Role Of Government Research Articles

End-user participation in drinking water management through Awareness, Education, and Resources: tools for Water Partnerships

ABSTRACT The long-term success of safely managed drinking water systems requires participation from many stakeholders, especially the water users, but also community leaders, technical experts, health practitioners, teachers, NGOs, and others. However, people may need to be empowered before they can be confident or able to contribute to meaningful decision making or governance roles in Water Partnerships. Discussions with water leaders from nine organizations on four continents revealed surprisingly a similar three-step approach to empowering end-user participation in water management. The first step is creating the Awareness of local water challenges and their impact on health. The second step is Education about the options for safe water. Together, Awareness + Education lead to people understanding their challenges and being able to devise a locally appropriate solution. The third step is Resources for water action. Through Awareness, Education, and Resources, water stakeholders including households can be empowered to participate in safely managing drinking water solutions.

From fetchers to decision-makers: exploring the gender dynamics of water access and governance in resource-poor communities of Mbala, Zambia

ABSTRACT Research on African women often emphasizes their traditional roles as water fetchers and caregivers, but their potential role in water governance is frequently overlooked. Here, this research gap is explored with a focus on the sustainability of water access points (WAPs). The latest mWater tool version 3.0. was used to conduct household surveys concerning gender roles in water access in rural Mbala of northern Zambia. Purposive sampling, a non-probability methodological approach, was used to choose respondents. The Empowerment in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) Index (EWI) was adopted to quantify empowerment levels. The analysis revealed significant contributors to disempowerment, such as group membership, control over household goods, work balance, and leadership in WAP implementation. The study also highlighted the critical role of Water Point Committees (WPCs) in sustaining WAPs. An unexpected finding emerges as the data contests the prevalent notion that women, who are primarily responsible for water fetching, are marginalized from decision-making processes. Instead, the results suggest that women's disempowerment is not the primary factor contributing to the lack of sustainability of WAPs. Rather, a general lack of financial commitment within communities is at play. The study highlights the critical, yet previously overlooked, role of community meetings in ensuring the sustainability of WAPs.

The impact of risk and Fintech on ESG performance: evidence from gulf cooperation council (GCC) banks

ABSTRACT This study investigates the influence of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) bank risk on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance, emphasizing the roles of Fintech and corporate governance. Using a sample of 48 commercial banks, our research reveals a significant negative influence of bank risk on ESG performance, applicable to both conventional and Islamic banks. Mechanism analysis indicates that Fintech development serves as a mediator, while corporate governance acts as a moderator, driving banks to enhance their ESG performance. Notably, the impact of Fintech on promoting corporate ESG performance is more significant in Islamic banks than in conventional counterparts. Additionally, heterogeneity analysis suggests that the effect of Fintech development on ESG performance is more pronounced for large and state-owned banks.

The Modern Economic, Technological, and Societal Trends: New Challenges or Opportunities. Conference Proceedings, November 27-29, 2024

The conference proceedings include abstracts from presentations at the Fifth International Scientific Conference on Accounting, Audit, and Analysis, titled “The Modern Economic, Technological, and Societal Trends: New Challenges or Opportunities”. This conference is dedicated to evaluating the evolution and modernization of accounting, auditing, and financial analysis, covering trends in accounting theory, practice, and regulation; technological transformations; shifts in audit methodologies; advancements in financial and business management practices; and the role of governance and accountability in addressing sustainability and climate-related challenges.

The role of collaborative governance in translating national cancer programs into network-based practices: A longitudinal case study in Canada.

Networks (multiple organizations or actors coordinating their activities towards a common goal) have been promoted in the cancer programs of a number of countries. But there is little empirical evidence on whether and how they overcome the siloed functioning endemic in specialized domains. This study examines how collaborative governance takes shape to support integrated network-based practices within a prescribed national cancer program. A longitudinal qualitative single-case study was conducted of the Quebec cancer network in Canada. Data were collected in 2018-2020 through semi-structured interviews with stakeholders (n = 37) involved in regional and/or national cancer network structures and a review of documents (n = 45) generated at national and regional level. Abductive thematic analysis during and post-field work was based on Emerson's collaborative governance framework. It aimed to identify how collaborative governance mechanisms (principled engagement, shared motivation and capacity for joint action) were activated in the network, and their contribution to translating a national cancer program into network-based practices at the point of care. Principled engagement was driven through interdisciplinary committees at national and regional level, communities of practice and trajectory-development efforts. These mandated structures supported knowledge exchange and contributed to the recognition of interdependencies, distribution of leadership and development of mutual understanding and trust. Shared motivation benefitted from a vision of patient-centred care but was hindered by top-down communication vehicles that did not allow regional priorities to filter upwards to central level. Between care providers in different settings, trust and candidacy were identified as mechanisms important to shared motivation, though network actions did not sufficiently support trust across care settings, or even between members of the same profession. Candidacy issues hindered family physician participation in cancer network structures that mirrored ongoing difficulties to including them in cancer care practice. Institutional arrangements were important drivers of capacity for joint action in the network. Common indicators were recognized as important to generating efforts towards common goals; however, questions around their validity reduced their contribution to capacities for joint action. Despite favorable starting conditions from the national cancer program and its central leadership promoting collaborative governance, tensions that emerge through the pursuit of network integration limit the transition to a more collaborative practice. Taking the time to work out these tensions as integration proceeds in waves appears essential to arrive at a governance model that is appropriate and acceptable for all network members.

