Quasi-governmental Organizations Research Articles

Does only performance feedback matter in public organizations? Testing the moderating role of directional managerial networking on performance improvement

ABSTRACT Public management scholarship emphasizes the impact of performance feedback on organizational responses, but little attention is paid to the role of managerial networking. We use panel data of Korean quasi-governmental organizations (quangos) to examine these responses and the moderating effects of directional managerial networking. Findings reveal that negative feedback consistently leads to performance improvement, while positive feedback has adverse effects. Downward networking enhances improvement in low-performing organizations, whereas outward networking alleviates performance stagnation in high-performing organizations. This research contributes to the public management literature by offering a more nuanced understanding of organizational responses to feedback and the significance of managerial networking.

Top executives’ discretion and organizational performance: Analysis of quasi-governmental organizations in Korean government

This study has examined the impacts of top executives’ discretion on organizational performance in public organizations. We analyzed longitudinally collected data from quasi-governmental organizations in Korea. The results show that top executives’ managerial discretion has an inverted U-shape relationship with the overall performance of organizations. The marginal effect of top executives’ discretion on organizational performance was negative. This suggests that the benefits from top executives’ discretion decrease as the level of managerial discretion increases. The greater discretion of top executives in project management was more likely to yield desirable outcomes for organizations. Top executives’ discretion did not significantly affect customer satisfaction and transparency of organizations. Points for practitioners This study has empirically shown that there exists an inverted U-shape relationship between managerial discretion and organizational performance. It is necessary to let public managers exercise their discretion in managing their businesses given that flexibility and innovativeness in decision making serve key roles in effective organizational management in highly turbulent organizational contexts. It will also be important to properly monitor public managers’ discretionary authority to avoid unintended negative consequences of discretion.

공기업의 법적 개념에 관한 연구

In the 2021 research service report “Estimation of the GDP share of public institutions” issued by the National Assembly Budget Office, there are many differences in the definition of public institutions and the availability of basic statistical data, so the “definition of public institutions” hinders the creation of statistical data. indicating that it is happening. If the creation of statistics, which is extremely important in modern society, is hindered by legal definition, it can be said that the responsibility of legal scholars has played a significant role. Although the legal concept of public enterprise has improved a lot in recent years, the influence of the anachronistic Otto Mayer’s concept is still ubiquitous. In the European Union, where most of the civil law countries are located, the Commission noted in 1980, precisely this criterion, qualifying as public any undertaking over which the public authorities may exercise directly or indirectly a dominant influence on the property, the financial participation or the rules they impose. Otto Mayer used the word “établissement public” interchangeably with the word public enterprise(“entreprise publique”), referring to a public enterprise as “the sum total of material or human means for the purpose of continuously serving a specified public interest in the hands of a public administration.”
 In France, it was the Blanco decision in 1873 that public service was declared as criterion to the “Droit Administratif” in the administrative litigation, and public service was divided into administrative public service and commercial and industrial public service. Since it was the 1921, West African Commercial Society decision, the commercial and industrial public service activities was excluded from the subject of administrative action and became the subject of civil suit. Otto Mayer understood public service as public service, which is the public administration activity that is subject to administrative suit in its entirety, that is, the public enterprise he expressed.(“entreprise publique”). Until World War I, public corporations as corporations that we understand today had been laissez-faire based on the concept of “the night watch state (Etat gendarme),” and due to the general mobilization nature of World War I, the state did not intervene extensively in the economy. At the beginning, due to the nationalization of private companies to wage war, public corporations began to become popular, and after the end of World War I, the West African commercial society judgment in 1921 made the activities of public corporations the subject of civil law suits. So, today’s organic concept of a public enterprise and Otto Mayer's concept of an operative nature must be disconnected. The word “public enterprise patent” used by Otto Meyer also refers to today's public service patents of an administrative nature, such as patents on eminent domain, which is a completely different concept from today's public corporations consisting of commercial and industrial corporations and joint stock companies under commercial law. Therefore, it should no longer be used.
 The Act on the Operation of Public Institutions is not an Basic Law. It is a plan to classify public corporations and quasi-governmental organizations based on the proportion of their own revenues out of total revenues, rather than classifying public corporations and quasi-governmental organizations based on their respective legal characteristics. As a convenient idea only for financial control by the Ministry of Finance, it is necessary to seek a control method corresponding to the classification according to the legal nature. The Local Public Enterprise Act confuses public corporations in the functional and organizational senses from their definition. Administrative law evolves in line with political and socioeconomic changes.

