Public Administration Research Articles

CONCEPTS FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORM: THE CASE OF PORTUGUESE SOCIALIST GOVERNMENT (2016-2024)

Objectives: This article examines whether the internalization of public services by the Portuguese socialist government (2016–2024) effectively reduced consultancy costs and improved service quality. Theoretical Framework: Drawing on Mariana Mazzucato, Rosie Collington, and Max Weber, it engages with concepts such as New Public Management, ESG criteria, and the infantilization of public administration. Method: A qualitative, critical case study approach is used, analyzing government policies including the renationalization of TAP, the end of healthcare PPPs, expanded university access, and the re-establishment of the National Institute of Administration (INA). Results and Discussion: Internalization increased budget costs, reduced service quality, and introduced ideological bias into public sector training. Overreliance on consultants and a bureaucratic mindset weakened state capacity and legitimacy, fueling populist reactions. Research Implications: The findings advocate for mission-oriented reforms focused on public policy rather than bureaucratic structures, emphasizing strategic vision, interdisciplinarity, and citizen-centered governance. Originality/Value: This study offers a critical contribution to public administration reform, challenging both neoliberal and statist extremes. It proposes a hybrid model rooted in public value, transparency, and democratic accountability as a path toward a more resilient and responsive state.

Experiencing Social Exclusion and Distrust: Mental Health Rehabilitees Struggling With Digital Administrative Burdens

The digital welfare state has been transforming into a type of state structure in which the citizen no longer faces the official in person, but interaction instead occurs with system‐level bureaucracy, and decision‐making takes place in an algorithmic system’s frame. This article aimed to determine what kind of burden digital self‐service and algorithmic decision‐making poses to people with mental health problems. The article contributes to the social sustainability literature by introducing the concept of digital administrative burden and how it can create social exclusion and distrust in public administration among vulnerable citizens. Drawing on social representation theory and the concept of social identity, we examine how the digital administrative burden faced by mental health rehabilitees affects their identity and self‐perception. The data gathered comprises audio‐recorded group discussions with mental health rehabilitees. Based on the data, it can be demonstrated that digital citizen–state encounters create subject positions for mental health rehabilitees that portray them as dispossessed, unreliable, insignificant, and inferior. The positioning of mental health rehabilitees highlights how administrative burdens in digital citizen–state encounters contribute to social exclusion, preventing the full realisation of their citizenship. It can be stated that digital burdens imposed by automated administration on those dependent on social benefits can endanger society’s social sustainability. This is particularly irritating because the welfare state’s capability and commitment to social sustainability are crucial in preventing development of inequality and polarisation between different population groups.

Evaluating employee satisfaction in a green-certified public building: the case of Küçükçekmece Municipality

ABSTRACT Although green building certifications aim to promote environmentally sustainable design, their impact on user experience and spatial satisfaction remains underexplored. This gap raises questions about the extent to which sustainability goals align with user expectations. This study investigates employee satisfaction in the Küçükçekmece Municipality New Service Building, the first public administration building in Türkiye certified by BREEAM. Multiple variables, including physical environmental comfort, perception of green building features, functionality, and motivation, were analyzed. A mixed-method research design was used where quantitative data were collected using 5-point Likert scale surveys and qualitative data were collected via interviews with open-ended questions. Frequency analysis, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), t-test, ANOVA, and Chi-Squares test were used to analyze the study data. The results indicated that certain environmental factors, including lighting and ergonomics, were associated with relatively higher satisfaction levels, while there was significant dissatisfaction as regards indoor air quality and thermal comfort. Furthermore, it was found that demographic variables, including gender and age, had significant effects on motivation levels. The study results suggested that the physical environment in sustainable public buildings should be assessed not only in terms of technical but also psychosocial aspects.