The Role of AI in Transforming Local Economies: Exploring How AI Technologies Are Impacting Local Businesses and Labor Markets

Abstract: AI is emerging as a key disruptor of local economies. The impact of AI technologies including machine learning, automation and precision farming in reshaping local business landscape, unlocking innovation, enhancing productivity and creating net new jobs, is yet to be fully appreciated. This paper provides an analysis of the role of AI in revitalising local economies: how AI technologies are enabling small and medium sized enterprises (SME) to improve productivity, how rural economies can overcome labour shortages and supply chain issues and how to realise AIs transformative potential in the near term. It goes on to discuss the impact of AI on labour markets, the creation of net new jobs in data and drone related occupations and need for reskilling and upskilling. It also discusses the role of local governments in encouraging AI adoption through public-private partnerships, tax incentives and infrastructure improvements. The paper concludes with a discussion about how AI shapes the future of work, the need to address the digital divide and the role of AI in fostering sustainable economic development at the local level. This paper analyses the impact of AI on productivity, consumer engagement, supply chain optimisation and workforce transformation.

Development of a leadership and management module for the undergraduate medical curriculum.

Physicians play an important role in management and governance of healthcare systems, yet many lack formal leadership training and skills. Despite leadership training through placements in wards at a graduate level, this should take place early on (undergraduate level), to lay the foundations for future physicians to consider a career choice in leadership positions long before entering practice. The fundamentals of leadership and management should be incorporated in the medical curriculum, with input from experts in the area such that relevant concepts are appropriately adapted with a healthcare context. We developed a pilot leadership and management module for undergraduate medical students, drawing from sources such as the UK National Health System and General Medical Council, primary literature, and undergraduate business school curricula. Students in their clinical years (4-6) of an undergraduate, six-year medical degree, were invited to participate in five 2-hour online sessions. Participants completed a questionnaire before and after module completion to assess whether individual perspectives on 22 skills relevant to leadership knowledge, and their self-rated competence in each one, changed following module attendance. Sixteen medical students participated in the study. Module attendance resulted in mean self-reported competence increase in 18 of the 22 skills, with "inspire others", "public speaking", "coding and billing", "risk management" and "conflict resolution" displaying the largest positive change. Free-text comments provided encouraging feedback regarding the module and its contents, and the teaching method of such skills (case-studies or more applied scenarios, as opposed to taught lectures). The positive changes in student perceptions and self-reported competence in leadership skills that are not traditionally included in the undergraduate medical curriculum, but are part of the business curriculum, further support the importance of inter-professional learning. Our findings are expected to inform the development of a module that could be incorporated in undergraduate medical curricula as part of future research with larger sample size and objective measures of skill competence.

Examining the impact of mobile money on financial inclusion in Sub-Saharan Africa: the role of institutions and governance

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the role of institutional quality in the relationship between mobile money and financial inclusion among Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) from 2002 to 2022. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses annual data from SSA on a bundle of four financial inclusion variables, six institutional quality indicators (i.e. rule of law, government effectiveness, control of corruption, voice and accountability, regulatory quality and political stability) and total volume of mobile money transaction in a year. The two-stage least squares regression was used to validate the hypotheses. Also, the random effects model was also used to account for potential unobserved heterogeneity across countries in SSA. Findings The empirical results reveal that institutional quality and mobile money have direct impact on financial inclusion. Also, institutional quality plays a positive and significant contingency role in the relationship between mobile money and financial inclusion. Originality/value The study contributes to financial inclusion theory by providing multi-country empirical evidence to validate the theory in explaining mobile money’s role in expanding financial access. It also highlights the key insight from financial inclusion theory regarding the need for strong governance institutions for technology-enabled inclusion. By examining interactions between mobile money, institutions and financial inclusion across 15 African SSA economies, the study allows for more generalizable conclusions about contextual dependencies.