한·영·일 주민자치회 제도의 비교에 관한 연구

In this paper, we analyzed the development process of the resident association system in Korea and tried to derive strategic implications for the resident association system in Korea by comparing the resident association system in the United Kingdom and Japan, which are developed countries for resident autonomy. In Chapter 2, the current status and progress of the residents' associations were analyzed through “Introduction of the resident autonomy center and resident autonomy committee under the Kim Dae-jung administration”, “Introduction of the resident autonomy association under the Lee Myung-bak administration”, and “Pilot implementation of the resident autonomy association according to the standard ordinance of the Ministry of Public Administration and Security”. In Chapter 3, the difference was analyzed by comparing the Parish of England, Ichikai in Japan, and Korea's Residents' Autonomous Association. In Chapter 4, the implications of Korea's residents' autonomous association were drawn through the comparison of the Korean and residents' autonomous association systems of the England and Japan. From advanced cases such as the England and Japan, the strategic implication of Korea's residents' autonomous association is that, first, in terms of the installation unit of the residents' autonomous association, it is necessary to reorganize the residents' autonomous association by reducing the unit of eup, myeon, or dong, or to introduce a resident's autonomous association in the unit of tonri or apartment. Second, in terms of the institutional composition of residents' autonomous associations, it is necessary to recognize the status of quasi-governmental organizations as local divisions of residents' autonomous associations in eup, myeon, and dong. In addition, the legislative right, organizational right, office handling right, financial right, etc. stipulated by the ordinance should be gradually transferred to the residents' association. Third, in terms of the functions and affairs of the Residents' Autonomy Council, it is necessary to expand the subject of residents' autonomy by separately regulating the autonomous affairs through the revision of the Decentralization Act, etc. Fourth, in terms of financial resources for residents' autonomous associations, it is necessary to secure independent financial resources such as membership fees, public facility usage fees, and rental income. Lastly, in terms of residents' autonomy councils (associations), in order to vitalize the operation of city, county and district residents' autonomy councils, it is necessary to strengthen the capacity of management and strengthen financial power through membership fees and financial support from local governments.

Quasi-Governmental Organization’s ESG Approach for Sustainability: From the Perspective of KOFPI’s Social Value Indicator

한국임업진흥원은 우수한 경영성과를 인정받고 있는 준정부기관으로서 공공기관 혁신의 우수사례로 인정받고 있다. 탁월한 경영성과를 바탕으로 기획재정부의 공공기관 경영평가에서 2015년부터 2021년까지 7년 연속 종합등급 A등급을 획득하기도 하였다. 또한, 경제적 성과 뿐만 아니라 사회적 가치 창출 측면에서도 다양한 활동을 통해 가시적인 성과를 내고 있어 공공기관의 모범사례로 평가되고 있다. 이에 본 연구에서는 한국임업진흥원의 사회적 가치 측정지표개발 과정을 고찰해봄으로써 사회 전반의 공동체 이익을 증가시키기 위해 준정부기관이 어떠한 방식으로 사회적 가치추진체계를 구축하고 있는지 살펴보았다.BR 사회적 가치 측정지표 개발을 위해 우선 기관의 성격에 맞는 사회적 가치의 정의를 확립하고 추진방향을 설정한 후 국내외 관련규정 검토, 내부 이해관계자 니즈 파악, 타 기관 벤치마킹, 내부 사회적 가치 수준진단 등 내 · 외부환경 분석을 실시하였다. 이러한 과정을 거쳐 일자리, 안전 · 환경, 윤리 · 공정, 사회적 형평성, 지역상생의 사회적 가치 5대 중점 추진영역을 도출하였으며 각 추진영역별로 전략과제를 도출하였다. 전략과제별로 사회적 가치 창출활동의 성과를 정확히 파악하기 위해 Input, Output, Outcome, Impact의 각 단계별 사회적 가치 측정지표를 개발하였다. 또한, 창출된 사회적 가치의 전반적인 사회적 영향을 정량적으로 보여주기 위해 최종 성과를 화폐가치로 환산하였다. 이러한 과정에서 사회적 가치 창출 활동에 따르는 기관 내 · 외부의 요구사항과 기관의 강점을 조화시키기 위해 단계별로 세심한 주의를 기울였다.BR 본 연구는 한국임업진흥원에서 수행한 사회적 가치 측정지표 개발 과정에 대한 세심한 고찰을 통해 공공기관이 ESG 경영 정착을 위해 경주하고 있는 노력을 구체적으로 제시하고자 하였다. 사회적 가치 측정지표를 개발하기 위한 한국임업진흥원의 체계적인 개발과정은 유사한 노력을 기울이는 타 기관 및 관련 연구자들이 참고하여 사회적 가치를 측정하고자 하는 노력을 보완하고 발전시켜 나가는데 유용한 자료가 될 것으로 생각된다.