Documentary and Information Communication in Public Administration: Legal Aspects and Digital Transformation

The purpose of the scientific research is to analyze the use and determine the importance of documentary and communication activities in ‎public administration. The theoretical aspect of communication, legal support for the information activities of government bodies, is ‎characterized by the Official Internet Representation of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy is singled out as a public ‎institution of information support. The main characteristics and key aspects that are integral components in the formation and implementation ‎of state information policy are determined. The characteristics of legal support demonstrated that the Law of Ukraine “On Information” ‎defines the basic principles and mechanisms of access to information in Ukraine. The Law of Ukraine “On Access to Public Information” ‎specifies the procedure for access to public information held by subjects of government authority. The Law of Ukraine “On Citizens’ ‎Appeals” emphasizes the importance of documentary communication for ensuring the citizens’ right to appeal and receive answers from ‎government bodies. During the analysis of the topic, it was found that the main features of the effective use of information for management ‎purposes are completeness, relevance, and reliability. Information is the basis for decision-making in the public administration system, which is ‎used for analysis, planning, reporting, and control to increase the efficiency and transparency of the activities of administrative structures. ‎The level of information transparency for society is characterized, where information should be available to citizens by the ‎implementation of the accountability principle. At the same time, attention is focused on the importance of compliance with information ‎security requirements, especially regarding personal data or confidential information. The main generalizations on this problem are ‎providing citizens with public information as a key to maintaining the proper level of sovereignty. The effectiveness of such a process is ‎significantly increased when scientifically sound political and legal directions and clear ways of their implementation are functioning.‎n.

Meritocracy vs cadre deployment in the global South: an integrative review

This integrative review examines the persistent governance challenge between meritocracy and cadre deployment within public administration in the Global South. Meritocracy focuses on the selection and advancement of individuals based on their qualifications, skills, and performance, while cadre deployment pertains to politically motivated appointments within the civil service, often rationalized in post-liberation or dominant-party environments. The review integrates empirical research, policy analyses, and comparative case studies to evaluate the effects of these competing approaches on state capacity, public service delivery, institutional integrity, and governance outcomes. The findings suggest that meritocratic systems, as demonstrated by countries such as Botswana and Rwanda, are positively correlated with administrative efficiency, professional ethics, and developmental progress. Conversely, cadre deployment, prevalent in contexts like South Africa and Zimbabwe, is typically associated with diminished institutional autonomy, corruption, and state capture. Grounded in the Developmental State Theory, this review highlights the significance of capable, independent, and professional bureaucracies for sustainable development. The study concludes that incorporating meritocratic principles into governance frameworks is vital for fostering long-term institutional resilience and public trust in the Global South.

Comparative public administration, public sector reforms, administrative traditions and cultures KuhlmannS.WollmannH.ReiterR. (2025). Introduction to Comparative Public Administration: Administrative Systems and Reforms in Europe, 3rd ed.Edward Elgar Publishing.

Comparative public administration, public sector reforms, administrative traditions and cultures KuhlmannS.WollmannH.ReiterR. (2025). Introduction to Comparative Public Administration: Administrative Systems and Reforms in Europe, 3rd ed.Edward Elgar Publishing.

The challenges of teaching complexity sciences to novice learners in public administration

There is a rich history of examining the functions and activities of public administration through the lens of complexity theory. Arguments for training and educating public administrators in this discipline are both longstanding and highly relevant in the modern-day context. This paper seeks to add to the existing literature which explores educational methods for teaching complexity sciences to public administrators through a novel analysis that integrates two different psychological domains - applied cognitive psychology and adult developmental psychology. Introducing the notion of thought architecture, this analysis will first acknowledge that public administrators are likely novices in complexity, due to their limited exposure to necessary declarative and conceptual knowledge and their stage of adult development. Second, this analysis will show that features of a complex system exist in tension with instructional methods typically associated with helping novices acquire knowledge or advance in their stage of adult development. In light of this finding, appropriate and useful instructional strategies drawn from these two psychological domains that help to reconcile this tension will be discussed.

Machine Learning in Public Governance: A Systematic Review of Applications, Trends and Challenges

Today, the active implementation of machine learning (hereinafter – ML) methods in public administration opens up new opportunities for forecasting, impact assessment and decision support, while simultaneously generating various challenges. The present study is aimed at a systematic review of scientific publications devoted to applying ML methods in the field of public administration, with an emphasis on identifying thematic areas, ethical and institutional challenges. The initial data set included 524 publications obtained using targeted search queries in the Scopus and Web of Science databases for the period 2014-2024. Data filtering was performed using SQLite, thematic mapping was performed in the VOSviewer environment, and metadata was structured using the Elicit tool and subsequent manual encoding. The analysis results allowed us to identify four functional areas of ML application in public administration: transparency and ethics, resource allocation and service provision, institutional design, and technical integration. Despite significant progress in the models’ technical implementation and predictive accuracy, in many cases, mechanisms for equity, transparency, and citizen participation have been poorly implemented. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the interdisciplinary synthesis and development of a typology of institutional challenges that arise when implementing ML systems in public administration. The prospects for further research are related to the empirical validation of decisions, the development of ethical audit methods, and institutional training for responsible, sustainable, and contextually adaptive use of algorithmic tools in the public administration system.

