Public Value Research Articles

Digital Approaches to Societal Grand Challenges: Toward a Broader Research Agenda on Managing Global-Local Design Tensions

Policy/Practice-Focused Abstract Despite considerable and continued resource investments, effective solutions to broad-scope problems of social interest or societal grand challenges (GCs) have proven to be elusive in many domains. In multiactor situations that characterize GCs, divergent goals, needs, priorities, and capabilities of global and local actors create organizing design tensions that need to be considered before solutions can be enacted. Emergent digital technologies can play an important and transformative role in addressing the organizing design tensions that pervade such collective action problems. In this article, we draw on Elinor Ostrom’s principles of public value creation and identify a set of eight organizing design tensions that arise from employing global and local perspectives in addressing GCs. We consider novel digital approaches—that involve alternative arrangements of digital and socio-political elements in GC settings—to resolving each of these design tensions. Our discussion foreshadows the considerable opportunity for information systems research to contribute to the broader dialog on GCs; inform GC-related policy and practice at global and local levels; and, more broadly, speed the identification and enactment of effective solutions to grand challenges.

Public Provision in Democratic Societies

If we hope to see values of equality and democracy embodied in our societies’ institutions, then we have a range of good reasons to favor expansive public provision of goods and services, and to oppose many forms of privatization. While Joseph Heath is right to argue that there are at least some forms of ‘anodyne privatization’, and while he is also right to argue for a more nuanced philosophical debate about the different dimensions of choice between forms of public and private provision, Heath fails to register various regards in which private provision can undermine these central public values. We often have strong egalitarian and democratic reasons to protect zones of decommodification; to resist the imposition of user-charges; and to favor insourcing and direct public procurement over various forms of outsourcing of public services. Public libraries provide a totemic illustration of some of the deep virtues of collective public provision in democratic societies. Overall, our reasons to reject privatization are stronger and more diverse than theorists such as Heath might have supposed.

Manipulativity as an object of transdisciplinary humanities knowledge

This scientific article presents a content analysis of modern research in the field of manipulation as one of the current topics of the humanitarian scientific paradigm. Manipulativeness as a multifaceted phenomenon attracts the attention of researchers from various disciplines, from psychology and sociology to political science, media communication and linguistics. The aim of the article is to bring together different approaches and research into a single transdisciplinary body of knowledge on manipulation.
 The authors analyze different aspects of manipulability, including psychological, socio-cultural and linguistic aspects, especially using the example of media discourse, where manipulation is a key element in politics and media in the modern information age.
 The focus is on the influence of media manipulation on public opinion, mood, beliefs and values. The article discusses manipulative strategies, tactics and linguistic means of implementing them in media discourse.
 This article also emphasizes the importance of educating and developing critical thinking as a means to counter manipulative strategies and the relevance of studying manipulativeness in the humanities. The authors believe that a general transdisciplinary study will contribute to a deeper understanding of manipulative behavior and help to develop strategies to effectively counter this phenomenon in modern society.

The Service of Trans Jatim Bus Transportation by means of Public Value Approarch

This study investigates the public value of the Trans Java East bus rapid transit (BRT) system, implemented to address urban congestion in Indonesia. Employing descriptive research methods with data collected through observation, interviews, and literature review, the analysis finds that while Trans Java East meets public value criteria for accessibility, affordability, and comfort, it falls short in fully mitigating congestion. Recommendations for optimization include route expansion, improved integration with other modes of transport, and enhanced operational efficiency. The study concludes that regional BRT systems, despite limitations, offer attractive mobility alternatives and require continuous development to maximize their impact on urban transport challenges. Highlight : Reduces congestion: While not a complete solution, Trans Java East offers a more attractive alternative to private vehicles, potentially easing traffic in the region. Public service fulfillment: Launched by the East Java government, this bus service aims to address the need for reliable and accessible public transportation, fulfilling a crucial responsibility. Promising, but needs improvement: The research finds Trans Java East meets public value criteria in principle, but highlights areas for development, such as further optimization of routes and schedules Keywords: East Java Trans Bus, public value, congestion, accessibility, improvement

The collective action dilemma and its solution in the governance of urban community public space—an empirical analysis from Tianjin

