Public Value Research Articles

Noneconomic public value creation by private ventures: scale development and empirical validation in the academic entrepreneurship context

AbstractPublic value as such and contributions to public value by entrepreneurial universities have been of increasing interest to scholars over the past two decades. However, due to the lack of an adequate measurement scale, scholars have yet to link these research streams properly. While public value research acknowledges the multidimensionality of the construct, academic entrepreneurship research has rather approximated it using different unidimensional economic proxies. As a consequence, there is limited scholarly consensus about public value creation through spin-offs and other academic start-ups. To mitigate this issue and complement existing proxies, our study develops and validates a measure of noneconomic public value creation in the academic entrepreneurship context, capturing the subdimensions of social value creation, customer value creation, and efficient value creation. We employ a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. The initial item pool incorporates relevant prior literature and insights from multiple pretests. Using two comprehensive surveys of academic entrepreneurs from Germany and Austria, we quantitatively confirm the reliability and validity of the final three-dimensional 11-item scale and its applicability to the intended context. Furthermore, we pave the way for future research by examining how the university entrepreneurial climate relates to public value creation.

Revitalizing Heritage: The Role of Urban Morphology in Creating Public Value in China’s Historic Districts

In the context of historical districts becoming a key to the urban transformation and high-quality development of Chinese cities, this paper investigates the regeneration of historic environments in China, emphasizing the creation of public value through urban morphology. By analyzing five distinct case studies—Chengdu KuanZhai Alley, Shanghai TianZiFang Alley, Guangzhou EnNing Road, Taiyuan ZhongLou Street, and Beijing NanLuoGu Alley—this study explores the relationship between urban form and public value creation from 2000 to 2020. The research posits that the spatial attribute of “public nature” is central to the regeneration process, highlighting the importance of understanding how urban spaces can foster community engagement and social interaction. An evaluation system is constructed to assess the regeneration of historic areas based on spatial “publicness” and people’s perceptions, addressing the need for a more nuanced approach to urban planning. The findings reveal that effective urban regeneration not only preserves historical significance but also enhances the quality of public spaces, thereby contributing to social equity and cultural integrity. This study aims to provide valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers, advocating for a public value-oriented approach to the renewal of historic districts that balances economic development with the preservation of cultural heritage. The integration of public value concepts into heritage management is crucial for creating vibrant urban environments that resonate with community needs and aspirations.

People, personalisation, prominence: A framework for analysing the PSM shift to digital portals and interrogating universality across contexts

In the context of enhanced platformisation, Public Service Media (PSM) are once again forced to rethink the ways in which they achieve core public values. To this end, PSM have been prioritising the development of their own video-on-demand portals. To contribute to ongoing research, we propose a theoretical framework that can be applied by future PSM work, based on the operationalisation of platformisation in PSM policy documents and strategy. We identify the shared priorities across ten media organisations in seven media markets: Belgium—Flanders and Wallonia-Brussels, Canada, Denmark, Italy, Poland, and the UK. The study is based on the qualitative analysis of 61 documents, outlining the PSM remit and how they report and present themselves to governments, collaborators, and audiences, contextualised by ongoing national and regional debates. Findings confirm that the framework of people, personalisation, and prominence can serve as a useful theoretical basis for understanding and interrogating universality across contexts.

Re-wilding the Night: Understanding How Darkness Is Valued Through the Nighttime Light Ecology of Bonn Botanical Gardens

Rewilding the Night is an interdisciplinary research project that aims to reimagine the urban night by capturing and communicating the qualities and rhythms of both artificial and natural light at night. Through a collaborative and experimental approach, the project seeks to make the urban night legible by employing sensor technologies and data visualization techniques, thus fostering a deeper engagement with and appreciation for urban darkness. The project has three aims—first, to capture and analyse environmental light data in Bonn Botanical Gardens, Germany to create an accessible understanding of the variations in natural and artificial nighttime light. Second, to use this groundwork to inform subsequent workshops to capture public perceptions and values regarding darkness; and third, to develop lighting prototypes that respond to light data and the insights gained through the workshops. Central to the project is the re-evaluation of urban darkness by questioning and expanding the normative frameworks surrounding urban lighting. The project underscores the importance of interdisciplinary research and design in addressing complex urban challenges, offering a model for future research aimed at creating more livable, sustainable, and inclusive urban night environments for both humans and non-humans.

