State Funding Research Articles

State-led Maritime Governance, Education and Training Nexus in South Africa

The maritime environment has a significant socio-economic impact on nations, regional and global economies. However, it also experiences many challenges related to safety, security, Education and Training (E & T) which stakeholders such as businesses and government through State institutions play a crucial role in addressing. In addition to high global labour demands, E & T challenges have related to the decreasing number of youth taking up maritime E & T. In addition, technological advancements affect costs, standards, and quality of maritime ET. The Republic of South Africa (RSA) has not been immune to these challenges. Public higher E & T institutions in RSA are the primary providers of tertiary maritime E & T but remain confronted by numerous challenges tied to organisational resources, State funding and the growing demand for increased internal and external capacity. This study’s objective was to examine maritime State-led interventions and challenges in selected public higher E & T institutions offering maritime studies in the coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), RSA. Guided by a Systems Thinking approach, this empirical study adopted a qualitative research methodology utilizing interviews with key knowledge holders and secondary data. It was found that there exists a consensual view that higher E & T institutions offering maritime studies in the province are well positioned to play a more meaningful role in addressing the country’s high unemployment rate. However, the current conditions in maritime E & T have undermined this and resulted in the pursuit of international partnerships to address local deficiencies. These findings are significant to stakeholders involved in maritime higher E & T, State-led maritime interventions, policymaking, governance, management, leadership and administration. The findings of the study also point to the need for a holistic understanding of maritime issues and challenges as maritime E & T is a complex global social space. This could eventually facilitate innovation, enhance leadership and contribute to meaningful and crucial partnerships between developed and more developing nations.

Value in acute care surgery, part 4: The economic value of an acute care surgery service to a hospital system

ABSTRACT The Healthcare Economics Committee of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma has published a series of three articles on the topic of value in acute care surgery (ACS). In this series, the key elements of value, cost and outcomes, and the impact of stakeholder perspective on what constitutes high-value care are discussed. The fourth article in this series continues the discussion by focusing on the unique economic value that an ACS service brings to a hospital system and its patients. Characterized by the immediate 24-hour availability of surgeons trained in trauma management, emergency general surgery, and surgical critical care, acute care surgeons extend the benefits of surgical rescue and critical care to all hospitalized patients. As such, an ACS service acts as a vital part of a hospital's infrastructure to successfully care for complex and seriously ill patients, in addition to enabling the establishment of other, high revenue-generating services such as vascular, transplant, and complex oncologic surgery programs. The trauma service acts as intake for patients that lead to downstream revenue creation by other disciplines such as orthopedic and neurological surgery, while trauma center designation itself results in dedicated state funding to ensure trauma readiness in many states in the United States. The traditional “value equation” in health care of outcomes achieved per dollar spent is ill-suited to capture many of these unique aspects and benefits of ACS. This article provides the background to understand the economic value of an ACS service and future directions toward improving overall value of care. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Economic & Value-based Evaluations: Level IV.

PROBLEMS OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THE STATE POLICY OF THE PROVISION OF MEDICAL SERVICES BY THE PRIMARY LINK OF MEDICAL AID IN UKRAINE

The article highlights key issues related to management at the level of primary health care in Ukraine. The focus is on aspects such as the growing role of primary care. Primary care is the foundation of the health care system, providing a patient's first contact with health services, prevention, diagnosis and treatment. It is especially important in the conditions of limited financial resources to continue the reforms of the medical industry in Ukraine. The article raises the issue of the availability of medical care: the relevance of management problems is due to uneven access to medical services in rural areas and remote regions. Improving the management of the medical field is necessary to overcome these difficulties. The article examines current problems in the field of primary medical care and ways to overcome them through the reform of state policy in the field of health care. The authors explore key challenges facing primary care, including insufficient funding, lack of qualified staff, uneven distribution of resources, and lack of effective governance mechanisms at various levels. Attention is paid to the issues of ensuring the availability of medical services, the quality of medical care and the implementation of new models of the organization of medical institutions. The article analyzes the reformative steps aimed at improving the functioning of the primary health care system, in particular, the introduction of family medicine and increasing the role of general practitioners. The role of state funding and the involvement of local communities in the management of medical institutions is considered separately. The conclusions emphasize the importance of improving the state's primary health care policy by strengthening financial support, infrastructure development, and improving the qualifications of medical workers to ensure a sustainable and effective health care system in Ukraine. The topic of economic challenges and management efficiency is interesting for analysis. Optimizing the use of financial resources requires their effective use, finding ways to increase the economic sustainability of healthcare institutions.

