South African government faces public-sector showdown

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
South African ◽  
African Government ◽  
Wage Bill ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rating Agencies ◽  
The Public ◽  
Debt Burden ◽  
Political Position ◽  
The Face

Significance The negotiations follow the government’s refusal last year to pay the final annual tranche of a previous three-year deal. Containing the public-sector wage bill is seen as key for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration to rein in a spiralling debt burden. Impacts The three main rating agencies may postpone their next assessments until the wage talks gain greater clarity. Government firmness in the face of union demands could undermine Ramaphosa’s hold on the ruling ANC. With unions in a weak political position, they may have to stomach government intransigence due to lack of alternatives to Ramaphosa. Substantial concessions to unions would be divisive amid difficult budgetary choices such as below-inflation increases on social grants.

The Relevance of Energy Service Contracts in the Budget Sphere

2018 ◽  
pp. 64-68
Author(s):  
George V. Boos ◽  
Elena Yu. Matveeva
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Institutional Development ◽  
The Public ◽  
Debt Burden ◽  
Comprehensive Plan ◽  
Effective Implementation ◽  
Service Contracts ◽  
The Face ◽  
Energy Service ◽  
The Russian Federation

The problematic aspects related to the implementation of energy saving policy in the budget sphere are examined in the article. The factors hindering the mass and effective implementation of energysaving measures are highlighted in the article. Among these factors, there is the technical complexity of energysaving projects, the presence of innovative and investment risks, problems with the financial provision of costs in the face of increasing debt burden in most public budgets. The article concludes that in these circumstances only the energy service contract is a tool that allows implementing energy­saving measures without the first participation of budgetary funds in financing and allows transferring the risks of making technically inefficient decisions directly to the investor. In the article, the authors substantiate the importance of the institutional development of energy services directly in the public sector and analyze the measures of the comprehensive plan to improve the energy efficiency of the economy of the Russian Federation aimed at expanding the scope of energy service contracts in the public sector.

Public sector entrepreneurship in South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 500-512
Author(s):  
Boris Urban ◽  
Mmapoulo Lindah Nkhumishe
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
South African ◽  
Middle Level ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Provision Of Services ◽  
Efficiency And Effectiveness ◽  
Organisational Factors

Purpose Many unanswered questions remain regarding the authors’ understanding of how entrepreneurship can be fostered in the public sector. To fill this knowledge gap, the purpose of this paper is to conduct an empirical investigation to determine the relationship between different organisational factors and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) in the South African public sector. Design/methodology/approach Primary data are sourced from middle-level managers at municipalities in the three largest provinces across South Africa. Hypotheses are statistically tested using regression analyses. Findings Results reveal that the organisational antecedents of structure and culture explain a significant amount of variation in the EO dimensions of innovativeness, risk taking and proactiveness. Additionally, the findings on organisational rewards converge with an emerging stream of research which highlights that while rewards works well to motivate individuals in the private sector, they are negatively correlated with entrepreneurship in the public sector. Research limitations/implications The study implications relate to the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery of municipalities in South Africa. Due to increases in community protest actions, it is necessary not only to maximise efficiency in the provision of services, but also to innovate and be proactive in order to achieve more with less resources. Originality/value By investigating previously unrelated factors in the public sector, the authors create closer conceptual and empirical links between the role of organisational factors and each of the EO dimensions. Furthermore, the study takes place in a relatively under-researched entrepreneurship and public sector context.

scholarly journals Artificial intelligence (AI) in strategic marketing decision-making: a research agenda

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Merlin Stone ◽  
Eleni Aravopoulou ◽  
Yuksel Ekinci ◽  
Geraint Evans ◽  
Matt Hobbs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Review Literature ◽  
Strategic Marketing ◽  
Sensitive Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Marketing Decision ◽  
The Face

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review literature about the applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in strategic situations and identify the research that is needed in the area of applying AI to strategic marketing decisions. Design/methodology/approach The approach was to carry out a literature review and to consult with marketing experts who were invited to contribute to the paper. Findings There is little research into applying AI to strategic marketing decision-making. This research is needed, as the frontier of AI application to decision-making is moving in many management areas from operational to strategic. Given the competitive nature of such decisions and the insights from applying AI to defence and similar areas, it is time to focus on applying AI to strategic marketing decisions. Research limitations/implications The application of AI to strategic marketing decision-making is known to be taking place, but as it is commercially sensitive, data is not available to the authors. Practical implications There are strong implications for all businesses, particularly large businesses in competitive industries, where failure to deploy AI in the face of competition from firms, who have deployed AI to improve their decision-making could be dangerous. Social implications The public sector is a very important marketing decision maker. Although in most cases it does not operate competitively, it must make decisions about making different services available to different citizens and identify the risks of not providing services to certain citizens; so, this paper is relevant to the public sector. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first papers to probe deployment of AI in strategic marketing decision-making.

