Public sector financial management reforms in Ghana: insights from institutional theory

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lexis Alexander Tetteh ◽  
Cletus Agyenim-Boateng ◽  
Samuel Nana Yaw Simpson ◽  
Daniel Susuawu
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Emerging Economies ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Management Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Sector Accounting ◽  
Internal Stakeholders ◽  
The Impact

PurposeIn this study, we use neoinstitutional sociology to explore how institutional pressures exerted on Ghana influenced the government’s decision to adopt, implement and use integrated financial management information systems (IFMIS) for the management of public financial resources.Design/methodology/approachBased on a case study of Ghana’s Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD), the study uses a qualitative interpretive case approach as the methodological stance, and some key officials involved in the implementation of the IFMIS project were interviewed and documentary evidence was also analyzed to achieve triangulation of data and results.FindingsThe results show that the IFMIS reform was instigated by two main forces. One is the pressure from external stakeholders like the World Bank related to funding relationships. The other is the indigenous pressures coming from internal stakeholders who felt dissatisfied with the outcomes of previous reforms. The findings also suggest that many contingencies for successful reforms to IFMIS were present in Ghana, such as the commitment of internal stakeholders, the training programs for improving the needed skills of employees, and the will to get inspired by best practices abroad. Nevertheless, ultimate users mostly were hesitant to use IFMIS due to fears of losing their jobs because of institutionalized practices and a lack of IT skills. The study further revealed that, even if many conditions for a successful reform, especially regarding adoption and implementation, are in place, the reform may ultimately fail due to the impact of other factors that particularly regard the use of the newly developed accounting repertoire.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study can be considered as a blueprint to emerging economies yet to adopt and implement similar IT-based Public Financial Management Information System (PFMIS). Moreover, given that some ultimate users exhibited resistance to the use of the new system, the results will prompt emerging economies that have not yet implemented IT-based PFMIS to recognize that cultural change management is an inevitable condition for successful implementation and use of IT-based PFMIS.Originality/valueThis study contributes to studies on public sector accounting reform in emerging economies by highlighting how the adoption of public sector accounting reform was instigated by both development partners and indigenous institutions responsible for ensuring effective and transparent management of public funds. Furthermore, unlike previous studies, the implementation team imported business case ideas from the private sector to augment the IFMIS implementation.

scholarly journals RUSSIAN PUBLIC SECTOR REFORM: THE IMPACT ON UNIVERSITY ACCOUNTING

2008 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantin Timoshenko
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Central Government ◽  
The State ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Accounting System ◽  
Russian State ◽  
Public Sector Accounting ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

The last few decades have witnessed substantial efforts to reinvent the state worldwide. The Russian state is no exception to this global trend. At the outset of a new millennium, the need for renewal of the post‐Soviet model of the state has been acknowledged, and an up‐to‐date reform package has been promoted by the central government. This has encompassed the reconstruction of public sector accounting. Given the paucity of consistent research efforts on the topic, this article seeks to describe and analyze, and by so doing, contribute to knowledge about Russian public sector accounting in times of change. To tackle the general purpose, two levels are incorporated in this study to link reform initiatives for the government as a whole with those endeavours to implement them in one state‐sponsored university of Russian tertiary education. The major questions to be addressed are of whether, why, and how changes at the central government level have penetrated down to the university and extended to its accounting system. The evidence gathered in this paper reveals that a new Russian public sector ideology has markedly been affected by overseas developments in the shape of large international organizations. However, no compelling evidence has been documented in this research as unveiling that changes at the macro‐level have penetrated down to the university to any significant extent. This study concludes that launching a new version of accounting by the Russian state can be regarded as more of a symbol of legitimacy for the university rather than of an actual financial management tool.

