Public Management Research Articles

Water for Whom? Unravelling the Allocation of Water Storage Capacity between Irrigation and Electricity Uses in Spain during the 20th Century

This work explores the intricate dynamics of water management, energy generation, and irrigation in Spain by examining the evolving regulatory framework governing water resource allocation. It introduces a novel approach to quantify water usage and unpacks the ‘mixed uses’ category for the first time, focusing on entities holding water allocation concessions rather than mere dam ownership. Our f indings reveal the profound influence of private electricity companies on water resource management, despite the significant portion of state-owned dams. The results point to hydroelectric dominance in water allocation and underscore the complex interaction between public ownership and private management of electric companies. This research emphasises the need for nuanced policy considerations in the broader context of energy and agriculture while contributing to a richer understanding of Spain’s unique water governance landscape.

Reconceptualizing Administrative Burden Around Onerous Experiences

ABSTRACT Despite ongoing discussions on the need to improve the conceptualization and measurement of administrative burden, several conceptual problems remain. This study offers the first systematic analysis and evaluation of this increasingly central public management concept. Using an ontological-semantic approach, I show that the current conceptualization fails to fully and directly account for individuals’ onerous experiences. I address five interrelated issues, including the overlap of cost categories and the conflation of state actions with onerous experiences. While psychological costs should be retained, I argue for abandoning the other cost categories. Building on previous reconceptualization efforts, I propose a new framework focused on time, money, effort, and psychological costs. Additionally, I explore the structure of the concept and propose specific indicators for each dimension. I then discuss the independence of these dimensions, their capacity to reflect the distributive nature of burdens, and avenues for empirical validation.

Exploring the Acceptance of the Public Consumer in Scandinavian Governance: An Essay About Choice as Both a Right and an Obligation

In this essay, I critically explore the acceptance of the “public consumer” concept within Scandinavian governance. The rise of neo-liberal policies and New Public Management has significantly influenced current governance models, emphasizing principles of competition and marketisation to enhance public sector efficiency. However, limited attention has been given to the public consumer concept, particularly within the Scandinavian context, despite the region's prominence in adopting new and innovative management techniques. Drawing upon Anglo-Saxon literature and Scandinavian administrative models, I explore why the public consumer concept has been so accepted in Scandinavian governance contexts. I argue that the existence of mixed administrative models has created a fertile ground for accepting the public consumer as a viable actor in Scandinavian governance. This is highlighted by understanding choice as both a right and an obligation. Furthermore, I argue that although the public consumer concept may be attributed to the rise of New Public Management, it is expected that the public consumer will play an even more intricate role as post-New Public Management comes into motion.

Analysis of Local Governance and Legal Protection of Students' Information Security in the Context of Sustainable Development of Digital Education

Local governments are dealing with student information more and more frequently, resulting in the risk of student information being leaked, so it is necessary to introduce relevant policies, laws and regulations to standardize information collection activities and improve the level of social information governance. Therefore, this study proposes three hypotheses: on the one hand, whether the information policy issued by the local government can guide students' information collection activities, and on the other hand, whether the introduction of local laws and regulations can provide protection for students' information security; Finally, whether public participation can provide supervision for student information collection and governance, and create a good public management environment. The results show that local information laws and regulations can regulate the behavior of students' information collection and clarify the purpose and direction of students' information collection. At the same time, laws and regulations such as privacy protection and local codes of conduct can improve the security of student information and ensure the legal collection of information. The active participation of the public is conducive to the public information collection environment and ensures the overall security of student information. Therefore, local government policies, laws, and regulations can provide assurance and support for students' information security and promote the sustainable development of digital education.

Emerging trends and key themes in public financial management: A bibliometric analysis from 1977 to 2024

This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the literature on public financial management (PFM), aiming to identify key trends, influential publications, and emerging themes. Using data from Web of Science and Scopus, the study examines the evolution of PFM research from 1977 to 2024. The findings reveal a significant increase in PFM research output, particularly after 2010, with countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and China contributing the most publications. Central themes such as financial management, transparency, and accountability remain prominent while emerging topics like gender budgeting, health insurance, and blockchain technology reflect shifting priorities in the field. The study employed performance analysis and science mapping techniques to assess the structure and dynamics of PFM research. The analysis highlights key focus areas, including fiscal decentralization and sector-specific management, and identifies gaps in the existing literature, particularly regarding interdisciplinary and international collaboration. The results suggest that while PFM remains rooted in traditional governance and financial control, there is a growing emphasis on modern, innovative solutions to address contemporary challenges. This study’s insights provide a roadmap for future research, emphasizing the importance of transparency, technological integration, and inclusive financial policies. In conclusion, this bibliometric analysis contributes to understanding PFM’s evolving landscape, offering scholars and policymakers a clearer perspective on current trends and future directions in the field. Future research should focus on expanding interdisciplinary approaches and exploring the practical impacts of emerging PFM trends across different regions.