The role of government versus private sector provision of insurance

The role of government versus private sector provision of insurance

Capital market liberalization and corporate debt maturity structure: evidence from the Shanghai-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock connect

PurposeThis paper takes the Shanghai-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect as a quasi-natural experiment and investigates the impact of capital market liberalization on the corporate debt maturity structure. It also aims to provide some policy implications for corporate debt financing and further liberalization of the capital market in China.Design/methodology/approachEmploying the exogenous event of Shanghai-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect and using the data of Chinese A-share firms from 2010 to 2020, this study constructs a difference-in-differences model to examine the relationship between capital market liberalization and corporate debt maturity structure. To validate the results, this study performed several robustness tests, including the parallel test, the placebo test, the Heckman two-stage regression and the propensity score matching.FindingsThis paper finds that capital market liberalization has significantly increased the proportion of long-term debt of target firms. Further analyses suggest that the impact of capital market liberalization on the debt maturity structure is more pronounced for firms with lower management ownership and non-Big 4 audit. Channel tests show that capital market liberalization improves firms’ information environment and curbs self-interested management behavior.Originality/valueThis research provides empirical evidence for the consequences of capital market liberalization and enriches the literature on the determinants of corporate debt maturity structure. Further this study makes a reference for regulators and financial institutions to improve corporate financing through the governance role of capital market liberalization.

Partisanship, political alignment, and charitable donations

AbstractThis paper examines how alignment with the government influences beliefs about the efficiency and role of government, and examines the behavioral consequences of these beliefs. In particular, we examine how support of versus opposition to the government affects people’s charitable donations. For both Republicans and Democrats, we find that alignment with the government leads to a reduction in charitable donations. Specifically, when accounting for government spending, supporters of the incumbent government decrease their charitable contributions, while detractors increase theirs. We explain this result by documenting a shift in people’s beliefs about the efficiency and normative role of government.

Governance and Leadership in Enhancing SME Resilience in Ghana: A Systematic Literature Review

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are especially susceptible to pandemics. Consequently, resilience and adaptability to shocks from pandemics like COVID-19 are crucial. Nonetheless, although SMEs have strategies to cope with these, there is still a dearth of research on the nature and effectiveness of these coping strategies. Thus, it remains unclear how leadership and governance frameworks reduce SMEs’ vulnerability and increase their resilience to pandemic risk. This academic article provides a systematic literature review on the role of governance and leadership in enhancing the resilience of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana. The review explores existing literature on SME resilience, environmental uncertainty, and the impact of governance frameworks. The article also focuses on how leadership practices in the Ghanaian context contribute to building SME resilience in times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The study analysis revealed that there are opportunities for SMEs to adopt better governance and leadership practices that foster long-term resilience. Governance practices, such as formal structures, board diversity, and leadership, enable SMEs to respond to crises and navigate challenging situations. Moreover, leadership styles that prioritize governance procedures, especially transformational leadership, empower SMEs to maintain agility and innovation, thereby securing their survival and growth in a rapidly evolving environment. The review highlights the need for stronger governance frameworks and leadership development programs that equip SME owner-managers with the tools to navigate environmental uncertainties.

Impact of Corporate Governance on Firms’ Sustainability Performance: Case Study of BIST 50 Index Companies

Purpose: the purpose of this study is to investigate whether corporate governance mechanisms and attributes influence the sustainability performance of companies included in the BIST 50 Index. Results and contributions: Regression analysis showed that there was a significant positive influence of board tenure on sustainability performance and all its types; board size on environmental performance; and a dummy variable for board evaluation externally facilitated and company size on sustainability, environmental, and social performance. A significant negative impact of director attendance at board meetings on social performance was also revealed. This study contributes to the literature on the role of corporate governance in achieving the SDGs for BIST 50 Index companies, highlighting the significant impact of its individual indicators on the achievement of sustainability performance. Methodology: The authors reviewed 45 sustainability reports of BIST 50 Index companies for 2023. Four indices—Sustainability Performance, Environmental Performance, Social Performance, and Corporate Governance Performance Indexes—were developed to characterize sustainability performance and its types based on a content analysis of sustainability disclosures. To analyze the influence of mechanisms and characteristics of the corporate governance system on sustainability performance, eight independent variables were used: board size, number of board meetings, director attendance at board meetings, board independence, board tenure, a dummy variable for board evaluation externally facilitated, a dummy variable for internal auditors present, and a dummy variable for CEO and Chair functions combined. Two control variables, company size and leverage, were used as well. Gap: Today, the scientific literature has no universal approach and understanding of how the corporate governance system should be developed to improve sustainability performance or its individual components. Relevance: Development of a corporate governance system is one of the ways to increase the level of sustainability performance of companies. Impact: The results of the study made it possible to produce several recommendations (expand the number of board members, develop an effective procedure for regular changes of general directors in company boards, introduce independent external control tools in the corporate governance systems of companies) that will lead to the achievement of SDGs 5, 8, 16.