A Study of Human Resource Development in the Quasi-Governmental Organizations: Evidence from Aceh, Indonesia

Today, Effective human resource management impacts an organisation's success. A proper plan is required to obtain quality human resources and avoid the conventional norm. This study aims to analyse the practice of human resource capacity building in Aceh's Ulama Consultative Council (MPU) as a semi-governmental institution. This study applies a qualitative-descriptive approach using data collection techniques, including in-depth interviews, field observations, and documentation, such as official reports, scientific literature, journals, and other sources. The study showed that Aceh’s MPU needs to improve its human resources development method. In creating top-notch, impartial, and high-integrity human resources, it is vital to change the selection process for Aceh’s MPU members. There are many ways to improve natural selection based on the popular vote. If their voices are raised, members with high competence and integrity will be chosen for office. This issue can be resolved if the recruiting procedure is handled by experts (agencies) to create objectivity when choosing MPU Aceh members.

RAG-SACA-3: ROLE OF PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN TO MANAGE HYPERTENSION IN A LOW-RESOURCE SETTING

Hypertension is a primary care clinical condition that is therefore best detected, managed, and followed at a primary care level by a primary care team led by a physician. However, the delivery of primary care services is not unique in all countries, especially in low- or lower-middle-income countries where primary care physicians used to manage hypertension in low-resource settings (LRS). This presentation will focus on the concept of LRS, a list of potential roles played by a primary care physician, and possible challenges usually face. Usually, the settings where health care systems do not meet the minimum standards set by the World Health Organization or any other quasigovernmental organization are considered LRS. However, there is no explicit definition for LRS. The major roles of a primary care physician in LRS are identification of an individual at high risk for HTN, proper screening, diagnosis with a proper communication strategy to inform about the diagnosis, cost-effective rational treatment with counseling, and finally follow-up. The primary care physician is at the heart of a team-based HTN care in an LRS and will provide supportive supervision to the team to ensure the best outcome: (i) increased patient enrollment, (ii) increased patient treatment rate, (iii) improve BP control rate, (iv) high treatment compliance (v) reduction of drug stock-outs. In LRS, without team-based care and shifting of tasks, it will be very difficult to ensure proper management. In general, a primary care physician will play a leadership role in a resource-poor setting to successfully implement an HTN management program.

Antecedents of Governmental Control over Quasi-governmental Organizations in South Korea

Governmental control over quasi-governmental organizations is essential in a democratic regime, but it causes monitoring costs for the government and bonding costs for quasigovernmental organizations. It is therefore important to clarify what drives governmental control and to determine how to minimize it. By extending the principal-agent theory to public organizations, this study identified the antecedents of governmental control and verified their impacts on this control empirically using the database of South Korea's public institutions (gonggong gigwan). The results demonstrated that goal conflict, task difficulty, public funding, and public attention made governmental control more stringent. It can be concluded that establishing congruent goals, sharing task information, and improving financial independence are necessary to minimize governmental control.