Changing perspectives in the face of the decolonisation of knowledge at South African public universities

Kybernetes ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (9) ◽  
pp. 1564-1577 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Baron
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Family Therapy ◽  
South African ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Social Tension ◽  
The Face ◽  
African Context

Purpose The legacy of colonisation and apartheid in South Africa has resulted in a radical challenge to the public universities. The successful #FeesMustFall campaign that took place in 2015 accentuated several aspects of post-apartheid transformation that have not been adequately attended to. The public universities are now faced with meeting the needs of students and interested parties who would like to see transformation at various levels, in particular, the decolonisation of knowledge. This paper aims to present an approach to address the decolonisation of knowledge. Design/methodology/approach Shifting universities’ approach to teaching and learning is a challenging endeavour, especially as it entails an embrace of previously ignored worldviews. Taking a metaphoric approach, an analysis of this problem is presented in systemic terms from a family therapy approach adhering to second-order cybernetics. A solution to bridging the disconnect between the participants in the decolonisation of knowledge in a South African context is presented. Findings Early successes were attained on the back of a therapeutic approach to meeting the needs of students who took part in curriculum and policy changes. The findings suggest that for a transformation to take place, all the participants in the university should acknowledge that the problem (which may have different forms) is a shared one and that decolonisation requires the participants to learn about other participants in the system. Reflecting on historical narratives and its present status quo from the epistemology of the directly affected parties is suggested as an indispensable step that should occur prior to the implementation of any solutions. Without the reflection process, the other members of the system may not understand the context and reasoning for the decolonisation, resulting in friction and fear, in turn mitigating the decolonisation process. Research limitations/implications Methods of empathetically engaging people who have been discriminated against is important in the goal of restoring equality and social justice. Family therapy is presented as a vehicle for communal dialogue in a therapeutic empathetic context. This approach has value in many settings other than in the education arena. Social implications Legacies of apartheid are still in effect in the South African public university system. Decolonising knowledge is one topic that may address social justice which helps to diffuse social tension and subsequent protest action. Originality/value Family therapy as an approach to decolonisation of knowledge and as an approach to appeasing social tension in the educational context is unique.

Predicting Organisational Performance Through Innovation, Quality And Inter-Organisational Systems: A Public Sector Perspective

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 939 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengedzai Mafini
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
South African ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Organisational Performance ◽  
African Government ◽  
The Public ◽  
Parametric Statistics ◽  
Public Organisations ◽  
The Relationship

There remains a constant need for further empirical research on organisational performance in the public sector, in a bid to generate current and relevant solutions. Such an approach could be a panacea for performance-related problems that continue to affect public organisations in developing countries. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between organisational performance and three input factors; namely, innovation, inter-organisational systems and quality. A quantitative approach using the survey method was used in which a questionnaire was administered to 272 randomly selected managers and employees of a South African government department. Data were analysed using a combination of descriptive and non-parametric statistics. Spearmans rho was used to measure the strength of the relationships and regression analysis was used to measure the extent to which the input factors predicted organisational performance. Spearmans correlations showed strong positive relationships between organisational performance and all three factors while regression analysis also revealed that the three factors predicted organisational performance. The study is significant in that managers in public organisations can use the findings as a diagnostic tool in performance problems, with a view to enhance organisational performance among public sector organisations.

Fractious Greek coalition may last a year

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Foreign Investment ◽  
General Election ◽  
Coalition Government ◽  
Structural Reforms ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Face ◽  
Roll Back

Significance The Coalition of the Radical Left (Syriza) won the early general election on January 25 and formed a coalition government with a nationalist right-wing party, Independent Greeks (ANEL). The coalition will have the support of 162 members in the 300-seat parliament. The principal policies shared by the parties are to roll back the country's massive debt, which is equivalent to 175% of GDP, and to escape the foreign tutelage implied by the two Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with Greece's creditors, which stipulate rigorous fiscal and structural reforms in exchange for 240 billion euros (272 billion dollars) in soft bailout loans. Impacts In the public sector, leftist supporters will clamour for jobs in the face of a Syriza platform commitment to introduce hirings on merit. Syriza says it will welcome foreign investment to help restore growth so that Greece can pay its own way and not have to borrow in future. If the takeover of office goes smoothly, Syriza's victory could boost left-of-centre parties in the forthcoming UK and Spanish elections.

Relationship between CSR motivations and corporate social performance: a study in the power industry in India

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Moumita Acharyya ◽  
Tanuja Agarwala
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Corporate Social Performance ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Power Sector ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Self Interest ◽  
Public And Private Sector