The Legal Regime of Portuguese Higher Education Institutions: Contributions for Future Changes

The Portuguese higher education system is binary, divided into two subsystems, university and polytechnic, being regulated, since 2007, by the so-called RJIES (Legal Regime of Higher Education Institutions). The RJIES regulates the organic structure of the higher education institutions (HEIs) as well as the competencies of mandatory bodies, such as the general council, which is also given the power to elect the rector/president, another of the mandatory bodies. The RJIES, in place for 17 years, has not been revised since 2007 despite being subject of criticism and claim for changes. This paper presents a reflection for future changes to this RJIES regarding the process of electing the rector/president. This is noted and complained about by a wide range of the academic community – teachers, students, and non-teaching academic staff, in addition to other interested parties in universities and polytechnic institutes. Therefore, we present a brief review of the literature related to this topic, the results of survey and interviews carried out with top managers of Portuguese Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).The survey was completed online by a wide range of public HEIs managers (rectors and directors, presidents, vice-rectors and vice-presidents, pro-rectors and pro-presidents) and their stakeholders (teaching and non-teaching workers and students, through their representative structures, unions and student unions, and other leaders of professional and business associations). Interviews were also carried out in 2021, which remain completely current, given the fact that legal changes have not occurred so far. The results that will be presented indicate that changes should be made. Brief conclusions and a proposal for amendments to the current legislation, covering the rector/president election process, will be presented. It is advocated a new model of election of rector/president, the intervention of two different bodies, one of them being the general and supervisory council (new designation defended), with a composition mainly of external members, selected in a different way in relation to the current one.

Research on Public Opinion Guidance Strategies of Political Microblogs in the Context of Emergencies

This study takes "Gansu 12-18 Jishishan Earthquake" as an example to explore the strategies of guiding public opinion on government microblogs in the context of emergencies. Using the life cycle theory of public opinion, the study divides the development process of public opinion into four stages: latency, growth, maturity and decline, and systematically analyzes the performance of government microblogs, such as @Gansu Firefighting, @Gansu Public Security, and @Gansu Publishing, in the development of public opinion on emergencies, as well as their guiding effects in the various stages of public opinion development. The study shows that governmental microblogs perform better in terms of timeliness and authority of information release in emergencies, and are able to rapidly convey official information and stabilize public sentiment. However, there are still deficiencies in the interactive mechanism, public opinion monitoring and early warning, and evaluation and feedback. Based on this, it is proposed to optimize the public opinion monitoring and warning mechanism, enhance public interaction, and improve the feedback and evaluation system, so as to improve the public opinion management ability of government microblogs in emergencies, and to ensure the efficient communication of government information and the effective guidance of public opinion.

On the assessment of the ability of measurements, nowcasts, and forecasts to track changes.

Measurements, nowcasts, or forecasts ideally should correctly reflect changes in the values of interest. In this article, we focus on how to assess the ability of measurements, nowcasts, or forecasts to correctly predict the direction of changes in values - which we refer to as the ability to track changes (ATC). We review and develop visual techniques and quantitative measures to assess ATC. Extensions for noisy data and estimation uncertainty are implemented using bootstrap confidence intervals and exclusion areas. We exemplarily illustrate the proposed methods to assess the ability to track changes for nowcasting during the COVID-19 pandemic, patient admissions to an emergency department, and non-invasive blood pressure measurements. The proposed methods effectively evaluate ATC across different applications. The developed ATC assessment methods offer a comprehensive toolkit for evaluating the ATC of measurements, nowcasts, and forecasts. These techniques provide valuable insights into model performance, complementing traditional accuracy measures and enabling more informed decision-making in various fields, including public health, healthcare management, and medical diagnostics.