Morphology of mergers and their impact on performance and accounting metrics in HEIs: evidence from a small European country

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to analyze the structural elements from mergers in higher education institutions (HEIs) of a small European country, Greece, and evaluate how merger morphology is related to performance criteria and ratios imposed by the Greek state. More specifically, this study provides a depiction of ten mergers of HEIs in Greece that were introduced by the state in order to absorb the previously existent thirteen technological educational institutes (TEIs) from Greek universities. The morphology of mergers is provided by examining several factors, such as: type of merger (merger by absorption or consolidation); type and number of entity involvement (two-partner or multi-partner); geographical area of newly formed HEIs (single-campus or multi-campus), with provision of number of campuses in different cities, etc. These merger characteristics are associated with the HEI performance in the post-merger era, and their performance is evaluated with public accounting metrics and funding on specific ratios imposed by the Greek state. The results provide evidence that public HEIs in Greece throughout the process of joining entities have demonstrated different levels of synergies after mergers, in terms of state funding, with better results for the case where there are campuses in three different cities. Also, this study supports that a state initiative for legislative intervention in HEI mergers could lead to different levels of synergies. Last, this study tries to provide new knowledge for the gap of economic impact of mergers’ characteristics of HEIs and offers an open framework for further research on a fruitful area.

OPTIMIZATION OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES OF TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES: A METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH TO RESPONDING TO MODERN RISKS IN STATE MANAGEMENT

Choosing the optimal financial provision for territorial communities is important as it allows for a more effective response to contemporary challenges in public administration. The methodological approach to this process helps communities better utilize available resources for secure development and improving the quality of life for their residents. An in-depth analysis of both scientific and practical literature reveals that the issue of financial resources for territorial communities has not been comprehensively addressed to date. Thus, the goal is to define an approach that will provide information on the most optimal forms of financial resources needed by various territorial communities under current conditions. For this, the object of study is the financial resources of individual territorial communities in Ukraine for evaluation. The scientific task is to propose and integrate such a method that will facilitate the selection of the most optimal financial resources for the territorial communities of Ukraine. For this purpose, experts were involved and appropriate pairwise comparisons were conducted. As a result, we analyzed the current financial state of Ukraine's territorial communities. We characterized the key principles of the proposed methodological approach to optimizing financial resources. We identified the most optimal types of financial resources for comparison and highlighted the most suitable among them. The practical significance of the obtained results is revealed through the possibility of applying this approach in the work of territorial communities in Ukraine. However, the research has limitations and does not take into account other resources, such as human and informational. This is noted for further research.

Educational Pluralism and Social Cohesion: A Themed Issue of the Peabody Journal of Education

ABSTRACT This introduction defines educational pluralism as a structure for school systems in which the state funds and regulates, but does not exclusively deliver, education. Many of the world’s school systems have been educationally plural for more than 200 years; others have only recently expanded funding for non-state schools. Educational pluralism may be common across the globe, but how effectively does it solve the key dilemmas of public education and democratic education, in particular? Specifically, does educational pluralism support or diminish social cohesion—a fundamental goal of school systems? Under which conditions?