What Affects Citizens’ Perception of Public Infrastructure Decision-Making in a Disaster Setting?

This study examines citizens’ views on public-private partnerships (PPPs) and their sector-based preferences between private or nonprofit organizations as partners with government entities in providing public services for local infrastructures. Using survey data collected in Texas, this study finds that risk awareness and trust in institutional actors significantly influence citizens’ perceptions of public service delivery models, while a variety of information sources differently affect their perceptions. This study highlights citizens’ perception of nonprofits’ role in cross-sector collaborative governance, suggesting their involvement in implementing community resilience policies based on citizen preferences. Empirical findings provide insights for policymaking, advocating inclusive approaches in resilience planning and engaging diverse institutional actors, including citizens, in critical infrastructure development.

Does Corporate Governance Moderate the Relationship Between Earnings Management and Financial Performance?

Motivation: This study aims to fill the gap in the corporate governance literature by examining the moderating role of corporate governance on earnings management and financial performance. Idea: The research is conducted in the light of agency and legitimacy theories, looking through how corporate governance practices moderate the relationship between earnings management and financial performance. Data: The database consists of an international sample of non-financial companies, for the time frame between 2020 and 2023. The data are collected from Thomson Reuters Eikon, and the analysed period responds to a thorough approach of the topic under problematic circumstances. In line with prior literature, this analysis includes several corporate governance mechanisms such as number of board meetings, board gender diversity, board size, CEO duality, independent board members, and audit committee independence. Among the control variables could be mentioned firm size, financial leverage, and profit or loss. Corporate governance is examined as a key driver in achieving financial performance, maximising the value created by companies and strengthening their connections with stakeholders. Tools: To test the research hypotheses, investigation is performed through frequency and descriptive statistics, parametric correlations, complemented with panel regression analysis with random effects performed in STATA 18 software. Findings: According to the results, there is strong evidence that financial performance is impacted by earnings management, at the corporate level. Notably, the main findings suggest that board meetings, board size, and board independence may be underlying factors in reducing the adverse effects of earnings management reflected in financial performance. Likewise, corporate governance may contribute to an effective monitoring of earnings management. Muchmore, the findings are in line with the agency theory, which asserts that corporate governance practices lessen managerial resource exploitation necessary for sustainable development and financial performance. Contribution: Relevance of the study resides in grounding a comprehensive overview in the earnings management and sustainability literature, examining corporate governance patterns. This research contributes to the debate of influence exerted by earnings management practices on financial performance extended towards a better understanding of corporate governance outcomes.

Official Turnover and Embodied Carbon Emissions: Evidence From Industrial Linkages in China's Prefecture‐Level Cities

ABSTRACTCarbon emission is the most critical environmental pollution issue today. However, regional trade and industrial linkages have changed the traditional carbon emission pattern. As a public product with strong negative externalities, carbon emissions inevitably lead to severe consequences if the market is allowed to adjust itself. Therefore, public policies made by government officials have an important role in environmental governance and emission reduction. This paper uses China's Multi‐regional Input‐Output (MRIO) table and official turnover data of 269 prefecture‐level cities in China for the empirical test. The results show that official turnover has a significant positive impact on embodied carbon emissions between regions. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the inter‐provincial turnover of officials and the turnover between regional central cities results in more significant embodied carbon emissions. Further research finds that the longer the officials stay in their previous positions or as new local government leaders, the greater the embodied carbon emissions caused by their turnover. In addition, the turnover of officials affects interregional embodied carbon emissions by promoting regional entrepreneurship, venture capital and structure transformation of industries. The findings of this paper provide essential enlightenment for optimizing Chinese local government governance and promoting the transformation of the economic development mode.