Elite sense-making in the core executive: the case of Denmark’s 2020 Minkgate Scandal

Abstract This article analyzes the Danish Mink Scandal of 2020 using Karl Weick’s sense-making theory. It zooms in on the 72-hour decision-making process that led to the culling of Denmark’s entire 17 million farmed-for-fur mink population in response to the perceived threat of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) forming a new mutation. Since there was insufficient legal justification for the culling, the prime minister was forced to call a snap general election, leading to a change of government. We exploit detailed data material containing text messages, e-mail correspondence, documentary material, and specific inquiries. The article demonstrates the strength of Weick’s social–psychological perspective on sense-making for public management research. It shows how time pressure can cut across heavily institutionalized standard operating procedures. It can increase the centralization of the decision-making power at the apex and decouple the formal legal responsibilities, which remain institutionalized with the line ministries. The study argues that sense-making offers learning points that cannot be obtained from formal legal perspectives, which are used to assign responsibilities. Indeed, ex-post thinking may be too convenient—traditional solutions like punishing leaders or agencies may obscure the discovery of more systemic vulnerabilities when crises unfold.

PUBLIC ANTI-CRISIS MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS WHEN PROVIDING EMERGENCY MEDICAL AID IN THE MEDICAL INDUSTRY OF UKRAINE

In this article, the authors focus on several key problems that arise in the process of management and communication in crisis situations related to the provision of emergency medical care. The article examines approaches to managing crisis situations in the sphere of health care of Ukraine in conditions of increased uncertainty and instability. The authors emphasize the importance of effective communication between medical institutions, government structures and the public to ensure prompt response to emergency situations. The article examines various aspects of public crisis management, including planning, organization of resources, and coordination of actions during the provision of emergency medical care. The article analyzes the tools of public management, which allow to minimize various consequences of incoherence of actions between state institutions and medical institutions. Special attention is paid to the importance of prompt decision-making and establishment of communication links between state bodies, medical workers and the population. The possibilities of applying international experience in the field of anti-crisis management and its adaptation to Ukrainian realities are also discussed. The conclusions of the article emphasize the need to reform the health care system in the direction of strengthening its resilience to crises, improving communication mechanisms, and implementing innovative management solutions to increase the effectiveness of providing emergency medical care in emergency situations. The article emphasizes the need for quick decision-making, building effective communication chains between medical staff, patients and other stakeholders. Special attention is paid to the challenges associated with the lack of resources, the limited capabilities of the health care system in the context of crises and the role of leadership in implementing changes. The article also offers recommendations for improving communication processes and management approaches that will contribute to increasing the effectiveness of medical care during emergency situations, particularly in wartime.

Resources collection strategy of emergency materials based on evolutionary game model in complex network

PurposeIn recent years, the frequency of emergencies, such as natural disasters and public health crises, has markedly increased globally. These occurrences have introduced new challenges to national public security systems and emergency management capabilities. Post-disaster humanitarian logistic operations involve the collection of emergency relief resources to mitigate the impact of disasters in affected areas. Effective coordination among governments, enterprises and charities is essential to enhance the efficiency of these operations. This study employs evolutionary game theory to explore the strategic interactions and behavioral patterns among these key stakeholders during the collection of emergency materials.Design/methodology/approachA tripartite evolutionary game model involving governments, enterprises and charities is developed. Subsequently, to validate the theoretical findings, a scale-free network is constructed for the purpose of numerical simulations. As this network evolves, both the edges between nodes and the strategy choices of the nodes also change. Numerical simulations are conducted using the network to examine the sensitivity of factors influencing strategic choices among game stakeholders.FindingsAccording to the model simulation results, penalties significantly influence government regulation strength, while enterprise philanthropic behavior is mainly affected by penalties, profit transfer benefits and trust loss. For charities, strategic choices are primarily driven by penalties, tax subsidies, illegal operation benefits and charitable costs. The findings provide a theoretical basis for governments, enterprises and charities to select the sensible strategy.Originality/valueOur study establishes a dynamic network of edges and nodes evolving over time to analyze the strategic evolutionary paths of governments, enterprises and charities from a micro perspective. The results assist governments, enterprises and charities in making more strategic decisions.

Environmental health and human health-unifying strategies, conceptual framework and green prescriptions: a review