Nature conservation, borders and violence along the Chobe River between Botswana and Namibia in the twentieth and twenty-first century

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the intricate dynamics of the Chobe River borderland between Namibia and Botswana, a border marked by its dual identity as both a national boundary and a conservation frontier. The Chobe River border has witnessed transformations from a colonial-era demarcation to an area drawn into liberation wars and, subsequently, a hotspot for militarized conservation. Drawing from archival material and interviews in the region this study illuminates the entanglement of nature conservation and violence in the region, exemplified by the harmful consequences of safeguarding wildlife along the border. We argue that the militarized role of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) in protecting high-value wildlife and conservation zones intersects with the history of the Kasikili/Sedudu border dispute and the establishment of the Chobe National Park as well as with broader state imperatives, including security, finance, and legitimation. We develop this argument through a comprehensive investigation into historical debates over the border’s position, conflicts related to land use, and the BDF’s evolving role in green violence.

Colorado providers call an array of funding woes a ‘perfect storm’

Colorado's community mental health providers say they are experiencing many of the downsides that can come with a period of dizzying change. Facing declining Medicaid rolls, a shifting payment model and no prospects for new state funding to support restructuring, the state's provider community is calling the current environment a “perfect storm” of crisis that could engulf patient care.

Defiant school choice? Educational freedom, access, and Arkansas’s AP African American studies controversy

On August 11, 2023, the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) notified schools just before the fall semester’s start that they would no longer support the college-board-approved AP African American Studies (APAAS) course. Subsequently, all five districts offering the course declared their intent to proceed despite the lack of state funding and course credits. We conduct a document and qualitative thematic analysis in this mixed methods study. In documents, we find distinctive shifts in how the significance of APAAS is portrayed within differing contexts. Using interviews with Arkansas superintendents, teachers, students, and stakeholders, we find four major interview themes: the role of education in preserving democratic values, equity concerns, the significance of community support and advocacy, and the impact of political influences. Documents and stakeholders interviewed perceive the ADE’s withdrawal of support as politically motivated, while superintendents, teachers, and students are primarily motivated by the curriculum, student welfare, and community interests in offering APAAS. We conclude by suggesting that greater consideration of factual knowledge, coupled with choice within and between schools, could defuse such controversies.

Influence of Communication Strategies on Organizational Performance: A Case of the Office of the Auditor General of State Finances in Rwanda

This research paper investigated the effect of communication strategies on organizational success. It specifically assessed the influence of participatory communication, result-based communication, and multi-channelled communication strategies on the success of the Office of Auditor General of state finances (OAG). The paper applied a descriptive and correlation design with a mixed approach. A sample size of 150 was drawn from a target of 248 workers who participated in various service deliveries in Rwanda. A stratified sampling method was adopted to select a representative group. Primary data was obtained utilizing questionnaire surveys and interviews. Data was analysed using both descriptive and inferential analysis with the aid of the statistical product and service solutions version 26.0. Results to the first objective felt that that 43.0% agreed with openness, 37.6% with dialogue and consultation, and 34.2% strongly agreed with shared decision-making. It revealed the significant correlation between dialogue and time schedules (r=.206; p-value=.000). To the second objective results show that 38.6% strongly agreed with the articulation of performance expectations and provision of performance feedback was agreed by 47.7%. The research felt that 40.9% agreed that the use of information in problem-solving applied during service delivery. Results demonstrated that the effect on the provision of performance feedback on cost efficiency, time schedules, and service quality, the study ascertained that the provision of performance feedback is statistically significant with cost efficiency (r=0.122*; p-value=0.035). Results to the third objective demonstrated that the number of channels used in delivering messages was used as strongly agreed by 35.2%. It has been shown that 36.9% agreed with the cohesiveness of multi-voiced messages (agree=36.9; strongly agree= 31.5). Results show a significant correlation between the cohesiveness and consistency of multi-voiced messages and time schedules (r=0.105, p-value=0.071). In conclusion, the study concludes that participatory communication is correlated with dialogue and time schedules, and results-driven communication is associated with feedback on cost efficiency, time schedules, and service quality, the study ascertained the provision of performance feedback. This study recommends that OAG human resources personnel should adopt effective communication strategies, to encourage the attainment of expected goals. The study suggested that further studies should gather data from workers, clients as well as stakeholders to enrich empirical literature.