Viable and sustainable tourism for developing countries: a horizon 2050 paper

Purpose This paper aims to consider whether developing countries can create viable and sustainable tourism sectors. Design/methodology/approach To provide a focus and context to answer the question, the introduction to the subject reviews some of the earlier publication relating to tourism in the developing countries beginning from 1950 and notes how many of these publications foresaw the benefits of using tourism as a supportive activity for general development but also indicated many of the challenges and disadvantages the countries faced in so doing. Findings Looking to 2050, the paper makes two assumptions. First, the demand for international tourism will continue. Second, any future disruption of demand caused by wars, terrorism, epidemics or economic difficulties will be short-term and not as universally disruptive to international travel demand as was caused by Covid-19. The paper concludes that developing countries can create viable tourism sectors but that sustainability is unlikely in the absence of careful and sensitive management of the tourism sector. Practical implications Tourism development options must be evaluated within the potential and capacities of the individual country. There is no single development model. An important initiative is to help identify and develop local talent for the tourism sector, particularly related to planning, policy and implementation requirements. Government and the private sector should be encouraged to cooperate in development initiatives. Originality/value This paper provides an “insider view” of the realities of pursuing sustainable tourism development options and the related challenges and opportunities and emphasises the role of government in this process.

Green technology innovation or pollution substitution? an evolutionary game for high-Energy-consuming enterprises’ strategy from a consideration of energy-consuming trading rights

ABSTRACT The energy-consuming rights trading (ECRT) environmental regulatory policy starting from demand side reform has a significant influence on the enterprises’ production strategies. However, there is still a lack of research on dynamic mechanisms from a micro perspective. Referencing ECRT policy implementation, this paper incorporates government, the public, and high-energy-consuming enterprises into a unified framework, and constructs a tripartite evolutionary game model to explore the enterprises’ production strategy under the reward and punishment accountability mechanism. Then, a case study is addressed to examine the role of government. The results show that: (1) The steady-state conditions of the three parties depend on their own cost–benefit circumstances. Enterprises’ production strategy is driven by the coordination of the government and the public. (2) Achieving ideal equilibrium path evolution requires that the expected benefits of green technology innovation more strongly than the expected benefits of ‘pollution substitution’ practices. (3) A strict accountability system that includes penalties and rewards can enhance public supervision and accelerate the transformation of government active regulatory supervision strategies, stimulating the internal driving forces that motivate enterprises’ green technology innovation. The findings provide references for promoting the implementation of ECRT and helping to achieve the strategy of ecological civilisation construction.

Strategic policy options to improve quality and productivity of biomedical research.

Emerging societal expectations from biomedical research and intensifying international scientific competition are becoming existential matters. Based on a review of pertinent evidence, this article analyzes challenges and formulates public policy recommendations for improving productivity and impact of life sciences. Critical risks include widespread quality defects of research, particularly non-reproducible results, and narrow access to scientifically sound information giving advantage to health misinformation. In funding life sciences, the simultaneous shift to nondemocratic societies is an added challenge. Simply spending more on research will not be enough in the global competition. Considering the pacesetter role of the federal government, five national policy recommendations are put forward: (i) funding projects with comprehensive expectations of reproducibility; (ii) public-private partnerships for contemporaneous quality support in laboratories; (iii) making research institutions accountable for quality control; (iv) supporting new quality filtering standards for scientific journals and repositories, and (v) establishing a new network of centers for scientific health communications.

The Role of Good Governance in the Performance of Village-Owned (Bum Desa) Enterprises

Village-Owned Enterprises (BUM Desa) are a potential vehicle for community empowerment. The business fields of BUM Desa can be in the economic and/or public services sectors which are managed with a spirit of family and mutual cooperation. BUM Desa management requires attention in order to achieve the objectives of establishing BUM Desa. Description of the implementation of governance and performance as a study on BUM Desa Penggung Lestari is carried out through its website. Data and information from the annual report and regulations on the establishment of BUM Desa Penggung Lestari and Government Regulation No. 11 of 2021 are used as the basis for its evaluation. Management of BUM Desa Penggung Lestari with the principles of professionalism, transparency, responsibility, participatory; equal, fair, and legal certainty. Its performance is shown by the total assets increasing by 145%, income increasing by 59%, and 98% of its employees being absorbed from the village community, building stakeholder trust and achieving economic and social goals. The involvement of professional organizations and universities can help BUM Desa managers in implementing the principles of good governance in BUM Desa in accordance with Peraturan Pemerintah Number 11 of 2021concerning Badan Umum Milik Desa and meet the expectations of the Regulation of the Peraturan Menteri Desa, Pembangunan Daerah Tertinggal, dan Transmigrasi Number 3 of 2021.