The intricate relationship between environmental conditions and human health is increasingly acknowledged as a critical area of public health research. As global challenges such as climate change, urbanization, and biodiversity loss become more pronounced, understanding the connections between these environmental factors and health outcomes is essential for developing effective public health strategies. This analysis delves into the complex interactions that exist between environmental influences and health, emphasizing the urgent need for integrated approaches that simultaneously promote ecological sustainability and enhance community well-being. Environmental degradation has significant implications for human health, with many deaths linked to preventable environmental health risks. These risks encompass a wide range of issues, including air and water pollution, exposure to hazardous substances, and the impacts of climate change, all of which disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. A conceptual framework is proposed to elucidate the multifaceted connections between environmental exposures, health determinants, and health outcomes, enabling a clearer understanding of how these elements interrelate. Cohesive strategies, such as the one health approach, advocate for collaboration across various sectors, including public health, veterinary health, and environmental management, to address the shared challenges of health and environmental degradation. Additionally, the principles of planetary health highlight the interdependence of ecosystems and human well-being, underscoring the need for sustainable management of natural resources to safeguard health outcomes. This article also explores the concept of "green prescriptions," which involve recommending nature-based interventions to enhance physical, mental, and social well-being. These prescriptions have demonstrated effectiveness in promoting health while fostering a sense of environmental stewardship. By synthesizing current evidence and successful case studies, this review emphasizes the significance of adopting a holistic perspective that integrates environmental considerations into healthcare practices. Ultimately, fostering collaboration among various stakeholders will contribute to the development of resilient communities that are better equipped to navigate the intertwined challenges of health and environmental sustainability.

Implementation of Good Governance as An Acceleration of Public Services at The Village Level

The slow administrative process, lack of public participation in decision-making, and low transparency and accountability in public financial management are the main problems in public services in Sungai Limau Village, Pusako District, Siak Regency. One of the efforts to improve the service system that still faces various challenges is through the implementation of good governance. This study aims to examine the implementation of good governance in public services in Sungai Limau Village, Pusako District, Siak Regency. This study uses the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) research method. The data collection method in this study involves a review of literature. After the data is collected, the analysis is carried out by filtering relevant data, presenting the data, and finally making conclusions. The findings of the study indicate that the application of good governance principles can accelerate public services at the village level, as seen in Sungai Limau Village, Pusako District, Siak Regency. Therefore, the recommendation that can be taken from this finding is the importance of implementing good governance principles consistently to enhance the standard of public services and boost community engagement and satisfaction.

Assessment of UAV-Based Deep Learning for Corn Crop Analysis in Midwest Brazil

Crop segmentation, the process of identifying and delineating agricultural fields or specific crops within an image, plays a crucial role in precision agriculture, enabling farmers and public managers to make informed decisions regarding crop health, yield estimation, and resource allocation in Midwest Brazil. The crops (corn) in this region are being damaged by wild pigs and other diseases. For the quantification of corn fields, this paper applies novel computer-vision techniques and a new dataset of corn imagery composed of 1416 256 × 256 images and corresponding labels. We flew nine drone missions and classified wild pig damage in ten orthomosaics in different stages of growth using semi-automatic digitizing and deep-learning techniques. The period of crop-development analysis will range from early sprouting to the start of the drying phase. The objective of segmentation is to transform or simplify the representation of an image, making it more meaningful and easier to interpret. For the objective class, corn achieved an IoU of 77.92%, and for background 83.25%, using DeepLabV3+ architecture, 78.81% for corn, and 83.73% for background using SegFormer architecture. For the objective class, the accuracy metrics were achieved at 86.88% and for background 91.41% using DeepLabV3+, 88.14% for the objective, and 91.15% for background using SegFormer.

Transparency and accountability in public management

Transparency is a principle that guides the administration of public resources, but it is also a right of citizens, a duty of public managers and one of the guarantees of the proper functioning of public management. One of the areas in which this principle is particularly important is the drawing up and rendering of accounts, which are an indispensable management tool, a fundamental element of citizenship, a basis for exercising the control function and an important factor in determining responsibilities. This text presents a reflection on this subject, also drawing attention to its importance in the increasingly digital world in which we live.

The Role of Predictive Analytics in Disease Prevention : A Technical Overview

This article explores the transformative potential of predictive analytics in healthcare, focusing on its applications in disease prevention and public health management. It examines the power of data integration from diverse sources, the use of predictive modeling for risk stratification, and the broader implications for public health surveillance and chronic disease management. The article also discusses the significant growth of AI in the healthcare market and highlights successful implementations of predictive analytics across various medical domains. Additionally, it addresses the key challenges in implementing these technologies, including data privacy concerns, integration issues, model accuracy, and ethical considerations. Through numerous case studies and statistical evidence, the article demonstrates how predictive analytics is revolutionizing healthcare by enabling more accurate, personalized, and proactive approaches to disease prevention and management.