Dominance and Societal Effects in Human Resource Practice Transfer

This paper investigates how meso-level actors (MeLAs) contribute to human resources (HR) practice transfer in diffusion and adaptation processes, drawing on the System-Society-Dominance-Corporate Effects (SSDC) theoretical framework to interpret the role of MeLAs in the transfer of the Japanese management model to the Indonesian automotive industry. We focus on two issues: i) the way Japanese MeLAs’ training regimes in Japan contribute to the understanding and diffusion of the model and ii) the coordinated strategy of both Japanese and Indonesian MeLAs in seeking procedural influence through intelligence-sharing and lobbying activities over how the Japanese model is adapted in Indonesia. Our research adds to our limited understanding of the significance of MeLAs in processes of diffusion-adaptation in emerging market economies characterized by weak regulatory regimes and asymmetric economic power relations. Drawing on interviews with 75 key informants in Japan and Indonesia, we explore the significance of MeLAs from corporate and labor spheres alongside those of non-corporate MeLAs such as non-governmental and quasi-governmental organizations. The study elaborates the SSDC framework by highlighting MeLAs’ influence in both diffusing conceptions of dominant management ‘best practice’ (dominance effects) and their role – and that of dominance effects – in shaping societal effects that inform how the model is adapted. We theorize the complex processes through which the effects identified in the SSDC framework are experienced by local actors, showing that they are neither monolithic nor mechanical in nature and thereby elaborating the inter-relationship in how dominance effects inform societal effects.

욕지도 외해가두리 양식장의 참다랑어(Thunnus orientalis) 양식 사업성 비교분석

This study aimed to analyze the feasibility of T. orientalis offshore aquaculture production performance in Yokjido located in Tongyeong, Korea. Based on the collected biological, costs and market price data, the results indicated that under the same conditions of analyzing economic feasibility. At the social discount rate of 4.5% applied to public corporations and quasi-governmental organizations, 2,000 caught and imported T. orientalis were sold at a survival rate of 60%, respectively, at an individual weight of 30 kg to KRW 40,000/kg, thereby the financial feasibility of T. orientalis offshore cage culture was analyzed. The net present value (NPV) of caught bluefin tuna was 1,858,952 thousand won, and the corresponding internal rate of return (IRR) was 17.6%. In the case of imported, the net present value (NPV) was -1,157,227 thousand won, and the corresponding internal rate of return (IRR) was -4.2%. As a result of estimating the net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR) using the cash flows (including depreciation) generated for 10 years in units of the business period (1year). For the caught juvenile, NPV showed a positive value and IRR exceeded the social discount rate of 4.5%. On the other hand, in the case of imported, NPV had a negative value and IRR was less than 4.5% of the social discount rate. Therefore, it was found that there is a business possibility to cultivate T. orientalis with juvenile caught at the offshore farm in Yokjido has business potential.

국내 공공기관의 지속가능보고서 공시 현황

[Purpose] This study is intended to examine the present situation of public announcement of sustainability reports by domestic public institutions. The government plans to sequentially expand ESG-related items in the public announcement of public institutions’ management, and in the case of public enterprises, the government is reviewing mandatory public announcement of ESG starting with 2025. This study investigated the method of writing the report, the cycle and volume of report publication, and the third-party verification, and publication types of 350 institutions designated as of 2021. [Methodology] The main analysis results are as follows. First, in the case of market-type public enterprises, the rate of publication of sustainability reports was higher than that of quasi-governmental organizations and other public institutions. This is interpreted as meaning that market-type public enterprises are publishing high-level sustainability reports in accordance with the demand of shareholders and external stakeholders, similar to private enterprises. Second, when looking at the form of reporting (reporting method) and public announcement, it can be seen that the reports are published on the UNGC website or the bulletin board of the institution's website (e.g., sustainability management), but the convenience or information accessibility is evaluated to be very low and should be improved. Third, evaluation indicators reflecting the characteristics of public enterprises that fit domestic circumstances are necessary and if target core issues of goals by field of organizations can be selected and reflected on the management evaluation (performance evaluation) of institutions, it is judged to be helpful for implementing social value. [Implications] That is, it means that the incentives to publish the sustainability report may appear differently depending on the characteristics of public enterprises, and policies that would supplement the foregoing are considered necessary.

