scholarly journals Stakeholders' perspectives of public participation in landuse policy: the Nigeria experience

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 315-326
Author(s):  
Adewumi I. Badiora
Keyword(s):  
Public Participation ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Public Consultation ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Whole Process ◽  
Landuse Planning ◽  
Level Of Satisfaction ◽  
Narrative Techniques

PurposeIt has long been recognised that the top-down approach is prevailing over bottom-up approach in landuse planning in African countries. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and identify the facilitators and limitations to have effective public participation (PP), and suggest how the practices can be improved in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachUsing Nigeria as a case study, this paper involves interviews of various stakeholders, including government staff, representatives of interest groups, general public, members of the planning board and planning commission. Information is analysed by narrative techniques of reporting.FindingsThere is a general judgment that PP is vital to landuse policy. Early public consultation was preferred, as many respondents pointed out that this would help shape the final policy. Yet, their opinion varied on whether relevant information was provided to the public, as well as their level of satisfaction with the whole process. While the process was fairly seen as giving opportunities for the public to make comments on public policy, the approach appeared not to be fruitful in many cases: (a) when the scope was broad; (b) lack of representativeness and abstruse information; (c) insufficient feedback to the participants; and (d) corruption and shortage of resources to complete the process promptly.Practical implicationsUnderstanding the facilitators and limitations that impact the success of PP can help provide guidance to improve the decision-making processes of public policies.Originality/valueThis paper fills the knowledge gap by providing the Nigerian experience on stakeholders' perspectives of PP in developing countries.

scholarly journals Social media and sentiment in bioenergy consultation

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Uren ◽  
Daniel Wright ◽  
James Scott ◽  
Yulan He ◽  
Hassan Saif
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
New Media ◽  
Sentiment Analysis ◽  
Opinion Mining ◽  
Public Consultation ◽  
Short Paper ◽  
Consultation Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Uk

Purpose – This paper aims to address the following challenge: the push to widen participation in public consultation suggests social media as an additional mechanism through which to engage the public. Bioenergy companies need to build their capacity to communicate in these new media and to monitor the attitudes of the public and opposition organizations towards energy development projects. Design/methodology/approach – This short paper outlines the planning issues bioenergy developments face and the main methods of communication used in the public consultation process in the UK. The potential role of social media in communication with stakeholders is identified. The capacity of sentiment analysis to mine opinions from social media is summarised and illustrated using a sample of tweets containing the term “bioenergy”. Findings – Social media have the potential to improve information flows between stakeholders and developers. Sentiment analysis is a viable methodology, which bioenergy companies should be using to measure public opinion in the consultation process. Preliminary analysis shows promising results. Research limitations/implications – Analysis is preliminary and based on a small dataset. It is intended only to illustrate the potential of sentiment analysis and not to draw general conclusions about the bioenergy sector. Social implications – Social media have the potential to open access to the consultation process and help bioenergy companies to make use of waste for energy developments. Originality/value – Opinion mining, though established in marketing and political analysis, is not yet systematically applied as a planning consultation tool. This is a missed opportunity.

Corporate governance in state-owned enterprises in Lesotho

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Kopang Botlhale
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
Policy Debates ◽  
Institutional Architecture

Purpose The purpose of this study is to discuss corporate governance in state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in Lesotho to influence policy debates. Design/methodology/approach This is a desktop study that used the qualitative research approach. For this research, the case study method has been adopted. In terms of orientation, this is descriptive research. Data were collected from three-tiered sources: independent publications (e.g. World Bank); government publications; and newspaper articles. Data analysis was in the form of document analysis. Findings The study concluded that there are instances of poor and/or bad governance in SOEs in Lesotho. Egregious examples include transgressing against the Public Financial Management Act (2011) and the failure to submit Audited Financial Results. Research limitations/implications The findings are limited to a specific case. Nonetheless, there are general lessons that can be drawn for African countries from the case study. A key general lesson is the imperative need to reconfigure the legal-institutional architecture of SOEs so that they create public value. Practical implications Other than cataloguing instances of poor and/or bad governance in SOEs in Lesotho, the paper goes further and accordingly makes policy recommendations to enhance corporate governance in SOEs in Lesotho. Originality/value There is no academic study on corporate governance in SOEs in Lesotho; therefore, there is a gap in the literature. Hence, the study makes an original contribution to the literature.

Data sharing, international property practices and the GDPR: communicating with your consumers

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy Cradduck ◽  
Scarlett Stevens ◽  
Matthew Cowan
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Public Access ◽  
European Economic Area ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Content Type ◽  
General Data Protection Regulation ◽  
The Public ◽  
Business Partners ◽  
General Data

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) in order to: identify its requirements for the Australian and New Zealand based members of multi-national property firms (“MNPF”); and understand how those firms are currently engaging with customers regarding the obligations the GDPR imposes.Design/methodology/approachThe research was undertaken by means of doctrinal legal research that engaged with statutory law, related policy documents, accessible private firm documents and website materials, and academic and other related writings. The authors considered these in the context of the GDPR's requirements, and how relevant obligations were communicated to the public on the MNPF Australian and New Zealand members' websites.FindingsThe research confirms the available literature's observations of the GDPR's broad reach and the firms to which it applies. The difficulties experienced in locating relevant information highlights the need for a change to firm processes to ensure that any communication obligations are met. The cases engaged with also serve to highlight the need to ensure that the actual practice is consistent with required GDPR processes.Research limitations/implicationsThe research faced three limitations. First: there was a limited number of relevant Australian and New Zealand based property related firms available to consider: not all property related firms were members of a MNPF or had business partners or customers/clients in the European Union or European Economic Area. Second: one of the relevant firms had already identified it was withdrawing from the Australian market. Third: there was a lack of public access to all materials as, while privacy policies as required by domestic laws were readily accessible, access was not readily available to GDPR related or required information or documents.Originality/valueThe research adds to the academic literature in this emerging area of international legal obligation.