RACISMO X NEGRO NA GESTÃO PÚBLICA

The presence of black people in public administration is a crucial and complex issue that is intertwined with the history of racism in Brazil. The fight for more black representation in spaces of power is a direct confrontation with the racist structures that permeate our society. The slave system, which lasted for centuries in Brazil, left deep marks on society, establishing racial hierarchies that persist to this day. For more than three centuries, slavery denied black people citizenship and any kind of political participation. This historical legacy perpetuates inequalities and prejudices, affecting the Brazilian social structure to this day. This article, through bibliographical research, seeks to understand the relationship between racism and low black representation in the Brazilian political system, analyzing how racism contributes directly to the under-representation of black people in other spheres of power and social prestige. However, this study only reinforces how fundamental it is to tackle structural racism so that, through affirmative policies, the inclusion of black people in Brazilian society can take place in a more equal way in the context of public management, enabling institutions to be more diverse and plural.

Comparative Analysis of Incentive Mechanism of Human Resource Management in Public Management and Enterprise Management

With the progress of society, the market economic system continues to develop and improve, the market environment is becoming more and more complex, and the market competition is becoming more and fiercer. Human resource management plays an increasingly prominent role in public management and enterprise management. As an important part of human resource management, incentive mechanism affects the flow of talents, work efficiency, enthusiasm, work quality and other aspects. How to improve the incentive mechanism to promote the healthy development of employees and achieve the organizational goals has become a practical problem that public organizations and enterprises must solve. This paper will focus on analyzing the differences and commonalities between the incentive mechanisms of public management and enterprise management, and then propose feasible innovation strategies and implementation paths for the incentive mechanisms of public management and enterprise management according to China's actual situation and combined with international advanced experience The purpose of this paper is to improve the two internal structure management and work efficiency and quality to meet the new requirements of future social and economic development.

Innovation and Sustainability in the Amazon with the Use of Blockchain

Objective: The general objective of this study is to model the implementation of a blockchain system for solid wastemanagement in a government agency. The specific objectives of the results are to identify the main challenges in implementing a blockchain system for solid waste management in Public Management (1); characterize the blockchain models identified in this investigation (2); and develop a blockchain system model for solid waste management in a government agency (3). Theoretical Framework: The Theory of New Public Management, discussed in Madan and Ashok (2022), is the basis of this study, considering the notes of these authors, who address the dominant paradigm in public administration. Method: This research has a qualitative or mixed approach, as it includes parametric elements based on architecture such as blockchain, supported by bibliographical research and documentary analysis. The bibliographical research was based on elements of an integrated solid waste management system, through a framework, as conceptualized in the specific topic of this study. The Content Analysis method was used to research documents and other textual or audiovisual databases on solid waste management and blockchain technology. This research method allowed us to extract relevant information from the data collected, organize it into thematic categories, and interpret it in light of the theoretical framework obtained. By applying Content Analysis, patterns, meanings, and nuances were identified that could enrich the understanding of the phenomenon studied, ensuring an in-depth and contextualized analysis. Results and Discussion: The scenario of research on solid waste management in Brazil is marked by significantchallenges that reflect the complexity of the country's socioeconomic and environmental context. According to Agência Brasil (2023), the generation of solid waste has increased alarmingly, with data from 2021 indicating that more than 80 million tons were produced, of which only 32.5% were correctly disposed of. Thisreality highlights the urgent need for effective and innovative public policies that address integrated waste management. Research Implications: The relevance of implementing a blockchain system in public governance is highlighted, considering the growing demand for innovative and sustainable solutions. Originality/Value: This study is of interest to government managers, academics involved in applied research onblockchain in waste management, politicians and other leaders committed to excellence in management, and other professionals committed to promising results in the relationship between innovation and sustainability in organizations.

Preface: 2nd International Conference on Researches in Educational Technology and Psychological Sciences (RETPS 2024)

This is the proceedings for 2024 2nd International Conference on Researches in Educational Technology and Psychological Sciences (RETPS 2024). This conference was held on October 12-13, 2024 in Houston, USA, and it was a very successful joint conference by four countries namely China, United States, Canada, and New Zealand. Papers from educational technology, public management, psychology, humanities, and social science were well represented in this volume and we hope that these contributions will continue to play a large part in future RETPS conferences. RETPS 2024 also fosters cooperation among organizations and researchers involved in the merging fields and provides in-depth technical presentations with ample opportunities for one-on-one discussions with the presenters. We wish to thank each and every member of the proceeding editors and local technical committee. Many people contributed to the success of the conference, and the organisers specially would like to thank the reviewer team. The local organisers and conference office did a splendid job, and we all enjoyed an excellent conference atmosphere. They were very patient and committed in making this conference a success. Organizing Committee of RETPS Houston, USA