Exploring public sector managers' preferences for attracting consultants or academics as external experts

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 205-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan van Helden ◽  
Anders Grönlund ◽  
Riccardo Mussari ◽  
Pasquale Ruggiero

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the reasons why public sector managers approach either consultants or academics for their help in solving problems related to public sector accounting and management reforms.Design/methodology/approachA field study based on reactions to real‐life constructs and answers to questions about the experiences of public sector managers in Italian, Dutch and Swedish central government agencies.FindingsPublic sector managers approach consultants, due to their experience‐based knowledge, for solving well‐defined practical and technical problems. In the case of tacit knowledge, a strong interaction between the public sector manager and the consultant, denoted as socialization, is the typical way of knowledge transfer. In accordance with expectations, public sector managers approach academics for advice regarding value‐laden problems in their organization. However, academics also give advice about practical and technical issues, usually being the primary domain of consultants, but often when impartial advice is required. Although the authors expected academics to transfer knowledge rather detached from their clients (interiorization), this was not corroborated, because often academics work closely with their counterparts in the client organization.Research limitations/implicationsThe theoretical framework was helpful in explaining the role of consultants, but it required refinement in explaining the role of academics as external experts.Practical implicationsThe paper contributes to a better articulated set of preferences of public sector managers in asking advice from either a consultant or an academic.Originality/valueThe paper offers a simultaneous and systematic empirical examination of the roles that consultants and academics play in public sector management and accounting reforms.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richa Singh ◽  
Geetika Goel ◽  
Piyali Ghosh ◽  
Saitab Sinha

PurposeThis study examines the link of effective change implementation (CIE) with select human resource (HR) practices and employees' resistance to change (RTC) amidst ongoing mergers in Indian public sector banks (PSBs). It also intends to highlight the role of RTC as a mediator in this mechanism.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a structured questionnaire administered through a survey of employees of select PSBs that have undergone mergers. The hypothesized relationships were tested on 220 responses with structural equation modelling.FindingsTraining and communication of change as HR practices were found to have significant effects in implementing change. RTC fully mediated the relationship of training and CIE, and partially mediated the association of communication and CIE. Communication had a stronger influence on RTC than training. This finding upholds the importance of communication but also implies that training can reinforce effective communication of change and may not affect the implementation if not directed towards handling resistance.Practical implicationsThe significance of communication as a finding supports the theory of planned behaviour. The authors’ results also align with the social exchange theory and can be extended to the job demands-resources model. PSBs may plan for phase-wise training initiatives starting from the announcement till the end of a merger. PSBs also need to effectively communicate all relevant HR issues to employees, thus being transparent and fair. Both online and offline modes of communication can be explored. Overall, the senior management has to imbibe the handholding of employees in the short term and a sense of empathy in the longer term.Originality/valueResearch on HR in Indian banking mergers seems to take a back seat vis-à-vis strategic issues and financial performance. There also is a limited empirical examination of the role of HR practices in effective change implementation. This paper addresses both these issues by proposing a conceptual model and empirically validating it amidst the merger of PSBs. The authors also highlight how training and communication are effective in handling resistance to change.


Subject Balance of powers in Mexico. Significance Since taking office last year, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) and his National Renovation Movement (Morena) have taken several measures to make savings in the public sector and to allocate resources to tackling poverty and corruption. Such goals enjoy widespread support, but some of the mechanisms employed to achieve them are concentrating power with the central government. The areas most affected include constitutionally autonomous entities within the administration, other branches of government such as the judiciary, and state governments. Impacts Given the role of poorly paid public servants in state capture, salary cuts may prove counterproductive in fighting corruption. Without a system that impartially investigates, prosecutes and sanctions wrongdoing by public servants, corruption will not abate. Centralisation will strengthen the administration initially but leave it vulnerable in the long term when things do not work as intended.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Asim Rafique ◽  
Yumei Hou ◽  
Muhammad Adnan Zahid Chudhery ◽  
Nida Gull ◽  
Syed Jameel Ahmed

PurposeInnovations are imperative for organizational growth and sustainability. This study focuses on the employees' innovative behavior, a source of organizational innovations, which has received substantial attention from the researchers. Based on the psychological empowerment theory, the study exposes the effect of the various dimensions of public service motivation (PSM) on employees' innovative behavior (IB) in public sector institutions especially in the context of developing countries such as Pakistan. Moreover, the study also investigates the mediating role of psychological empowerment (PSE) between the dimensions of PSM and IB.Design/methodology/approachThis study used the cross-sectional research design. By using random sampling, the adapted survey questionnaires were used to collect data from 346 faculty members of public sector universities located in provincial capitals of Pakistan. A partial least square–structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) tool was used to assess the proposed hypotheses through SMART-PLS software.FindingsResults revealed that attraction to policymaking (APM), compassion (COM), self-sacrifice (SS) have a significant impact on employees' PSE and their innovative behavior, while the relationship of commitment to the public interest (CPI) with PSE and IB was found insignificant. Moreover, PSE partially mediated the relationship between PSM dimensions and employees' IB.Originality/valueThere was a scarcity of research on IB especially in public sector institutions such as academia. This study theoretically contributed to the literature by providing a refined picture in assessing the proposed relationship of the constructs. This is also one of the original studies that examine the relationship between the dimensions of PSM and IB.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  