Moving Luther Gulick to Asia: Span of Control and Performance in Korean Quasi-Governmental Organizations

In the early era of the study of public management, Luther Gulick (1937) argued that span of control determines organizational performance. Theoretically, span of control has a non-linear relationship with performance as its marginal benefit diminishes due to transaction costs. Meier and Bohte (2000) revisited this argument and showed empirical evidence that an optimal span of control enhances organizational performance using hundreds school districts in the United States. However, it is necessary to expand the scope of study to examine whether Gulick’s theory can be generalizable to public service organizations in non-western countries. Using Korean quasi-governmental organizations, this study explores how span of control affects performance and whether the effect differs depending on structural levels and performance indicators (archival performance scores by the government and customer satisfaction). Four years pooled data for 101 Korean quasi-governmental organizations were analyzed using multivariate models. The findings show that a wider span of control at top-level management is positively associated with the government’s performance scores, but it is negatively associated at mid-level management. On the other hand, span of control has no significant relationship with customer satisfaction. The findings of this study contribute to the generalizability of Gulick’s theory in a new context, and highlight that the impact of span of control on performance can differ based on structural levels and who evaluates organizations.

Public Relations Roles Carried out by Practitioners in Zambia

Ordinarily, public relations professionals can be identified as communication managers who organize and integrate communication activities, or as communication technicians who predominantly write and create messages. Studies in this field led to the identification of four specific roles: the technician role and three types of communication managers. This study sought to establish the specific roles public relations practitioners in Zambia are inclined to execute. Qualitative and quantitative research methods were used. Questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interviews were primary data collection techniques used while secondary data was collected using media content analysis. Fifty respondents from Lusaka and along the line of rail in Zambia from organizations consisting of service and manufacturing organizations, central and local government institutions, quasi-government organizations, and government agencies participated in the study. Informal interviews were also conducted with a number of public relations practitioners’ sampled using non-probability sampling, purposive sampling and snowball technique. The study established that the technician, manager, and strategist roles are performed and present in Zambia and Public Relations (PRs) managers double between the role of manager and technician with the latter most prominent in the practice much as the line between the two roles is indistinct. There is uncertainty regarding PR practitioners’ perspectives regarding their management role in terms of activities carried out.

Analysis of regulated procurement procedures in the Republic of Kazakhstan for local content requirements

In connection with membership in the World Trade Organization and the Eurasian Economic Union, the Republic of Kazakhstan has taken several obligations to create equal conditions for producers of goods, works and services of all participating countries. This circumstance makes it difficult to provide direct support to domestic producers. The purchases of government bodies, quasi-government organizations and subsoil users of solid minerals, hydrocarbons and uranium (government-regulated purchases) create a significant volume of demand for various kinds of goods, works and services. Therefore, within the framework of the research, a literary review of the regulatory legal acts governing the procurement of these entities was carried out. An assessment of the norms contributing to an increase in the share of local content in purchases is given. As a result, proposals were formed to improve legislation in order to increase the effectiveness of these norms.

Export Credit Agencies, International Investment Law and the Spectre of Unsustainable Developing Countries' Debts

This article argues that the activities of Export Credit Agencies (ECAs), which provide political risk insurance to cover exports and foreign direct investments (FDIs), may be undermining the goals of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS). ISDS is supposed to limit investment disputes so that they are between the investor and host-state of the investment (investor-state disputes). However, since ECAs are quasi-governmental organisations that support FDIs, they can effectively elevate such investment disputes so that they are between the host-state and home-state of the investor (state-to-state disputes). This has implications for the necessity defence in international investment disputes, which is likely to feature in cases triggered by governmental measures taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, the article argues that the activities of ECAs often precipitate unsustainable debt accumulation in developing countries. And these situations are becoming increasingly combustible because ECAs have escalated their activities to season investment programmes with foreign and geopolitical influence. This may worsen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The article concludes that increased transparency and a sustainability element in the activities of ECAs are essential to both expose these risks more broadly and to create a space under the canopy of international economic law for more sustainable growth from the understory of developing nations.

The Texas Legislature Has Significantly Broadened the Statute Governing Recovery of Attorney's Fees in Breach of Contract Cases

Texas recently enacted amendments that significantly expand the scope of section 38.001 of the Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code, a statute that awards attorney’s fees to successful claimants in breach of contract cases. Under the new amendments, which take effect September 1, 2021, the prevailing party may recover reasonable attorney’s fees from most forms of business organizations, including partnerships and limited liability companies—not just from individuals and corporations, as the statute previously provided. And although there has been some confusion on this point, the amended statute continues to protect governments and governmental agencies from attorney’s fees liability. Additionally, the amendments expressly preclude recovery of fees against certain quasi-governmental organizations providing public services and religious or charitable organizations.

