performs for society. After an era of critical voices, our study helps reclaim public administration as a positive force for society at large in times of grand challenges, such as climate crisis, demographics and digitization.Originality/valueThis study has highlighted the importance between public administration’s public value and happiness in Swiss public service organizations. The study also showed that an employment in the public administration contributes to the happiness of individuals and beyond to society.

Like a bridge over troubled water: Wellbeing and trust in governance during turbulent times

The COVID-19 pandemic extended interest in the relationships between citizens and governments in turbulent times of crises and emergencies. While the pandemic generated a critical existential threat to the lives of many, it also had a significant effect on the quality of life and on the wellbeing of even larger populations. This paper deals with the relationship between the wellbeing of citizens and three types of trust in governance (i.e. trust in political institutions, trust in public administration, trust in enforcement institutions) during the pandemic. We aim at advancing knowledge on both wellbeing and trust during crises, and more specifically on direct and indirect patterns of these important relationships. To do so, we suggest alternative models and a series of hypotheses aimed at examining them empirically. Two datasets on Israeli citizens are used. They were collected over two points in time during the heat of the pandemic and toward its decline and end (Study 1/t1; N = 1026 and Study 2/t2; N = 3024) and largely represent major sectors and ethnicities in the population. The findings generally support a positive relationship between wellbeing and trust, but more importantly indicate that during crisis, trust in public administration and enforcement institutions mediates the relationship between wellbeing and trust in political institutions. We thus argue that the public service may act as a bridge between citizens’ wellbeing and political trust. In our view, the findings testify to the complexity of the wellbeing–trust relationship, especially in challenging times. Implications and directions for future studies are suggested. Points for practitioners Trust in governance is different for various political institutions and for different public administration organizations, especially in turbulent times Civil servants should be aware of citizens’ wellbeing during crises as it affects trust in governance Citizen trust and wellbeing are significantly related in times of emergency and crises

К вопросу о теории деконцентрации власти

This article examines the issues of the theory of deconcentration in the domestic and foreign scientific literature. In this context, the author consistently examines the existing positions regarding the understanding of the category “deconcentration” and its relationship with the concept of “decentralization”, and also studies the types of deconcentration. In particular, it is noted that in the Russian legal system, unlike other countries, this term is not used. Thus, deconcentration as one of the factors of the organization of power has been reflected in France and Cambodia. However, despite the absence of mention in Russian legislation, this mechanism is widely used within the framework of the territorial organization of public administration. As for the literature, most researchers point out that deconcentration is one of the forms of decentralization of public power. At the same time, among other manifestations of the latter, it is characterized by the least degree of autonomy of local government structures. The author understands by deconcentration the movement of the central government to the periphery through the formation of territorial subjects (or the empowerment of local subjects) as agents (representatives) of the central government, characterized by relations of power and subordination and not involving the creation of a separate level of public authority. The article also touches upon the issue of classification of the types of the analyzed legal phenomenon.

STRATEGIC PLANNING OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT

As of today, it is crucial for Ukraine to implement a comprehensive system of state strategic planning. This will facilitate the country's rapid development and positioning of Ukraine in leading positions in the world. The impact of digital development in all areas has changed the way society and government communicate. The scale of digital change in society is enormous, and digitalization can be seen as a catalyst for new paradigms, concepts, and approaches to strategic planning for the country's development. Successful strategic planning and public administration organizations determine the comfort of citizens' lives and strengthen the competitiveness of the region.

Change Management and Implementation of Changes in the Field of Public Administration

"The relevance of the research problem is determined both by the theoretical significance of the study of managerial aspects of organizational changes in public administration organizations, and by the practical tasks of improving the mechanism for their implementation. Based on the evolutionary method, the existing theoretical and practical approaches to change management offered by the management theory are described, and the prospects for their application in the field of public administration are assessed. Agile paradigm is presented as an underlying one for addressing challenges of VUCA-world with regard to public administration."

POLICE FORCE AS AN INTERNAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION ENTITY

Internal security administration is a system of multiple entities responsible for protecting and maintaining internal security in the state. In a broad sense, this system includes public administration, private entities, and social organizations. Certainly, there is a clearer view of the functioning of a narrower group of institutions within the subordination of the minister responsible for internal affairs, which within the department of internal affairs administration deal with the protection of the aforementioned security. The entities that are subordinated and supervised by this supreme body of government administration undertake specialized activities that comprise the entire scope of this department and form a kind of internal security administration system. Noteworthy in this group is the police force aimed at overseeing human security, protecting public safety and order, which is a task assigned to the administrative department. The study analyzes internal security as a specific state, as well as the system of entities responsible for its assurance. Special research attention was paid to the legal position of the police, its organization and the specific dimension of tasks performed. The subject of considerations is the police force as a part of the whole system and tasks it undertakes. The research was conducted on the basis of legal and dogmatic as well as analytical methods. In turn, the fundamental aim of this research was to pay attention to the Police as a component of the internal security administration and its specifics. The research hypothesis stated that the Police is a basic element of the internal security administration system, which is responsible for a significant part of this security, and without its participation and activity it would not be possible to ensure the conditions of safe existence of the general population, after verification was confirmed.

Empirical Investigation into ICT Services Evaluation Within a Public Institution

The aim of the paper is to investigate the quality of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) services provided to employees in a public administration organization. The Region of Central Macedonia (RCM) was chosen as the examined enterprise/organization. The provider of these services is exclusively the Department for Transparency and eGovernment (DTeG). After a presentation of the theory behind service quality measurement in general and in ICTs specifically, a quantitative research was carried out, utilizing a SERVPERF-derived, ICT-adapted, short form 13-item/4-dimension instrument approach. This research indicated that RCM employees value both the quality of the ICT services, as well as the satisfaction from them, as provided by DTeG, highly. The adapted SERVPERF instrument exhibited high internal consistency values, as well as strong correlation between its items and the overall perceived quality and satisfaction. Dimensionality tests indicated that two dimensions of the service quality constructs are measured: a combined “reliability”, “responsiveness” and “assurance” dimension and an “empathy” one. the findings can be used by the targeted organization to improve the quality of ICT services and better meet the needs of their users.

Quantifying economic sectoral iron commodity use and related vulnerability in China's supply chains

With its widespread use in manufacturing and machinery, iron is a crucial metal for modern society. However, knowledge about the economic vulnerability of iron from multiple perspectives remains unexplored, especially for China, a country responsible for more than half of global iron and steel consumption. This study aims to quantify the inter-sectoral flows of iron commodities and the caused economic vulnerabilities, using an input-output model and complex network analysis methods. Results show that the residential building construction sector was the most vulnerable sector from a direct perspective. However, the final uses of certain services (e.g., the public administration and social organizations sector and business services sector) were more vulnerable concerning supply restriction from a consumption-based perspective. Based on the above findings, policy recommendations, such as circular economy and material substitutions are proposed to help improve resource efficiency and reduce the vulnerability of critical sectors from dependence on iron and steel.

ANALYSIS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS IN POLAND

The subjectivity and independence of local self-government expressed in theConstitution of the Republic of Poland and concretized in local government laws has a systemicsignificance for determining its position in the state and in the law. Local self-government isthe key principle of the organization of public administration in Poland. Local governmentunits, i.e., municipalities, counties and provincial governments, are entities endowed with rightsand obligations and entities performing public tasks. They can be described as independentcorporations of local society, created by law, with their own internal organization, endowedwith the attribute of legal personality, subject to state supervision to the extent prescribed bylaw.