Socioprofessional dynamics in a Federal Public Administration Institution in Brazil

This study represents a segment of broader research on the production context of goods and services in a federal educational institution located in the Federal District, Brazil. The investigation analyzed socioprofessional relationships in this Federal Public Administration institution, using the Work Context Assessment Scale (WCAS) as a reference. A quantitative approach was adopted, characterized as descriptive and inferential research. Data were collected through a survey, with the instrument made available to 1,294 federal public servants, obtaining a total of 424 respondents. The findings of this study point to the need for implementing short- and medium-term strategic actions aimed at improving perceptions of the factors that compose social and professional interactions in this context. Such measures are essential for mitigating work-related discomfort and reducing the risk of illness among federal public servants, contributing to a healthier and more productive organizational environment.

From Presence to Policy: The Conditional Impact of Women's Representation in Top Management Teams in Chinese Local Governments

ABSTRACTWhile public administration research has begun exploring the impact of women's representation in top leadership positions in public organizations, the conditions under which women's representation in top management teams (TMTs) produces policies specifically benefiting women remain underexamined. Using a panel dataset covering 276 Chinese municipalities (2010–2018), this study examines how women's representation in mayoral teams affects women‐sensitive policy adoption. Fixed‐effects Poisson regression analyses suggest that TMTs with two or more women leaders are likely to adopt more women‐sensitive policies than TMTs with no or a single woman leader. This relationship strengthens when women occupy a larger proportion of provincial leadership roles, but it weakens when TMTs maintain stronger patronage ties to provincial male leaders. These findings advance representative bureaucracy research by demonstrating how passive representation translates into active representation in government upper echelons from a team‐based perspective and how this effect is contingent on institutional factors within a multi‐level governance system.

Doctoral education and research output: a study of emerging public administration faculty in China

ABSTRACT The increasing diversity and internationalization of educational backgrounds among public administration scholars at Chinese government-funded universities present a unique opportunity to evaluate the relationship between doctoral education and individual research output. Statistical analyses reveal that scholars with PhDs from outside mainland China are more likely to publish in English journals indexed by the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) than those with mainland Chinese PhDs, without being less likely to publish in Chinese journals indexed by the Chinese Social Science Citation Index (CSSCI). Further analysis uncovers variations in publication patterns among PhDs from North America, Europe, Oceania, and Asia.

Development Objectives of the State Policy of the Russian Federation in the Sphere of High Technologies at the Present Stage

The state policy of the Russian Federation in the sphere of high technologies is a strategic tool for ensuring technological sovereignty, increasing global competitiveness and solving key socio-economic problems. In the article the author considers the theoretical foundations of formation and key stages of development of the state policy of the Russian Federation in the sphere of high technologies, as well as trends and features of development of society, technology and public administration. The article is designed to systematize approaches to the study of normative-legal regulation of public policy of the Russian Federation in the field of high technology, as well as to lay the foundation for the formulation of forecasts and recommendations for the development and creation of mechanisms and tools for the implementation of public policy in the topic under study.

Unpredictable Public Transformation in the Wake of Black Swan Events: COVID-19 and Teleconsultation

Black swan event has led to unpredictable digital transformations, forcing the government to implement digital policies. The continuous intention of digital solutions is crucial for the development of public programs. This study uses COVID-19 and teleconsultation as examples to explore the public’s continuous transformation, analyzing data from 285 Taiwanese patients with positive COVID-19 screening and mild or no symptoms through PLS-SEM. Results show that under the sudden institutional coercive pressure of the pandemic, teleconsultation self-efficacy emerges as a critical factor for continued intention. The government ensures that these policies are effective in increasing public intention and satisfaction. Overlooking the relatively limited impact of digital resource support results in a disparity between policy and resource effects, thereby influencing the continuous intention. This study reveals the government’s impact on the public’s digital transformation in the context of Black Swan event and the health sector in public administration, providing academic and practical implications.