The governance of community public space is one of the most concerned issue of people’s livelihood, and its effectiveness determines the residents’ living experience and even the stability of the grassroots political authority. In order to explore the factors of the effectiveness of community public space governance and the path to enhance the effectiveness of community public space governance, this analysis combines the influencing factors with the three stages of identification, management and confirmation in public value management theory, and constructs an indicator system for measuring and analyzing the effectiveness of community public space governance. The fsQCA3.0 is used to analyze the data of 300 residents in Tianjin, China, after which several aims that affect the effectiveness of community public space governance are obtained. The results show that the paths of “resident trust, property management is authoritative” and “customer oriented, democratic consultation” that bring higher governance efficiency have a consistency of 0.874761 and a coverage of 0.480994, which explains well what combination of antecedent factors should be present in communities with high public space governance effectiveness. Based on this, in order to improve the governance efficiency of community public space, improving residents’ living experience and promote the modernization of China’s urban construction, the government, property management company, owners’ committee and neighborhood committee should increase investment in enhancing policy support, establishing service concepts, introducing technology and equipment, enhancing residents’ trust and establishing dispute coordination agencies.

An Analysis of the Value and Path of Empowering Public Diplomacy through Youth Training Programs --From the Perspective of Embodied Cognitive Theory

In the continuous development of people to people exchange mechanisms between China and foreign countries, overseas youth training programs in China will provide a new educational field for students to understand China's development model and social governance situation through the "unity of knowledge and action" approach. Under the guidance of different training themes, Chinese and foreign partners endow the program with unique public diplomacy value through the emphasis on young individuals, the infiltration of the environment, and the setting of scenarios. The theory of embodied cognitive theory emphasizes the influence of physical state, environment, and specific situations on the cognitive process. This theory has strong theoretical guidance significance for the itinerary design and specific implementation of overseas youth training programs in China. Short-term training programs aimed at international young audiences should strive to promote the unity of embodiment, sociality, and situational aspects from program design to training arrangements. Relevant parties need to consider macro project design, cultural training arrangements, social and civil contact, and representative training topic selection comprehensively.

Intended Involvement – How Public Organizations Struggle to Become Co-producers of New Public Values

The paper is guided by the question of how public organizations can adapt to include citizens as co-producers of public values. To answer it, eleven researchers and civil servants, all involved in the transformation of a collaborative platform encompassinga university and four different public organizations, formed a collaborative and boundary-spanning author. Building on personal expertise and situated organizational experiences we conclude that public organizations do not adapt except for specific confined areas where they can still control and command outcomes important to them. Hence, public organizations struggle to become co-producers of new public values. From the process, we also conclude that academics and civil servants together writing an academic article cannot be viewed as a fertile common ground for equal collaboration and co-production. Nevertheless, it might still work as an interesting boundary-spanning activity for arriving at shared understandings and important insights on for instance whyorganizational moves from intended to actual involvement appear difficult.

Changes in emerging mobility tool adoption: A path towards sustainability?

Emerging mobility technologies, such as car sharing, ride hailing, bike sharing, and telework have led to aspirations of sustainable transportation. But how quickly are emerging mobility tools adopted? Who is adopting them? And are they likely to replace private vehicle use? This study addresses these questions using descriptive statistics and inferential models with repeated cross-sectional data from the Southern Ontario, Canada. Findings indicate that emerging mobility tool use grew between 2016 and 2021 – especially for ride hailing and telework. In the wake of the pandemic, users experimented and there were market changes. However, evidence on the potential for emerging mobility tools to lead to sustainable transportation is underwhelming. In turn, this questions as to whether emerging mobility tools should be core components of climate policy or whether they are most compelling based on a choice-based rationale for transportation policy – wherein choice is of central public value.