PurposeThe paper aims to understand the different motivations / reasons for engaging in CSR initiatives by the organizations. In addition, the study also examines the relationship between CSR motivations and corporate social performance (CSP).Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected from two power sector organizations: one was a private sector firm and the other was a public sector firm. A comparative analysis of the variables with respect to private and public sector organizations was conducted. A questionnaire survey was administered among 370 employees working in the power sector, with 199 executives from public sector and 171 from private sector.Findings“Philanthropic” motivation emerged as the most dominant CSR motivation among both the public and private sector firms. The private sector firm was found to be significantly higher with respect to “philanthropic”, “enlightened self-interest” and “normative” CSR motivations when compared with the public sector firms. Findings suggest that public and private sector firms differed significantly on four CSR motivations, namely, “philanthropic”, “enlightened self-interest”, “normative” and “coercive”. The CSP score was significantly different among the two power sector firms of public and private sectors. The private sector firm had a higher CSP level than the public sector undertaking.Research limitations/implicationsFurther studies in the domain need to address differences in CSR motivations and CSP across other sectors to understand the role of industry characteristics in influencing social development targets of organizations. Research also needs to focus on demonstrating the relationship between CSP and financial performance of the firms. Further, the HR outcomes of CSR initiatives and measurement of CSP indicators, such as attracting and retaining talent, employee commitment and organizational climate factors, need to be assessed.Originality/valueThe social issues are now directly linked with the business model to ensure consistency and community development. The results reveal a need for “enlightened self-interest” which is the second dominant CSR motivation among the organizations. The study makes a novel contribution by determining that competitive and coercive motivations are not functional as part of organizational CSR strategy. CSR can never be forced as the very idea is to do social good. Eventually, the CSR approach demands a commitment from within. The organizations need to emphasize more voluntary engagement of employees and go beyond statutory requirements for realizing the true CSR benefits.

Performance measurement and management in the public sector: state of the art and research opportunities

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrizia Garengo ◽  
Alberto Sardi
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Performance Measurement ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Business Management ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Conceptual Structure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Opportunities ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Organisations

PurposeSince the 1980s, performance measurement and management (PMM) has been described as an essential element of new public management (NPM) reforms. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the current state of the art and future research opportunities for PMM in public sector management.Design/methodology/approachThe paper carried out a bibliometric literature review using two main techniques named (1) performance analysis and (2) science mapping techniques. It investigated the academic research area describing the main publications' trend, the conceptual structure and its evolution from 1996 to 2019.FindingsThe results highlighted the growing relevance of PMM research in public organisations and confirmed a great interest of the business, management and accounting literature on PMM in public sector management. Furthermore, the results also described a conceptual structure of the public PMM literature analysed and its evolution being too generic to answer public organisations' needs. The results identified five main research gaps and research opportunities.Originality/valueAlthough the adoption of rigorous bibliometric techniques was recognised as being useful for assessing the academic research study, the paper describes the business, management and accounting literature contributing to new theoretical and practical future opportunities.

Ethical leadership

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fahad Shakeel ◽  
Peter Mathieu Kruyen ◽  
Sandra Van Thiel
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Organizational Behavior ◽  
Ethical Leadership ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Recent Criticism ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Measurement Instruments ◽  
Leadership Theories ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to offer a review of the selected literature in ethical leadership synthesizing findings from 45 articles selected from journals on leadership, public administration, organizational behavior, psychology and ethics. Design/methodology/approach Four themes are addressed: the conceptualization of ethical leadership theories, the existence of popular measurement instruments for ethical leadership, findings on ethical leadership in the public sector and outcomes of ethical leadership in terms of benefits and negative consequences. Findings The definition by Brown et al. (2005) is the most frequently used definition, even though recent criticism states that this definition may be too narrow. Ethical leadership is usually measured by means of a survey; however, there are at least three different questionnaires in use. In the public sector, ethical leadership has been linked to both positive outcomes and negative consequences. Research limitations/implications This paper only includes selected academic articles and does not include published books. Originality/value Based on our findings, the authors present recommendations for future research, among others into a broader conceptualization of ethical leadership and the use of mixed methods.

Mapping public value processes

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 334-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Alford ◽  
Sophie Yates
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Child Nutrition ◽  
Process Mapping ◽  
Public Value ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Managers ◽  
Big Picture ◽  
Comprehensive Framework

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to add to the analytic toolkit of public sector practitioners by outlining a framework called Public Value Process Mapping (PVPM). This approach is designed to be more comprehensive than extant frameworks in either the private or public sectors, encapsulating multiple dimensions of productive processes. Design/methodology/approach – This paper explores the public administration and management literature to identify the major frameworks for visualising complex systems or processes, and a series of dimensions against which they can be compared. It then puts forward a more comprehensive framework – PVPM – and demonstrates its possible use with the example of Indigenous child nutrition in remote Australia. The benefits and limitations of the technique are then considered. Findings – First, extant process mapping frameworks each have some but not all of the features necessary to encompass certain dimensions of generic or public sector processes, such as: service-dominant logic; external as well internal providers; public and private value; and state coercive power. Second, PVPM can encompass the various dimensions more comprehensively, enabling visualisation of both the big picture and the fine detail of public value-creating processes. Third, PVPM has benefits – such as helping unearth opportunities or culprits affecting processes – as well as limitations – such as demonstrating causation and delineating the boundaries of maps. Practical implications – PVPM has a number of uses for policy analysts and public managers: it keeps the focus on outcomes; it can unearth a variety of processes and actors, some of them not immediately obvious; it can help to identify key processes and actors; it can help to identify the “real” culprits behind negative outcomes; and it highlights situations where multiple causes are at work. Originality/value – This approach, which draws on a number of precursors but constitutes a novel technique in the public sector context, enables the identification and to some extent the comprehension of a broader range of causal factors and actors. This heightens the possibility of imagining innovative solutions to difficult public policy issues, and alternative ways of delivering public services.

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