Unveiling the NEP 2020: A Critical Analysis of the Implications on Privatization and Potential Monopolies in Education

This paper critically examines the transformation of higher education financing in India, particularly in light of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. It highlights the diminishing role of state funding and the increasing financial burden on households, analyzing the implications for privatization and monopolization within the education sector. Historical context reveals a shift towards neoliberal policies prioritizing profit over egalitarian ideals, culminating in a landscape where market dynamics intertwine with political ideologies. The paper scrutinizes key recommendations from the Ambani-Birla Report and the NEP, emphasizing the risks of commercialization and exclusion. Ultimately, it argues that NEP 2020 may undermine established educational structures and neglect constitutional values, reinforcing a corporate Hindu narrative that jeopardizes the promise of a democratic and equitable education system in India.

The Ripple Effects of Financial Fraud: Investor Trust and Risk Appetite Post-Kangmei Pharmaceutical

The financial fraud at Kangmei Pharmaceutical (stock code: 600518) has had profound implications for retail investors. This paper, through data analysis, explores the correlation between information asymmetry and investment outcomes for retail investors. Information asymmetry often leaves retail investors unable to access the true financial state and operational conditions of companies, leading them to make speculative investments. Post-exposure, as information transparency increased, retail investors became aware of the company's financial issues and rushed to sell, causing a stock plunge. This highlights how information asymmetry not only affects investment decisions but also amplifies market volatility. To mitigate risks from information asymmetry, regulators must strengthen oversight and penalties, improve disclosure transparency and authenticity, while investors need to enhance self-protection awareness and information gathering and analysis capabilities. Only then can we minimize the impact of information asymmetry on retail investors and uphold fairness and stability in financial markets. This paper suggests that by implementing a robust regulatory framework and encouraging proactive investor education, we can better safeguard retail investors from the detrimental effects of information asymmetry, thereby fostering a more resilient and equitable financial market ecosystem.

Pengaruh Penganggaran Berbasis Kinerja Terhadap Kenaikan Tunjangan Kinerja Bawaslu Dalam Perspektif Hukum Keuangan Negara

This research explores the impact of performance-based budgeting on the increase in the performance allowance of Indonesia's Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) from the perspective of state financial law. This research examines how performance-based budgeting, which emphasises efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability, affects financial management and justifies the increase in allowances. By analysing the legal framework, empirical data, and performance metrics, this study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the alignment between budget allocations and performance outcomes in Bawaslu. The method used is normative research with primary, secondary and tertiary legal materials. The data generated from legal materials are described to find objective results. The results of this study The use of a performance-based budgeting system (ABK) by Bawaslu has influenced the policy of increasing performance allowances. Bawaslu's performance measurement refers to the principles of state finance, including efficiency, economic effectiveness, accountability, responsibility, professionalism, proportionality, and openness. The increase in Bawaslu's performance allowance is in accordance with the performance improvement that has been evaluated by Menpan RB, which is the institution responsible for bureaucratic reform.

Pengaruh Penerapan Standar Akuntansi Pemerintahan Berbasis Akrual & Sistem Pengendalian Internal Pemerintah Terhadap Kualitas Laporan Keuangan SKPD Di Pemerintah Kota

Management of state finances is carried out on an ongoing basis to ensure orderliness, efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability, as well as meeting demands for public accountability and submission of financial reports in accordance with regulations. Regional Governments are obliged to submit Regional Government Financial Reports (LKPD) as a form of transparency and accountability, which are assessed for credibility by the Financial Audit Agency of the Republic of Indonesia, with the quality of financial reports that are relevant, reliable, comparable and can be understood as a measure of good regional financial management. This research aims to test and analyze whether the quality of implementing Government Accounting Standards (SAP) and the Government Internal Control System (SPIP) has an effect on the quality of financial reports. This research uses an explanatory research method to understand known phenomena, with descriptive verification research to test causal relationships between variables through hypothesis testing. The implementation of Government Accounting Standards and the Government Internal Control System has a positive and significant effect on the quality of the Bandung City Government's financial reports partially, in accordance with the proposed hypothesis. The findings of this research are in line with previous research, which shows that good implementation of SAP and SPI improves the quality of local government financial reports