Purpose This study investigated how and when corporate social responsibility (CSR) fosters job seekers’ application intentions. The authors used a “mediated moderation mode” to explore the positive effect of CSR on job seekers’ intention to apply. They considered the moderating role of applicants’ calling and the mediating role of value congruence in the relationship between the person and organization. Design/methodology/approach To test their hypotheses the authors developed a questionnaire and sent it to a sample of 259 college students with a mean age of 22.67 in South Korea. All were either prospective or current job seekers and 55.2pc were female. Two scenarios were developed based on the real-life case of a well-known coffee franchise’s CSR policies. The scenarios were identical except that one had more proactive CSR policies. Findings Results showed that a company’s proactive CSR programs increase job seekers’ intention to apply, which was moderated by their “calling” for the job. The research also demonstrated that “value congruence” between the applicant and the organization fully mediated the interaction between CSR and calling. The results, the authors said, suggested that engaging in active CSR could attract job applicants, providing a potential competitive advantage. Originality/value The authors said their study contributed to the literature as it took the job seeker’s perspective whereas most previous research on calling focused on employees. They said it was the first study to empirically demonstrate the interaction between a sense of calling and CSR.


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yohanis S. Ulimpa ◽  
Jullie J. Sondakh ◽  
Treesje Runtu

In line with regional autonomy that is oriented towards empowerment (emporwerment) and community guidance in the implementation of clean authority and free of corruption, collusion and nepotism, the public sector is often regarded as a nest of wasteful efficiency and institutional fund leakage that always loses money. But the public sector still has wide opportunities to improve the performance of the benefits of resources economically, effectively and efficiently. Knowing the performance measurement of the Sorong Regency government. Knowing the role of indicators in the Sorong Regency government. The method used in this study is descriptive qualitative. The result is the performance measurement of the local government is carried out because of the provisions of the central government to make performance accountability reports for each government agency.Keywords :Performance Measurement, Performance Indicator, LAKIP, Sorong District Government   


2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 316-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Cohen ◽  
Sotirios Karatzimas

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of the Troika’s advent played in the progress of the budgeting and the financial reporting systems reform at the Greek central government level. Design/methodology/approach The approach of an extreme country case study is adopted. The data used in the paper have been identified through document analysis performed on the relevant documents produced by the Troika, the Greek Ministry of Finance, and other relevant sources. The reform process is seen through the lens of the neo-institutional theory and the resource dependency theory. Findings Although both reforms targeted the introduction of best international practices – particularly useful in periods of financial distress and scarce resources – the advent of the Troika affected their progress and changed the priorities. As a result, the reform was redirected toward strengthening the cash budgeting system. Research limitations/implications The study is subject to the limitations of an extreme case study research. Practical implications This is a case where resource dependency changes political priorities and directions and affects the evolvement of state budget and accounting reforms under way. Originality/value The role of external fund providers in public sector financial management reform priority-setting, in the case of a developed Eurozone country, is analyzed. The study contributes to the research agenda on accounting practices in times of austerity.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Philein Hafidz Al Kautsar ◽  
Nur Budi Mulyono

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to develop an ecosystem-based DRR concept and explore how far the concept can be applied in a disaster-management context.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used the ecosystem concept established by Tsujimoto et al. (2018) as the foundation of this study. They then conducted a literature search to adapt the ecosystem concept to fit the context of disaster management. Thus, they developed an ecosystem-based DRR concept. They used a case study method to test whether the adapted ecosystem concept can be applied to examine a real-life case of disaster management. For data collection, they used qualitative methods; a semi-structured interview with practitioners and other actors involved in disaster-management practice as well as document review. For data analysis, they used thematic analysis to find themes within the data.FindingsBy using this concept, the authors found some actors fulfil their role in the ecosystem toward the DRR effort, some actors are ill-equipped, and some actors are actively working against DRR effort. There are also implementation challenges, as numerous programs are only halfway done due to a lack of resources. However, the main problems of this disaster can be summarized into three categories: technical problems, socio-economic problems and law-enforcement problems. All three problems need to be addressed altogether because even neglecting only one problem would lead to a flawed solution.Research limitations/implicationsOne of the limitations is the respondents' bias. This research aims to find out their part, or more accurately what they are representative of, regarding disaster management for forest and land fire case. As some of the questions may reveal unflattering action or may even hurting their credibility, respondents might not have provided an entirely honest answer. Another limitation is the differing respondents' roles within the disaster. As each of the respondents is a representative of an actor in disaster management, they all have different traits. Thus, this situation makes it challenging to produce similar quality and quantity data for each of them.Practical implicationsAs concluded, the ecosystem-based DRR concept can be used as a framework to examine a real-life case of disaster management. It can be utilized to explain roles, relationships and the whole network of disaster-management actors. The authors hope that this concept could help decision-makers in designing their policies.Social implicationsThe main problems of this disaster can be summarized into three categories: technical problems, socio-economic problems and law-enforcement problems. All three problems need to be addressed altogether for even neglecting only one problem would lead to a flawed solution. However, the yearly reoccurrences of fires and the widespread of illegal and dangerous practice, slash and burn agriculture, are evidence that the government mishandles the other two problems. There is a need for reform within legal institutions and government's treatment regarding local farmers. There is a need for trust, cooperation and synergy between disaster-management actors.Originality/valueThe ecosystem concept has been used widely in the field of management of technology and innovation. However, while ecosystem concept is commonly used in the management of technology and innovation, it is rarely used in a disaster-management context.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael K. Mickson ◽  
Alex Anlesinya ◽  
Ebenezer Malcalm