Soviet Party Authorities in Restructuring the Kuzbass Coal Industry in 1941–1945: Historiographic Aspect

Kuzbass was one of the main Russia’s industrial centers during World War II. The local coal industry had to be totally restructured, but the role of the Soviet Party leadership in that process remains understudied. The article traces the evolution of the views of domestic historians on the role of the party and Soviet leadership in the restructuring of the Kuznetsk coal industry during the Great Patriotic War. By applying the periodization, problem-chronological, and comparative-historical methods to reliable historiographic sources, the author revealed the influence of the public administration on the local coal mining and periodized the organizational changes in the Kuzbass coal mining during the war. The pre-war studies focused on the peripheral location and were primarily of a statistical nature: in the 1920–1930s, Kuzbass was far from being a major coal mining center. The 1940s saw an increase in publications about Kuzbass due to its significance for the Soviet rear. However, these works were mostly applied research because the country needed to mobilize its entire resource base, and all coal mining studies had a practical aim. In the 1950s, the number of publications declined only to go up in the 1960s, when the emphasis shifted to the importance of political governance in the region during the war. In the postSoviet and modern period, the study of military mining restructuration became more popular, many authors turning to the role of political power in the matter. Today, as new archival materials become more available, the problem acquires new aspects. The following issues, however, still remain beyond the scope of scientific interest: the state management of the Kuzbass coal industry during the Great Patriotic War, the interaction between the regional and central government bodies, the logistical support for mines, the restructuring of miming management, etc.

Democratic backsliding: populism and independent regulatory authorities in Italy during the Conte and Meloni governments

ABSTRACT During the last decade, concerns have arisen regarding democratic erosion, suggesting that a global democratic recession is underway. Despite the significance of this issue and the growth of related academic literature, the connection between democratic erosion and public administration has been underexplored. Public administration directly impacts the quality of public services, economic prosperity, and human well-being. The weakening of democratic norms could negatively affect the quality of public administration. However, public institutions may also serve as a safeguard against democratic erosion. This study explores the relationship between populism and Italian independent regulatory authorities that were established to operate with technical expertise, shielded from direct political pressure, to ensure greater stability and transparency in strategic areas of public policy. Thus, the research will focus on the different levels of narratives of the Data Protection independent authority, analysing three episodes of conflict between two populistic governments and Data Authority Protection. The research aims to understand whether and how the presence of populist parties in government affects Data Authority Protection autonomy and legitimacy. In this context, we question the mechanisms through which populist-led governments in Italy have sought to exert their influence over independent authorities.

The relation of telework, hybrid work, and in-person work to mental health: A study of Brazilian civil servants

There is evidence that civil servants experience job-related distress, often due to factors such as bureaucratic overload or shifts from permanent to temporary contracts. As of 2019, the Brazilian public administration introduced new work regimes, including telework. As a result, new occupational health challenges have emerged, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been a significant catalyst for these changes in work regimes. This quantitative cross-sectional survey compared levels of burnout, depression, anxiety, and work engagement among Brazilian civil servants across three work regimes: telework, hybrid work, and in-person work. A sample of 1,612 civil servants completed an online questionnaire anonymously. We used the 12-item version of the Burnout Assessment Tool, the PHQ-4, and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale to assess mental health. Of the respondents, 37% were in telework, 51% in in-person work, and 12% experienced hybrid work. Results showed that levels of burnout, depression, and anxiety were highly similar across all three work regimes. Work engagement was slightly higher in the in-person group than in the hybrid group. Overall, the mental health of Brazilian civil servants appears largely unrelated to their work regime. Brazilian civil servants may have effectively adapted to the recent changes in their working conditions.

Analisis Pengaruh Pelayanan Administrasi Publik Terhadap Pertumbuhan Ekonomi di Desa Parigi Kecamatan Cikande Kabupaten Serang