Reported exposures to derived cannabis products in California before and after the 2018 federal reclassification of hemp

BackgroundAs of June 2023, a majority of states had legalized the sale of cannabis, which past research has found to be associated with increased exposures. In 2018, a change in federal policy increased access to cannabidiol (CBD) and derived psychoactive cannabis products, but there has been limited study of reported exposures following this change. MethodsThis observational retrospective study analyzed exposures involving synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) and derived cannabis products, including CBD, reported to the California Poison Control System (CPCS) from 2010 to 2022. We focused primarily on potential shifts in reported exposures before and after the implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill, which removed products derived from hemp from the Controlled Substances Act. We reviewed and hand-coded individual call records to assess reported exposures over time and their characteristics, and conducted interrupted time series analysis to assess whether exposure counts changed after policy interventions. ResultsReported CBD exposures significantly increased following the federal reclassification of hemp products. Exposure reports were most common among young children and for edibles. Exposure reports provided limited information about derived psychoactive cannabis products. ConclusionsOur findings suggest a need for improved data collection regarding derived psychoactive cannabis products, as well as potential public health value in modifying packaging regulations and in providing additional guidance to parents to help prevent CBD exposures.

Public values and sector service delivery preferences: Public preferences on contracting from simple to complex human services

AbstractNonprofit and for‐profit providers play an increasing role in public service delivery, but we know little about what shapes public service delivery preferences. Responding to calls to put the “public” back in public values theory, we examine the influence of public values on sector service delivery preferences for government, nonprofit, or for‐profit delivery across six service areas ranging from simple services such as trash collection to complex services such as child welfare. We find equity predicts a preference for government service delivery across areas, while efficiency corresponds to a preference for for‐profit service delivery. Nonprofit sector preferences varied across service areas; equity corresponds to simple services such as street maintenance, whereas effectiveness corresponds to complex human services such as elder care. Public administrators should be cognizant of the public value trade‐offs that underlie sector preferences for public services to design and implement service arrangements in line with the preferences of the public they serve.

Stability of Values and Opinions During the COVID-19 Crisis: Panel Study Data from The Maldives

The underlying assumption of the present COVID-19 crisis is that it can profoundly change the public values and opinions during its various phases leading to permanent societal and economic changes. This research is part of a longitudinal study of values in a crisis during the different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. The same set of respondents from the wave 1 of Values in Crisis (VIC) survey of May 2020 (n=1026) were invited to participate in wave 2 in November 2021, achieving a response rate of 60.0% (n=615). To check the stability of values, Kendall’s tau-b coefficient was used to estimate the correlation coefficient to measure the strength of association of selected variables. These include national pride, political orientation, faith, social trust, financial satisfaction, work-life balance, satisfaction with life and social relations, health, trust in institutions, and social cohesion. The main findings indicate that, during the two years of the crisis, values and opinions remained largely stable in the Maldives. The research concludes with reflections drawn and opens avenues for debate for social science practitioners expecting drastic changes in people’s values and opinions due to the COVID-19 crisis.

The world turned upside down: Can international student mobility contribute towards democratization and human development? Evidence from the Eurograduate pilot survey

AbstractPolitical, social, environmental, and health challenges have questioned the relevance and sustainability of international student mobility (ISM). Strong critiques towards ISM stem from current global challenges but are also rightfully prevalent among scholars of internationalization. In response to the sustained critique of ISM, this article makes the case that—despite its limitations—ISM can contribute towards important public good outcomes and serve broader institutional and higher education sector aims. Public good is operationalized as referring to markers of democratization—trust in others and political participation—and markers of human development—self-reported competency levels and happiness. Data from eight European countries collected through the Eurograduate 2018 pilot survey is used to test the association between study abroad and democratization and human development markers. By doing so, the paper aims to understand if ISM can help address some of the democratization and human development challenges faced at national, regional, and global levels. The paper also observes how these outcomes vary between international, migrant, and domestic graduates. In this article, the juxtaposition of migrant graduates—an under-researched group in internationalization studies—with international graduates highlights how migrant students and graduates can be better supported. Results offer a complex picture of inequality between international, migrant, and domestic graduates. Findings also show that studying abroad is positively associated with trust in others, political participation, higher self-reported competency levels, and happiness, underlining the public good value of ISM.