Survey of Citizens' Preferences for Combined Contact Tracing App Features During a Pandemic: Conjoint Analysis.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, an increased need for novel solutions such as digital contact tracing apps to mitigate virus spread became apparent. These apps have the potential to enhance public health initiatives through timely contact tracing and infection rate reduction. However, public and academic scrutiny has emerged around the adoption and use of these apps due to privacy concerns. This study aims to investigate public attitudes and preferences for contact tracing apps, specifically in Japan, using conjoint analysis to examine what specifications the public values most in such apps. By offering a nuanced understanding of the values that citizens prioritize, this study can help balance public health benefits and data privacy standards when designing contact tracing apps and serve as reference data for discussions on legal development and social consensus formation in the future. A cross-sectional, web-based questionnaire survey was conducted to determine how various factors related to the development and integration of infectious disease apps affect the public's intention to use such apps. Individuals were recruited anonymously by a survey company. All respondents were asked to indicate their preferences for a combination of basic attributes and infectious disease app features for conjoint analysis. The respondents were randomly divided into 2 groups: one responded to a scenario where the government was assumed to be the entity dealing with infectious disease apps (ie, the government cluster), and the other responded to a scenario where a commercial company was assumed to be this entity (ie, the business cluster). Samples of 500 respondents from each randomly selected group were used as target data. For the government cluster, the most important attribute in scenario A was distributor rights (42.557), followed by public benefits (29.458), personal health benefits (22.725), and profit sharing (5.260). For the business cluster, the most important attribute was distributor rights (45.870), followed by public benefits (32.896), personal health benefits (13.994), and profit sharing (7.240). Hence, personal health benefits tend to be more important in encouraging active app use than personal financial benefits. However, the factor that increased motivation for app use the most was the public health benefits of cutting infections by half. Further, concern about the use of personal data collected by the app for any secondary purpose was a negative incentive, which was more significant toward app use compared to the other 3 factors. The findings suggest that potential app users are positively motivated not only by personal health benefits but also by contributing to public health. Thus, a combined approach can be taken to increase app use.

How leisure involvement impacts visitors’ perceived health benefits in urban forest parks: examining the moderating role of place attachment

Urban forest park leisure is a significant means for residents to achieve health and well-being, thus possessing high public health value. However, the relationship between visitors’ leisure involvement and perceived health benefits has not been clarified. This study introduced restorative experiences and positive emotions as mediators and place attachment as a psychological moderator, innovatively constructing a stimulus-organism-response-moderator (SORM) integrated model. This moderated mediation model aimed to examine the mechanism through which visitors’ leisure involvement influenced perceived health benefits. A field survey was conducted in Fuzhou National Forest Park in Fujian, China, resulting in the collection of 588 valid questionnaires. The results showed that visitors’ leisure involvement positively impacted restorative experiences and positive emotions. Restorative experiences and positive emotions completely mediated the indirect relationship between visitors’ leisure involvement and perceived health benefits. Place attachment enhanced the impact of restorative experiences on perceived health benefits, thereby positively moderating the mediation effect of restorative experiences. Place attachment also diminished the impact of positive emotions on perceived health benefits, thereby negatively moderating the mediation effect of positive emotions. Therefore, significant differences existed in the psychological processes involved in acquiring perceived health benefits among visitors with different levels of place attachment. Our findings might enrich the existing knowledge of place attachment and forest health benefits, providing valuable references for designing and optimizing urban forest parks.

Dynamic capabilities in the public sector: Research agenda in the context of digital transformation

Dynamic capabilities, which were initially developed for the private sector but have increasingly been applied to public sector organizations, can be used to frame the analysis of digital transformation. This article considers the research agenda on the capabilities enabling public sector organizations to implement digital transformation, manage multi-stakeholder collaborations, and improve service delivery in a changing environment. There are five emerging areas of dynamic capabilities in the public sector: conceptual discussion, management and performance, measurement frameworks, innovation and public value creation, and digital transformation. Future research agendas should focus on understanding multiple actors involved in the digital transition, and longitudinal and comparative studies.