This study aims to analyze the effect of public administration service quality on economic growth in Parigi Village, Cikande District. A quantitative approach was used by measuring five dimensions of public service quality, namely reliability, responsiveness, confidence, empathy, and tangibility, based on the SERVQUAL model developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1988). Data were collected through a questionnaire with 100 respondents who were users of administrative services in the village. The results show that the dimensions of reliability and responsiveness have a significant influence on the smooth running of community economic activities, especially in terms of completing administrative documents that support small and medium enterprises. The confidence dimension reflects a fairly high level of community trust in the competence and professionalism of service officers, although improvement is still needed in the aspect of technical knowledge. The empathy dimension shows that the community feels valued and cared for in the service, although individual attention to specific needs still needs to be improved. Meanwhile, the tangible dimension highlights the need to improve the comfort of physical facilities and the professionalism of officer appearance to support a better service experience. The conclusion of this study is that quality public administration services contribute significantly to economic growth in the country

Eroding democracy and public administration capacities through overstretching the armed forces: evidence of the federal police dismantling in Mexico

ABSTRACT Democratic backsliding processes erode the institutions and public values of a political system and can lead to the emergence of authoritarian forms of government or shifts towards illiberal democracy. In this context, public administrations are arenas of political dispute and critical instances for implementing anti-pluralist policies and reforms. The final balance could be the weakness of institutional capacities, problems providing essential public services, and several affectations on the policy process. Indeed, the impact of democratic erosion is not the same throughout the public administration. Therefore, analyzing specific public sectors or policy domains could be methodologically appropriate. This article is a longitudinal national case study showing how various strategies have been used to achieve executive aggrandizement through armed forces overstretching in Mexico. We seek to answer the following question: What strategies have the President of the Republic (2018-2024) used to erode professionalism in public safety agencies? To build and analyze this case, we used deductive process tracing with information collected through documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews with police and military personnel involved in public security work. We found strong evidence that a mixed strategy combined capture, sabotage, reform, and dismantling actions.

A PERCEPÇÃO SOBRE O PERFIL DOS EGRESSOS EM RELAÇÃO À TECNOLOGIA DA INFORMAÇÃO E AS INTERFACES DESTA TECNOLOGIA COM AS DEMAIS ÁREAS DO CURSO DE ADMINISTRAÇÃO PÚBLICA DA UFRRJ

This article discusses the results of a study that mapped the connection between concepts related to Information Technology (IT) and the Public Administration (PA) courses at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ). It presents the perceptions of students, alumni, faculty, and administrators regarding the existence of this connection and its importance for the program and the profession. This quantitative and qualitative, exploratory, case study aimed to analyze the mapping of interfaces between the contents of IT courses and other courses in the UFRRJ Public Administration course, using mind and conceptual maps. The study subsequently aimed to develop a collaborative framework to strengthen the identity of public administrator graduates regarding IT skills and competencies. The results indicate a predominance of strong connections between IT content and PA courses, according to all participants. However, in the professors' view, some IT courses and concepts presented weak connections. Notably, all students and alumni agree that IT is important to AP, and most administrators consider it very important, reaffirming the need for IT in the curriculum. The results suggest the need to modify the analytical program for IT courses, adjusting objectives, content, and nomenclature to reflect the competencies and skills identified in the constructed framework. Adjusting methodological strategies to encourage student achievement and continuing the research to expand the number of respondents is also recommended.

Digital Platforms for the Built Environment: A Systematic Review Across Sectors and Scales

The digital transformation of the Architecture, Engineering and Construction sector is accelerating the adoption of digital platforms as critical enablers of data integration, stakeholder collaboration and process optimization. This paper presents a systematic review of 125 peer-reviewed journal articles (2015–2025), selected through a PRISMA-guided search using the Scopus database, with inclusion criteria focused on English-language academic literature on platform-enabled digitalization in the built environment. Studies were grouped into six thematic domains, i.e., artificial intelligence in construction, digital twin integration, lifecycle cost management, BIM-GIS for underground utilities, energy systems and public administration, based on a combination of literature precedent and domain relevance. Unlike existing reviews focused on single technologies or sectors, this work offers a cross-sectoral synthesis, highlighting shared challenges and opportunities across disciplines and lifecycle stages. It identifies the functional roles, enabling technologies and systemic barriers affecting digital platform adoption, such as fragmented data sources, limited interoperability between systems and siloed organizational processes. These barriers hinder the development of integrated and adaptive digital ecosystems capable of supporting real-time decision-making, participatory planning and sustainable infrastructure management. The study advocates for modular, human-centered platforms underpinned by standardized ontologies, explainable AI and participatory governance models. It also highlights the importance of emerging technologies, including large language models and federated learning, as well as context-specific platform strategies, especially for applications in the Global South.