United States Federal Employee Development in Turbulent Times: Using Job Demands-Resources Theory to Explain Changes in Perceived Performance and Turnover Intention During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Under conditions of organizational turbulence, it is crucial to staff organizations with public servants who feel committed and capable of creating public value. However, managers may neglect training and development during turbulent times while they attempt to protect the technical core of the agency. This study draws on job demands-resources theory (JD-R) to understand the role of job-related training and resources on perceived work unit performance and turnover intention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the 2020 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS), I find that workers who reported needing, but not receiving, training or resources to cope with new work roles were more likely to report a deterioration in their work unit’s performance and to report new intentions to leave their job. These effects were stronger when an employee’s demands increased over the pandemic. The findings emphasize the importance of balancing demands and resources as organizational leaders react to turbulent conditions.

Navigating the AI frontiers in cardiovascular research: a bibliometric exploration and topic modeling.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a promising field in cardiovascular disease (CVD) research, offering innovative approaches to enhance diagnosis, treatment, and patient outcomes. In this study, we conducted bibliometric analysis combined with topic modeling to provide a comprehensive overview of the AI research landscape in CVD. Our analysis included 23,846 studies from Web of Science and PubMed, capturing the latest advancements and trends in this rapidly evolving field. By employing LDA (Latent Dirichlet Allocation) we identified key research themes, trends, and collaborations within the AI-CVD domain. The findings revealed the exponential growth of AI-related research in CVD, underscoring its immense potential to revolutionize cardiovascular healthcare. The annual scientific publication of machine learning papers in CVD increases continuously and significantly since 2016, with an overall annual growth rate of 22.8%. Almost half (46.2%) of the growth happened in the last 5 years. USA, China, India, UK and Korea were the top five productive countries in number of publications. UK, Germany and Australia were the most collaborative countries with a multiple country publication (MCP) value of 42.8%, 40.3% and 40.0% respectively. We observed the emergence of twenty-two distinct research topics, including "stroke and robotic rehabilitation therapy," "robotic-assisted cardiac surgery," and "cardiac image analysis," which persisted as major topics throughout the years. Other topics, such as "retinal image analysis and CVD" and "biomarker and wearable signal analyses," have recently emerged as dominant areas of research in cardiovascular medicine. Convolutional neural network appears to be the most mentioned algorithm followed by LSTM (Long Short-Term Memory) and KNN (K-Nearest Neighbours). This indicates that the future direction of AI cardiovascular research is predominantly directing toward neural networks and image analysis. As AI continues to shape the landscape of CVD research, our study serves as a comprehensive guide for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, providing valuable insights into the current state of AI in CVD research. This study offers a deep understanding of research trends and paves the way for future directions to maximiz the potential of AI to effectively combat cardiovascular diseases.

Using a Public Value Management theory to identify features of citizen-centric e-governance in Namibia

Using a Public Value Management theory to identify features of citizen-centric e-governance in Namibia

A public value-based model to understand patients' adoption of eHealth: Theoretical underpinnings and empirical application.

The main objective of this study is to develop an eHealth adoption model based on patients' perceptions of public value dimensions and empirically apply the model to understand the adoption of a governmental health app by Jordanian patients. The study attempts to contribute to overcoming the narrow focus of contemporary theories such as UTAUT and, ultimately, to designing more effective implementation strategies in order to address the current delays in global eHealth adoption. We conducted a quantitative survey of 430 Jordanian patients, utilizing structural equation modeling (SEM) to process the empirical data. Specifically, we applied an SEM two-step approach that involved (a) evaluating the model-data fit through a review of the measurement model(s) and common method bias; and (b) analyzing the structural model. Our findings confirm that the proposed patients' value scale is valid and reliable. Its five dimensions (hedonistic motivation, utilitarian motivation, social value, ethical public value, and public trust value) significantly correlate with patients' public value, and the latter directly affects their use of eHealth apps, with habits mediating this relationship. Among the dimensions, hedonistic motivations tend to be prioritized over utilitarian ones. Ethical and trust values also play an essential role, particularly in how health technology handles patients' data and upholds their dignity and self-esteem. This study highlights the holistic nature of eHealth adoption by patients and the crucial role of public values in their use behavior. It provides useful insights for policymakers and developers.