A Scoping Review of Evidence on the Use and Effectiveness of Decision Aids in Adult Social Care

Context: Social care-related decisions can be complex but despite their widespread use in health care to help patients make similarly complex decisions, the use of decision aids in social care is not well examined. Objective: To review the international research evidence on decision aids in adult social care and investigate the availability of such aids for planning later life care on adult social care-related websites in England. Methods: Decision aid was defined broadly. Systematic searches for empirical research evidence published in English between 2000 and 2020. Searches were undertaken in January and February 2020. Websites of 11 UK social care-related voluntary and quasi-governmental organisations plus 53 English local councils searched for decision aids. Findings: Five papers published between 2001 and 2019 reported the development of five different decision aids. Two decision aids were web-based; three were paper-based or of unspecified formats. Two were assessed against international criteria for decision aids. Three further papers reported evaluations of the effectiveness of two of these aids. Most social care-related websites searched did not offer any relevant decision tools. Limitations: Some papers described tools that were primarily research instruments. Relevant papers may have been missed due to technical challenges. Not all council websites were searched. Implications: Future research to develop decision aids might benefit from drawing on earlier literature about people’s attitudes to and readiness to engage with care planning and how this translates into willingness to use decision aids. Combining decision aids with strengths- and asset-based approaches in adult social care practice could be fruitful.

CEO’s Political Connection and Organization Efficiency: Evidence from Public Institutions in Korea

This paper investigates whether political connection of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in public institutions is associated with organization efficiency. We utilize two types of public institutions in Korea, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and quasi-governmental organizations (QUANGOs). Using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), we find that CEOs with political connection are positively related to organization efficiency. Specifically, such association is largely driven by QUANGOs whose revenue resource is fully funded and owned by the government. It implies that politically connected CEOs can improve firm efficiency when the organizations are financially dependent on the government and are under its stringent monitoring by government.

Why strong employment support for persons with disabilities has not brought about positive outcomes? A qualitative study in mainland China

Employment is an important way for persons with disabilities (PwDs) to participate in society and fulfil their potential. However, despite the impression that employment support for PwDs is improving, why is the actual employment situation in China stagnant or even worsening? In order to answer this question, this paper uses a qualitative study in BTQ City, QL Province, China to analyze the causes of the general problems in employment support for PwDs by breaking them down into official government, quasi-government, and primary support groups. This study finds that the prioritization of 'economic development' dominates people's thinking and actions, to the detriment of social and economic goals. Consequently, the responses of the three employment support systems are: (a) an official government focus on “productivism” means PwDs employment is not a priority, and official support is usually “all talk, no action”; (b) bureaucratic quasi-government organizations are reluctant to assist beyond mere formalities to boost PwDs employment as this does not form part of their performance assessment; and (c) individualism resulting from societal breakdown makes the primary support group perceive a lack of benefit in assisting PwDs, and any assistance they render is done purely out of self-interest and are therefore unsustainable. We hope that the findings of this study will provide some inspiration and reference for improving the employment policy of PwDs in China.

External control mechanisms and red tape: testing the roles of external audit and evaluation on red tape in quasi-governmental organizations

Over the past three decades, red tape has been a significant issue in public administration. Several prior studies have discovered the external origins of red tape, noting the roles of external control on increased red tape. Despite the empirical studies, it remains unclear how the particular tools of external controls, such as external audits and evaluations, are associated with employees’ perception of red tape. To answer this question, we measured different external control mechanisms in quasi-governmental organizations in Korea and investigated their effects on red-tape perception. The results show that external audits increase employees’ red-tape perception, whereas external evaluations decrease their perception. However, the positive function of evaluation disappears under a high level of government control because both external audits and evaluations increase red-tape perception when more government control is perceived. Points for practitioners This study sheds theoretical light on the negative impacts of external control in rule management. The impacts of audit and evaluation on red tape are empirically identified in public organizations. Practitioners need to realize that the use of audit and evaluation may produce unintended effects that increase ineffective rules even though such control mechanisms are designed to check mismanagement in quasi-government organizations.