PurposeThis study examines the mediation role of diversity climate in the relationship between transformational leadership, transactional leadership and job satisfaction from the two-factor perspectives of intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfactions among local government servants in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses cross-sectional data from 322 employees in local government service of Ghana in the Greater Accra Region using purposive and stratified sampling methods. Bootstrapping method of mediation estimated using structural equation modelling is employed to test the hypothesized relationships.FindingsThe results find a differential effect of leadership behaviours on intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction, where transformation and transactional leadership relate positively to intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction respectively. Furthermore, the empirical findings reveal that diversity climate has mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and intrinsic job satisfaction, implying that diversity climate is an important process through which transformational leadership behaviours can elicit intrinsic job satisfaction among local government servants. Surprisingly, however, diversity climate does not serve as an important transmission mechanism in the relationship between transactional leadership and extrinsic job satisfaction.Practical implicationsThis means that public sector leaders or managers can improve intrinsic job satisfaction among local government servants and by extension public sector employees by creating an ideal climate for diversity by transforming the work environment through leadership, specifically, transformational leadership behaviours.Originality/valueAlthough studies abound on the link between leadership behaviours (transformational and transactional) and job satisfaction, the mediating effect of diversity climate as a mechanism in this relationship is very scarce and rare to find. Hence, our study has made original contributions to theory and practice by highlighting the role of diversity climate in converting leadership behaviours, specifically; transformational leadership into creating intrinsically satisfied workers in the public sector.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 3049 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nannan Wang ◽  
Minxun Ma ◽  
Yunfei Liu

The management role of the public sector in public–private partnership PPP infrastructure projects has been extensively expanded to the whole lifecycle rather than in the traditional infrastructure projects. The performance of the public sector in a PPP is the key for the PPP to achieve sustainability; however, there is a lack of research on the whole lifecycle management efficiency of the public sector in a PPP. This research aims to examine the governance role of the public sector in PPP projects, and therefore evaluate their whole lifecycle management efficiency. An evaluation framework is developed through the lens of governmentality to evaluate the performance of the public sector. Multiple case studies on PPP infrastructure projects in China have identified loopholes during the whole lifecycle of a PPP at the local governmental level. On the basis of the findings of case studies, a conceptual model is proposed to demonstrate ways for the public sector to improve efficiency through integrated governance of PPP projects. The research findings benefit both the central government in terms of evaluation and decision making and the local government by improving their efficiency in PPP infrastructure projects for the purpose of achieving sustainability. According to the findings, policy strategies are provided for the central government on how to further regulate the PPP market and address the loopholes, including further standardizing regulations and instruction, providing unified quantitative calculation or measurement tools, training, and education for the public sector to integrate whole lifecycle project management, and quality control of consultancy for the PPP infrastructure projects.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-132
Author(s):  
Neeraj Kumar Dubey ◽  
Preeti Sharma ◽  
Purnima Sangle

Purpose This paper aims to study the role of the emerging technology landscape and collaborative platforms in customer relationship management (CRM) unravelling novel opportunities for mutual co-creation in Indian banking context. Design/methodology/approach This study used the case-study method for collecting various sources for “triangulation”. Findings The advancement of technology has drastically increased avenues of dialogue and access and brought transparency in the relationship, offering opportunities for co-creation and increased dependence on technology in CRM. A longitudinal approach explained how bank leveraged technology in multiple aspects of CRM for enhancing relationship quality and outcome. Research limitations/implications The study is exploratory in nature in Indian banking context, and thus it should be viewed as a preliminary step in contributing to the understanding of CRM in a new collaborative technology landscape. Practical implications This study explains the changing shape of CRM and provides relevance of customer orientation and offers insight about co-creation which has taken centre stage because of the emergence of collaborative technologies. Originality/value This study is possibly one of the first to conduct a case study to understand the way collaborative technological advancements are being exploited by organisations to develop superior CRM capability and achieve co-creation. This study analysed and comprehended the design and implementation of CRM in an Indian bank in real-life settings to gain a better understanding of the adoption of new collaborative technological advancements by a bank for customer centricity and facilitating co-creation.


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