Public value of using fintech services’ mobile applications: Citizens’ perspective in a Jordan setting

Measuring the performance of Fintech services on mobile apps (FSMA) is considered a major key to sustain, develop, and improve financial services and their processes, depending on users’ standpoints on digital platforms. Public value aims at enhancing the performance of government institutions services. Throughout the current research, authors have suggested a novel way to evaluate the performance and management of FSMA by theorizing a new conceptual framework entitled Public Value of Fintech Services’ Mobile Apps (PV-FSMA). A quantitative approach was chosen to measure several factors influencing the use of FSMA and evaluate the degree of public value of FSMA among Jordanians. The structural equation model was conducted based on the results of the PV-FSMA model hypotheses. The results confirmed that FSMA-intention to use (FSMA-ITU) and its predictors: FSMA-usefulness (FSMA-US), FSMA-awareness (FSMA-AR), FSMA-security (FSMA-SE), FSMA-social influence (FSMA-IS), and FSMA-system quality (FSMA-SQ) except FSMA-ease of use (FSMA-ES) are valuable determinants of PV-FSMA. The article presents theoretical implications regarding financial services and public value theories and practical implications regarding public institution leaders, managers, and information technology specialists in the Fintech domain to improve the quality and performance of FSMA in Jordan.

Reassessing potential economic value and health impact of effective Shigella vaccines.

The gram-negative bacterium Shigella is a leading cause of diarrheal morbidity and mortality in children in low- and middle-income countries. Several promising vaccine candidates are in late stages of clinical development against this increasingly antibiotic-resistant pathogen. However, considering the increasingly crowded and costly paediatric immunization schedule, and likely advent of other important new vaccines, it is unclear whether introduction of a Shigella vaccine would represent a high priority for international agencies or health ministries in low- and middle-income countries. To determine whether there is a compelling public health value proposition for a Shigella vaccine, we used the World Health Organization's Full Value of Vaccine Assessment analytic framework and formulated five broad scientific, policy, economic and commercial-related propositions regarding the development of a Shigella vaccine. We also explored the current regulatory, clinical, policy and commercial challenges to a Shigella-containing combination vaccine development and adoption. Through a series of literature reviews, expert consultations, social science field studies and model-based analyses, we addressed each of these propositions. As described in a series of separate publications that are synthesized here, we concluded that the economic and public health value of a Shigella vaccine may be greater than previously recognized, particularly if it is found to also be effective against less severe forms of diarrheal disease and childhood stunting. The decision by pharmaceutical companies to develop a standalone vaccine or a multipathogen combination will be a key factor in determining its relative prioritization by various stakeholders in low- and middle-income countries.

Zwischen „Royal Charter“ und „Public Value“. Praxisnahe Perspektiven aus Österreich und Großbritannien

The debates, differentiations and dimensions of public media institutions have been part of an intense debate for years, not only in Germany - in the private sector, among the (political) public and in the media industry itself. These debates are emotional and focus primarily on reforms, savings potential, and independence. In view of developments unfolding at the BBC and ORF, Anette Dittert, ARD studio head in London, and Klaus Unterberger, head of the “Public Value” staff unit at ORF, depict their assessments and perspectives from the UK and Austria.

Video Games As Deep Media: Challenges During The Russian-Ukrainian War

Introduction. The concept of “deep media” offers a valuable perspective on understanding modern media, with video games particularly noteworthy for their immersive and interactive nature. Relevance. Given the growth of the video game industry and its intersection with media, ethical and regulatory inquiries are pertinent, especially in light of events like the russian-Ukrainian war, where military-themed video games play a role of resistance in information wars. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the role of video games as deep media during the russian-Ukrainian war. Methodology. Employing scientific literature analysis, terminological scrutiny, comparative and cultural analyses, alongside examination of visual and textual aspects of computer games depicting the war. Results. The study scrutinizes the concept of deep media and identifies challenges surrounding the use of video games for resistance amidst information warfare due to russian aggression in Ukraine. Video games depicting the invasion serve as platforms for information dissemination and counter-propaganda. Leveraging video games as deep immersive media necessitates careful regulation, given their roles as cultural artifacts, tools of mass influence, and commercial products. Ethical and regulatory frameworks are vital for governing game design in media landscapes. Conclusions. Video games exhibit characteristics aligning with deep media, capable of captivating audiences, conveying complex narratives, and shaping cultural discourse. The convergence of media and gaming industries underscores the need for regulatory oversight, balancing artistic freedom, commercial interests, and public values.