Policing, Technology, and Public Values: A Public Administration Research Agenda

Policing, Technology, and Public Values: A Public Administration Research Agenda

Artifacts of Glory and Pain: Evolving Cultural Narratives on Confederate Symbolism and Commemoration in a New Era of Social Justice

The American Civil War has been commemorated with a great variety of monuments, memorials, and markers. These monuments were erected for a variety of reasons, beginning with memorialization of the fallen and later to honor aging veterans, commemoration of significant anniversaries associated with the conflict, memorialization of sites of conflict, and celebration of the actions of military leaders. Sources reveal that during both the Jim Crow and Civil Rights eras, many monuments were erected as part of an organized propaganda campaign to terrorize African American communities and distort the past by promoting a “Lost Cause” narrative. Through subsequent decades, to this day, complex and emotional narratives have surrounded interpretive legacies of the Civil War. Instruments of commemoration, through both physical and digital intervention approaches, can be provocative and instructive, as the country deals with a slavery legacy and the commemorated objects and spaces surrounding Confederate inheritances. Today, all of these potential factors and outcomes, with internationally relevance, are surrounded by swirls of social and political contention and controversy, including the remembering/forgetting dichotomies of cultural heritage. In this article, drawing from the testimony of scholars and artists, I address the conceptual landscape of approaches to the presentation and evolving participatory narratives of Confederate monuments that range from absolute expungement and removal to more restrained ideas such as in situ re-contextualization, removal to museums, and preservation-in-place. I stress not so much the academic debate but how the American public is informed about and reacts to the various issues related to Confederate memorialization. My main point, where my premise stands out in the literature, is that, for the sake of posterity, and our ability to connect and engage with a tangible in situ artifact, not all Confederate statues should be taken down. Some of them, or remnants of them, should be preserved as sites of conscience and reflection, with their social and political meanings ongoing and yet to be determined in the future. The modern dilemma turns on the question: In today’s new era of social justice, are these monuments primarily symbols of oppression, or can we see them, in select cases, alternatively as sites of conscience and reflection encompassing more inclusive conversations about commemoration? What we conserve and assign as the ultimate public value of these monuments rests with how we answer this question.

Navigating the legal uncertainty around the governance of an integrated energy system using the values of the energy transition and energy justice

AbstractIn order to realise the European Union's (EU) transition to clean and carbon‐neutral energy systems, various individual infrastructure systems and energy networks will have to coordinate and operate as an integrated energy system. Traditionally, these different infrastructure systems operate within their own sectors and are governed by separate legal regimes. The intersection of these different legal rules and interests creates regulatory uncertainty and risk for infrastructure operators and can dissuade operators from participating in system integration. This paper explores how infrastructure operators can overcome the legal uncertainty and regulatory risks of operating as an integrated system, whilst also ensuring that the policy objectives of the energy transition are realised. This paper argues that, by pursuing public values and energy justice principles, infrastructure operators will overcome the legal uncertainty surrounding system integration. By doing so, infrastructure operators will facilitate the realisation of an energy transition that is just, inclusive and in the public interest.

What do the sustainable development goals reveal, and are they sufficient for sustainable development?

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015 represent the current perceptions of humans regarding understanding and monitoring development. Achieving all 17 goals simultaneously is unrealistic. Considering the interconnected nature of SDGs, identifying their critical dimensions, goals, indicators, and mutual relationships is necessary. In addition, with increasing reservations about the sustainability of SDGs, it is crucial to explore consistency across different dimensions to ensure policy coherence in maximizing synergies and minimizing trade-offs. Our study employed multiple factor analysis (MFA) and hierarchical clustering on principal components (HCPC) to investigate these issues and analyze the results based on the public value (PV) theory. The results indicated that the Human Development Index (HDI) and gross domestic product per capita (GDPP) constitute the first principal component (PC) and are determinants in differentiating country clusters. However, they contradict environmental indicators such as CO2 emissions per capita and ecological footprint gha per person (EFP) and have low synergy with the Happy Planet Index (HPI). Additionally, the relationships between income level, inequality, and environmental quality correspond to a combined Kuznets curve and an environmental Kuznets curve (EKC). Moreover, governance capacity has become increasingly crucial in sustainable development, particularly in the capability to prioritize different PVs in a timely and strategic manner. Finally, despite the novelty of EFP and HPI, they cannot reveal the entire development story. SDGs require embracing more such indicators to enrich the value bases of development and achieve a sustainable future.