Drivers of local government borrowing in China: Fiscal hunger and competition game under asymmetric decentralization

This paper contributes two mechanisms through which asymmetric fiscal decentralization drives local government borrowing: ‘fiscal hunger’ (borrowing to address budgetary fiscal gaps, leverage land resources, and pay off existing loans) and ‘competition game’ (borrowing to compete for bond issuance and state funds). Analyzing a dataset of 290 Chinese cities from 2006 to 2015, we find local government borrowing is driven by both fiscal hunger and inter-city competition. Borrowing is not confined to the growth-oriented purpose. Our Geographically Weighted Panel Regression uncovers the spatial patterns of two borrowing mechanisms, in which borrowing in less-developed regions is predominantly driven by fiscal hunger, while developed coastal regions actively engage in inter-city competition through borrowing. These dynamics may aggravate fiscal disparities among Chinese cities.

The Impact of State Funding of Higher Education on Employment and Living Standards in Georgia

State financing of higher education is crucial for promoting innovation and competition, as well as guaranteeing equal opportunities and access to education. This financing facilitates the development of students' potential by providing them with the necessary skills and information to enhance graduation rates and social well-being. Scholarships and grants are implemented to improve student access to education by aligning the financial system with the demands of the job market and educational developments. The aim of the study is to evaluate the impact of financing higher education in Georgia on employment of graduates and well-being of the population. The results of the survey of entrants and students reveal that public awareness of state-funded higher education programs in Georgia is quite low (47.2%). A large part of the graduates (47,8%) provided with various types of state funding during their studies are not employed in their specialty. The impact of the increase in the expenditure on education on the increase in the income of the population is quite low (0.23%). The research concludes that the allocation of public funds for higher education in Georgia does not effectively match the capabilities of graduates with the demands of the labour market. The reason for the mentioned inconsistency is that the requirements of the labor market were not taken into account when determining the directions to be financed. In addition, it is important to note that the demands of the labor market change every year in accordance with the current challenges, therefore the employer also demands relevant skills immediately, which cannot be met by higher education institutions in a short period of time. Despite the above, the involvement of employers in the process of developing educational programs is low and it is mostly formal in nature. When determining the priority educational programs, there is no periodic revision of the directions so that it is adapted to the demands of the labor market. It is necessary to establish partnership relations between employers, higher educational institutions and the state in order to take into account the requirements of the labor market both in the development of educational programs and in the determination of priority educational directions. Enhancing transparency and emphasising practical training in key areas are essential for enhancing the program's efficacy and enhancing the career chances of graduates. These modifications will provide a more favourable return on investment for state education expenditure. Keywords: higher education, state financing, employment, living standards

Labor coercion, fiscal modernization, and state capacity: Evidence from colonial Indonesia

What explains the emergence of centralized fiscal institutions and information-intensive monetary taxation? This is the first study to estimate the effect of state capacity expansion on labor coercion as taxation, a practice known as corvée labor. To do so, I construct a new database covering eighteen Indonesian residencies over thirty-two years (1874–1905) during the period of Dutch colonial rule. I document the wide use of corvée labor and find that national-level policy centralized state finances by gradually replacing corvée with a head tax. At the same time, a residency-level panel data analysis shows that local state capacity expansion, primarily indigenous officials working as agents for the state, slowed the movement away from corvée. These estimates are supported by an IV strategy that uses effective distance to the capital as an instrument for local state capacity. The relationship between state capacity expansion and fiscal modernization therefore depends on what part of the state is expanding and whether interests across types of taxation differ within the state bureaucracy. Opposing interests of different state actors can be key in understanding fiscal modernization and public labor coercion.

Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions assessment: converting an early retirement coal-fired power plant to a biomass power plant

Decommissioning aging coal-fired power plants (CFPPs) represents an effective strategy for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accelerating energy mix diversification, and achieving nationally determined contributions and net-zero emissions targets. However, dismantling the CFPP and building a renewable energy-based power plant with a capacity equal to a dismantled CFPP could burden state finances. Therefore, converting coal to 100% biomass fuel in the aging CFPP is one of the proposals that needs to be studied. This study conducted an environmental assessment concerning the Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas (LC GHG) emissions, encompassing raw material extraction and power plant operation. Five scenarios were analyzed. Two scenarios related to using sawdust and agroforestry residue for biomass fuel in the aging CFPP. The other three scenarios used biomass fuel from Calliandra wood harvested from tropical forests, production forests, and marginal land, which produced GHG emissions from Land Use Change (LUC). This study demonstrates that sawdust and agroforestry residue can reduce global warming impacts compared to coal. The LUC in higher carbon stock land will increase global warming impacts, while the LUC in lower carbon stock land will reduce global warming impacts. A decrease in the aging CFPP efficiency, when coal is converted to 100% biomass, will cause an increase in global warming impacts.

Church Building and the 1833 Bankruptcy of the City of Edinburgh

This paper examines the role of capital expenditure on three new church buildings in Edinburgh’s New Town, in the financial difficulties that ultimately led to the city’s bankruptcy in 1833. It outlines the origins of the financial crisis and the failure of the city’s councillors to arrest the remorseless increase in municipal debt prior to the bankruptcy. In describing the financing arrangements pertaining to Edinburgh’s ecclesiastical estate, it presents evidence relating to the question of whether this area of activity was in deficit or surplus. It concludes by considering the competing narratives around the question of the state funding of ecclesiastical provision, and the way in which ecclesiastical revenues – burgh church seat rents – underpinned the final bankruptcy settlement.

CREDIT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY TO ENSURE THE FINANCIAL STABILITY OF PACKAGING INDUSTRY ENTERPRISES

The article examines the possibilities of increasing the efficiency of credit resource management to ensure the financial stability of enterprises in the packaging industry. It was found that in modern conditions, the study of the assessment of the financial stability of the enterprise was not of a comprehensive nature, but was based, mainly, on the use of the coefficient method, which took place on a static basis and did not take into account the specifics of the industry, did not make it possible to assess the ability of the enterprise to generate cash flows for the implementation of activities. It has been proven that the problem of ensuring financial stability and financial balance of packaging industry enterprises is now an important one, especially in the conditions of uncertainty and instability of the economic environment caused by the war. On the basis of the conducted research, the key factors on which an effective credit management strategy should be based have been determined. In this context, the special importance of a timely and objective assessment of the financial stability of enterprises in the packaging industry, regardless of the forms of their ownership, is emphasized, which should be aimed at finding ways and opportunities to increase profits by means of a timely analysis of the financial state of enterprises. Eleven factors are proposed that should be taken into account when choosing a financial credit institution. A systematic analysis of the financial condition of the enterprise, its solvency, liquidity and financial stability is also necessary because the profitability of any enterprise largely depends on its solvency. Based on the balance sheet plan of the necessary resources, we forecast the sources of their formation, taking into account the level of financial leverage and the funds saved as a result of this at the time of taxation. Choosing the most profitable parameters, the enterprise can immediately determine the directions of saving its own monetary and financial resources, as well as optimize the use of already received ones. It has been established that in modern conditions, the relevance of effective financial management as a system of timely methods and techniques capable of preventing a financial crisis and avoiding risks of loss of financial stability of the enterprise in the future is objectively increasing. The lack of a clear definition of financial stability as an economic category and a system of indicators for its assessment, which requires further theoretical development of the problem.