Financial Management Information Systems and accounting policies retention in Brazil

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (2/3) ◽  
pp. 207-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Rocha de Azevedo ◽  
André Feliciano Lino ◽  
André Carlos Busanelli de Aquino ◽  
Túlio César Pereira Machado-Martins
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Public Procurement ◽  
Management Information Systems ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Management Information ◽  
Accrual Accounting ◽  
Contracting Out ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe successful implementation of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) depends on the adoption and subsequent maintenance of accrual accounting policies. Moreover, Financial Management Information Systems (FMIS) are important drivers of reforms, and their replacement might disrupt the execution of accrual accounting policies. This paper aims to analyze the effects of FMIS replacement (or maintenance) on the retention of accrual accounting policies in Brazilian local governments.Design/methodology/approachThe research adopts a sequential mixed-methods approach, starting with a quantitative analysis of the presence of accrual accounting policies in local governments and the effects of FMIS replacement. Next, a qualitative analysis is conducted with a survey, documents and interviews to observe the FMIS replacement process. Our analysis focuses on local governments from one state in Brazil, but the context is highly transferable to other states, as the same procurement law and accounting regulations apply.FindingsFMIS replacement may reduce accounting policies retention; consequently, public procurement regulation may induce a public procurement context in which the IPSAS project would find more difficulties to prosper.Research limitations/implicationsThis research contributes to the IPSAS literature by examining the phenomenon of accounting policies retention or persistence, as one should not take it for granted that an adopted accounting procedure will be sustained over time. The analysis argues that FMIS replacement due to compulsory rebidding should be carefully considered.Practical implicationsPromoters of accounting reforms may consider the regulation of contracting out for FMIS a relevant issue to the institutionalization of accounting policies.Originality/valueThe analysis innovates by linking IPSAS accounting reform to the contracting out of FMIS.

scholarly journals The accounting, budgeting and fiscal impact of COVID-19 on the United Kingdom

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 785-795 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Heald ◽  
Ron Hodges
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Interest Rates ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Fiscal Sustainability ◽  
Accounting Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Finances ◽  
Economic Decision Making ◽  
Uk Government ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis paper analyses the nature and impact of budgetary responses to the pandemic in the context of the strengths and weaknesses of UK public sector financial management.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis is developed through consideration of four modes of government accounting. Data are drawn from multiple official sources, which report actual and forecast government receipts and expenditures as the crisis unfolds.FindingsThere have been dramatic effects on UK government finances. Government receipts have fallen by 12% and expenditures have increased by 36% in the first three months of the crisis (April–June 2020), compared to the previous year. Government debt increased to £1,984bn (99.6% of GDP), the highest percentage since March 1961 (ONS, 2020c). The pandemic will have the greatest impact on UK public finances in 2020–21, with a record budget deficit which, under the OBR (2020c) central scenario, may approach £322bn and increase public sector net debt to £2,205bn (104.1% of GDP).Research limitations/implicationsThe research is necessarily limited by the impact of the pandemic and the government's responses in a rapidly changing social, economic and fiscal environment.Practical implicationsStatistical accounting and budgeting dominate attention because of reporting speed and issues of international comparability. The pandemic has emphasised the importance of timeliness. Government financial reporting is marginalised, though this should not be permanent if the pandemic retreats. Fiscal sustainability analysis will warn that UK public finances are even more unsustainable than before the pandemic.Social implicationsThe interaction of higher levels of debt and future increases in interest rates might result in a new era of austerity and further centralisation of public power and economic decision-making in one of the world's most centralised democracies.Originality/valueThe paper provides an early, structured analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 emergency on UK government finances.

Are higher education institutions in Europe preparing students for IPSAS?