Smart Cities, Digital Inequalities, and the Challenge of Inclusion

While cities on a global scale embrace smartness as a roadmap for efficient urban governance, disparities persist in the domain of digital accessibility, literacy, and skills, with manifestations of digital exclusion, ageism, and ableism prevalent in most digital urban experiences. Despite their commitment to bridging the digital divide, governments lack comprehensive frameworks to inform policymaking and action for inclusion in smart cities. This review paper aims to deepen the understanding of the multifaceted challenges confronting the governance of inclusion in smart cities. Drawing from a review of research encompassing digital inclusion, digital transitions, smart cities, and urban governance, we discuss who is included and excluded in the governance of smart cities; what are the necessary conditions to be met for smart cities to be considered inclusive; and how can smart city governance deliver public value and equal benefits for all. As a novel contribution, this paper outlines a reflective framework to inform citizen inclusion in the governance of smart cities. This framework is meant to act as a starting point in the design of inclusive digital urban policies, and can also be employed to assess the directions taken to date in public organizations towards more inclusive urban practices.

Real-World Assessment of Economic and Clinical Outcomes in Thai Patients With Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection Across Age Groups: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an important cause of acute lower respiratory infections worldwide, including Thailand. This study aimed to assess clinical and economic burdens of RSV infections across different age groups in Thailand. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from a tertiary care hospital from 2014 to 2021. Patients who tested at least one positive RSV were included and stratified into five age groups (< 2, 2-5, 5-18, 18-65, and > 65 years). Healthcare resource utilization, direct medical costs, and clinical outcomes were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Generalized linear models with gamma distributions and log link were used to model cost outcomes. Costs were reported in 2021 US dollars (USD), with 1 USD = 31.98 Thai Baht. A total of 2122 RSV-positive patients were identified, half of which (1097) were hospitalized. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) total hospitalization costs ranged from USD780 (IQR: USD488-USD1185) in those < 2 years to USD2231 (IQR: USD1250-USD4989) in those aged 65+ years. Case fatality rates among hospitalized patients also varied from 2.5% to 28.4% depending on age. Increased age, presence of comorbidities, and need for critical care were associated with higher hospitalization costs. Among RSV-positive patients, younger children experienced the greatest burden, but poorer outcomes were observed in older adults. Higher costs were associated with older age, comorbidities and critical care needs. Understanding RSV economic burdens is crucial for assessing the cost-effectiveness and public health value of vaccination programs that prioritize at-risk groups to mitigate the public health impact.

Klang Valley Property Development and Construction Industry: A Case Study of Public Value Creation

Klang Valley Property Development and Construction Industry: A Case Study of Public Value Creation

Factors related to the collaboration of cadres in stunting prevention

In the implementation of stunting prevention, the lack of cooperation between stunting cadres, no direct communication media and no one who facilitates the cooperation of stunting cadres to carry out data collection tasks as indicators of stunting achievement and for stunting prevention. This can result in repeated data collection, unequal data, and irrelevant data accuracy. Stunting cadres, who are community health workers selected and trained to monitor and prevent stunting at the village level, play a crucial role in these efforts. If stunting cadres collaborate, the performance of both will be more effective and efficient. This study aims to find out the factors related to the collaboration of stunting cadres in stunting prevention efforts. A quantitative research method with a cross-sectional study design was employed. The research sample consisted of 63 stunting cadres. Data analysis was conducted using univariate and bivariate analysis. The results showed that variables such as trust (p-value 0.032), communication (p-value 0.021), agreement (p-value 0.002) and added public value (p-value 0.001) were significantly related to the collaboration of stunting cadres. The conclusion of this study is that stunting cadre collaboration is important in stunting prevention efforts and has an impact on optimizing stunting prevention programs.