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (2/3) ◽  
pp. 363-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Berit Adam ◽  
Isabel Brusca ◽  
Eugenio Caperchione ◽  
Jens Heiling ◽  
Susana Margarida F. Jorge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Accounting Standard ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Public Sector Accounting ◽  
Future Education ◽  
Near Future

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether higher education institutions (HEIs) in EU Member States are aware of the relevance of the ongoing reforms in public sector accounting (PSA) and the need to prepare their students to become expert professionals in that area. It particularly assesses whether these organizations currently provide, or will provide in the near future, education on International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS)/EPSAS, so that a sufficient number of graduates will be ready to match the foreseeable demand for experts in IPSAS/EPSAS. Design/methodology/approach Adopting a purposive sample, the paper compares the situation in four EU countries (Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain). Data have been obtained through a questionnaire provided to selected professors in relevant HEIs in the selected countries. Findings HEIs are giving only limited room to PSA and financial management, with differences in terms of program offerings and coverage of topics among the four countries. Furthermore, in most cases, the programs are adapted to the national budgetary and accounting standards and courses are seldom focused on the IPSASs. Originality/value The paper contributes to the literature on PSA harmonization, through an innovative analysis of PSA and financial management teaching, both at national and international levels.

scholarly journals Adoption of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards in emerging economies and low-income countries: a structured literature review

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Polzer ◽  
Pawan Adhikari ◽  
Cong Phuong Nguyen ◽  
Levi Gårseth-Nesbakk
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Emerging Economies ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Flow Diagram ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Holistic Understanding ◽  
Public Sector Accounting

PurposeThe aim of the study is to review the extant literature on International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) adoption in emerging economies (EEs) and low-income countries (LICs) (“what do we know?”), and to propose an agenda for future research (“what do we need to know?”).Design/methodology/approachAn analytical framework that builds on diffusion theory is developed. The authors follow the “PRISMA Flow Diagram” to reduce a total of 427 articles from four databases to a final sample of 41 articles. These studies are examined, aided by the analytical framework.FindingsThe authors find that IPSASs are a relevant issue for EEs/LICs. Overall, existing research is often explorative. The authors discover that the majority of articles rely on secondary data collection. While two-thirds of the studies perform a content analysis of pre-existing material, about one-fifth of the articles each collect primary data through means of interviews and questionnaires. The findings offer a holistic understanding of where and at what stages IPSAS reforms stand in EEs/LICs, and what factors influence the progression of reforms to the next stage of diffusion.Originality/valueThe authors outline a number of avenues for further research after discussing the dominating trends and structuring the literature based on our analytical framework. These stem from looking at the blank spots and an identified need to contextualise IPSASs adoption in EEs/LICs.

scholarly journals Green training for sustainable procurement? Insights from the Brazilian public sector

2017 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Gomes Aragão ◽  
Charbel Jose Chiappetta Jabbour
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Emerging Economies ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Sustainable Supply Chain ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Procurement ◽  
Public Sector Organizations ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Human resources practices, particularly regarding environmental training, play a key role in the dissemination of sustainable supply chain practices, especially sustainable procurement. Both environmental training and sustainable procurement can prompt environmental maturity (EM) among organizations. However, little is known about the relationship between environmental training and the adoption of sustainable procurement in public sector organizations of emerging economies, such as Brazil. In this context, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between environmental training and the adoption of sustainable procurement in three Brazilian public/state universities. Design/methodology/approach This research is qualitative and includes an exploratory study based on in-depth interviews with experts from the procurement section of Brazilian public universities. A methodological framework is proposed to analyze the results. The main questions that guided this study were: is there a relationship between the environmental-training initiatives and the adoption of sustainable procurement? Does this relationship, whether positive or negative, improve the maturity of environmental sustainability? And what is the future outlook for this issue in the context of public universities in Brazil? Findings According to the results’ analysis, the impact of sustainable procurement practices among the public organizations analyzed was almost void. The environmental training produced limited accomplishments, although respondents viewed it as a source of potential improvement, which indicates a co-evolution of sustainable procurement, environmental training and EM. In the cases analyzed, an alignment was identified among the levels of sustainable procurement and environmental training adoption. Research limitations/implications It was identified that the lacks of training and support from senior management, environmental culture, great bureaucracy and economic factors were considered barriers and difficulties to implementing environmental procurement practices. These barriers deserve further study. Originality/value There is a lack of research on the relationship between environmental training and the adoption of sustainable procurement in emerging economies and in public sector organizations.