Association between dietary fiber intake and suicidal ideation: a cross-sectional survey.

Dietary fiber is beneficial for improving mental health. However, few studies have evaluated the relationship between fiber-rich food and suicidal ideation. Thus, we aimed to assess whether dietary fiber consumption was associated with the risk of suicidal ideation. Data of 21,865 American adults were retrieved from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Logistic and restricted cubic spline regression analyses were performed in order to evaluate the association of dietary fiber intake with suicidal ideation, as indicated by item nine of the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). These analyses took into consideration several confounding factors that may potentially influence the results. Herein, we detected an L-shaped association between dietary fiber intake and the risk of suicidal ideation. For the most conclusive model, an increase of 1 g/1000 kcal/d in dietary fiber intake was accompanied by a 5% reduction in the risk of suicidal ideation. The inflection point of the L-shaped association was located at 7.8 g/1000 kcal/d. When dietary fiber intake exceeded the above level, the risk of suicidal ideation no longer decreased. Our findings of reduced risk of suicidal ideation in people with higher dietary fiber intake suggest the potential clinical and public health value of dietary fiber. Interventional investigations are warranted to prove whether adhering to a high-fiber diet prevents and reduces suicidality.

Maturity model for evaluating integrity management in public procurement

This article presents the maturity model for evaluating integrity management in public procurement developed from national and international practices for identifying, assessing, and mitigating integrity risks. The model consists of 30 assessment questions weighed across four maturity levels. It was formulated through a comprehensive literature review and validated in four Brazilian public agencies at municipal, state, and federal levels. This model allows for self-assessment of key weaknesses and strengths in contractual risk management and supports the continuous improvement process of internal controls to preserve public value.

Collaboration of Stakeholders and AI in The Implementation of New Public Service in The Digital Era

This study emphasizes the importance of applying the New Public Service (NPS) concept in public service management in the digital era through a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of five articles from Scopus (2021-2024). The analysis indicates that NPS can enhance the quality of public services in an inclusive, collaborative, and responsive manner. NPS promotes stakeholder collaboration, AI integration in services, and citizen involvement in public value creation. The main challenges in implementing NPS are bureaucratic cultural resistance and insufficient policy dissemination. This study underscores the need for leaders to develop strong commitment, improve effective communication, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and involve the community in the transition towards NPS. Furthermore, the research highlights the necessity of an integrated public service ecosystem framework to facilitate collaboration among the government, private sector, and society, providing innovative solutions to public service challenges in the digital era.

The co-creation of public value: city and architecture design as a common good

The co-creation of public value: city and architecture design as a common good

Ensuring sustainable impact of the national report on climate change and health in Germany 2023

Abstract Issue/problem The Robert Koch Institute recently coordinated a status report on climate change and health for Germany, detailing the current and future impact of climate change on health through 14 chapters. Description of the problem A central aim was to ensure the report’s long-term impact and public health value. Essential areas of focus have therefore been stakeholder-specific communication and establishing a network of experts for continued scientific exchange. Results The publication of the report as peer-reviewed articles has served to reach the scientific community. Another target group are public health practitioners and decision makers at subnational levels, who can contribute towards climate change mitigation and adaptation measures relevant to health, as recommended in the report. This latter group was reached through various methods and formats of science communication, including conferences aimed at the public health sector, through target-group oriented podcasts, social media engagement and digital town hall discussions. Following publication, the experts involved in writing, reviewing and using the report were invited to establish a network in order to support long-term scientific exchange and collaborations and in turn ensure the report’s sustainable impact and value. Lessons Through follow-up evaluations, the reception of the report and the further communication needs of this target group were analysed. A major lesson was to include the insights of public health practitioners more systematically and at an earlier stage in any future reports. As for the establishment of a network, a survey amongst the authors and other experts showed what this group considers the goals of this network: creating synergies and connections with existing initiatives and providing a platform for further exchange, especially amongst researchers addressing similar questions, such as the efficacy of mitigation and adaptation measures, from different angles. Key messages • Local public health practitioners are important stakeholders for climate change and health for ensuring public health impact. • The expertise in the network will support continued scientific exchange on climate change and health and thus ensure the national report’s sustainability.