How to enhance the impact of training on service quality?

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (7) ◽  
pp. 514-529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul Rahim Zumrah
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Transfer Of Training ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Sector Organizations ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to highlight the importance role of transfer of training as a mediator in the relationship between training and service quality. Design/methodology/approach – The data of this study were collected from three sources: the employees of public sector organizations in Malaysia who participated in a Basic Financial Management training program, their supervisors and their colleagues through surveys. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings – The findings reveal that transfer of training mediated the relationship between training and service quality. Research limitations/implications – The finding illustrate that management in public sector need to ensure that their employees apply the new learned knowledge and skills at the workplace following the training to maximize the return of training investment. Originality/value – This study extends the literature by providing empirical evidence that transfer of training has a mediating effects on the relationship between training and employee service quality in the context of public sector organizations in Malaysia, a non-Western context that located in Southeast Asia.

scholarly journals Public sector accounting in emerging economies: a review of the papers published in the first decade of Journal of Accounting in Emerging Economies

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan van Helden ◽  
Pawan Adhikari ◽  
Chamara Kuruppu
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Emerging Economies ◽  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Sector Reforms ◽  
New Public ◽  
Public Sector Accounting

PurposeA review of papers on public sector accounting in emerging economies, as published in the Journal of Accounting in Emerging Economies' (JAEE) first decade.Design/methodology/approachA reflection on the issues covered and achievements made in the reviewed papers in the context of extant knowledge in this domain.FindingsA majority of the research in JAEE is dominated by accounting reforms inspired by New Public Management (NPM). Performance management, budgeting and accrual accounting are the main topics in the reviewed research. NPM claims, which can range from usability and use of a new accounting repertoire to desirable impacts on efficiency and service delivery, are often not fulfilled. Many papers attempt to explain failing accounting innovations by the local context in which they are embedded, including political instability, poor governance and a lack of capabilities.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper reviews research in a niche journal, but the findings are related to wider public sector accounting literature.Practical implicationsPublic sector practitioners, but also researchers, need to move away from a focus on public sector reforms due to contextual circumstances leading to built-in failures and concentrate instead on understanding how the accounting repertoire works in practice, including routes for improvements therein.Originality/valueAn original framework for analysing public sector accounting research in emerging economies is proposed, which, among others, distinguishes between various ambition levels for achieving NPM reforms.

The impact of higher education commission of pakistan’s funding on the collection development budgets of university libraries

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghalib Khan ◽  
Rubina Bhatti
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Survey Methods ◽  
Collection Development ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Education Commission ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This study aims to investigate the annual financial management of university libraries in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan, and its relationship with Higher Education Commission (HEC) grants to examine libraries’ share. Design/methodology/approach Using survey methods, this study explores the annual budget allocation of well-established university libraries in the province of KPK in the past five years and its relationship with HEC grants to determine libraries’ shares. The survey followed a qualitative design based on an interview technique of data collection. The scope of this study covers all those public sector universities which are chartered by the Government of KPK, recognized by HEC, and eligible for HEC grants on annual basis. Based on this formulation, 15 public sector universities were selected for the survey. Findings The data analysis of the present study revealed that no specific norms are followed by the university administrations in allocating funds for libraries out of HEC annual grants. University libraries in the province either do not have funding polices or are administered by the concerned establishments where Library and Information Science professionals have no role in the financial management of libraries. The study also found that university administrations in KPK either do not provide sufficient share to libraries out of HEC grants or specify an inadequate share which is in violation of the clear instructions of HEC ordinance 2002, Section 10(h). Originality/value This study is the first of its kind in Pakistan as it provides an insight into how much budget is allocated for collection development in the university libraries, compares it with HEC grants to calculate libraries’ share in percentage and suggests to the HEC to encourage university administration to allocate sufficient budget for libraries to improve collection development, service provision, acquisition, selection and patronage.

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