Use of e-government services: the role of trust

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 622-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mercy Mpinganjira
Keyword(s):  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Government Services ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Online Channel ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of trust in understanding usage of e-government services in South Africa. Of interest are services that involve two way interactions between citizens and government. Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from members of the public using in-depth interviews and a structured questionnaire, respectively. Findings – The findings show that trust in internet and in government as a provider of e-services are important factors that differentiates users and non-users of e-government services. The two factors are also significantly related to willingness to start using e-government services. Trust in e-service provider unlike trust in internet was however found to be a stronger differentiator of users and non-users and to have a stronger relationship with willingness to start using e-government services. Practical implications – Efforts aimed at promoting use of e-government services need to be based on a good understanding of factors that impact on citizens’ decisions in this regard. Such efforts need to include activities targeted at improving people’s trust in government’s ability to provide reliable and secure e-services. Originality/value – While provision of government services using the online channel is a growing phenomenon in most African countries, not much research has been done into what governments should focus on in order to entice more citizens to take up this channel. This study contributes to addressing this gap.

scholarly journals Collective remembering of organizations

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 431-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Andreas Etter ◽  
Finn Årup Nielsen
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
News Media ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Corporate Communication ◽  
Global Memory ◽  
Press Releases ◽  
Collective Memories ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Online Encyclopedia

Purpose – How organizations’ pasts are presented to the public is crucial, because this presentation shapes corporate reputations. Increasingly, various actors contribute to the public remembering of organizations with new information and communication technologies (ICTs). The purpose of this paper is to investigate the online encyclopedia Wikipedia as a global memory place, where the pasts of organizations are communicatively co-constructed by actors of a loosely connected community. Design/methodology/approach – The authors analyze 1,459 edits of Wikipedia pages of ten organizations from various industries. Quantitative content analysis detects Wikipedia edits for their reputational relevance and reference to formal sources, such as corporate communication or newspapers. Furthermore, the authors investigate to which degree current corporate communication in form of 177 press releases has an influence on the remembering process in Wikipedia. Findings – The analysis shows how the continuous construction of collective memories bridges past formal corporate communication, news media, and other sources with the present, exposing, and suppressing relevant information concerning corporate reputation for large audiences. The analysis of press releases shows that current frames provided by corporate communication finds only little resonance in the ongoing remembering processes in Wikipedia. Originality/value – Conventional approaches toward remembering of organizations embrace an organization centric view, whereby corporate communication strategically leverages organizational pasts. This paper contributes to the understanding of the ongoing, networked, and collective co-construction of organizational pasts by various authors through ICTs.

Citizens and expatriates satisfaction with public services in Qatar – evidence from a survey

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 326-337
Author(s):  
Nada Abdelkader Benmansour
Keyword(s):  
Public Services ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Citizen Satisfaction ◽  
The Public ◽  
Local Public Services ◽  
Level Of Satisfaction ◽  
Determinants Of Satisfaction ◽  
Positive Feelings

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze citizens’ and expatriates’ satisfaction with public service delivery in Qatar, one of the world’s highest per capita incomes countries. Design/methodology/approach The author uses a 2017 survey conducted in Qatar among both Qatari and expatriates’ respondents. The scientifically grounded sample consisted of 1,356 respondents, who were 18 years of age and older. The data were collected through a face-to-face survey. The focus was on citizen satisfaction with basic public services such as education, health, roads and infrastructure, water and electricity and government services. The author uses logit and regression analysis to estimate the determinants of satisfaction. Findings Expatriates hold more positive feelings about local public services than citizens. The highest levels of satisfaction are with government offices and the lowest levels of satisfaction are with independent schools. The dispersion by municipality is less significant as there is no municipality where citizens and expatriates are totally satisfied with all the public services provided. Research limitations/implications Qatar has one of the fastest population growth and highest migrant population which makes the question of the satisfaction with public services unique. And, since the blockade on Qatar in May 2017 and the environment of economic restriction, the issue becomes even more critical. Originality/value Until now, there have been no empirical studies published analyzing the level of satisfaction with public services in Qatar for citizens and for expatriates.

How perceived corporate social responsibility and public knowledge affect public participation intention: evidence from Chinese waste incineration power projects

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Wan ◽  
Yantong Zhang ◽  
Peng Mao ◽  
Hongyang Li ◽  
Rubing Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Public Participation ◽  
Waste Incineration ◽  
Subjective Norm ◽  
Public Knowledge ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Personal Norm ◽  
Corporate Social

PurposePublic participation is essential for mitigating local resistance faced by the environmentally stigmatized facilities. The purpose of this study is to investigate public participation intention in the decision-making of waste incineration power (WIP) projects by examining the role of perceived corporate social responsibility (PCSR) and public knowledge (PK) based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB).Design/methodology/approachA theoretical model correlating PCSR with public participation intention was developed by using the constructs of TPB as the mediators and PK as the moderator. Drawing on structural equation modeling (SEM), the data collected from 485 local residents of the WIP projects in Jiangsu, China were analyzed to test the model.FindingsCompanies' CSR practice went through public attitude, subjective norm and personal norm as mediating steps towards promoting participation intention. PK positively moderated the indirect relationships between PCSR and participation intention. Moreover, attitude, subjective norm and personal norm were found to have a positive effect on participation intention.Originality/valueThis study advances the understanding of public participation intention and enriches the literature relating to CSR and TPB involved in infrastructure development. In order to improve public participation intention, companies should take strategic social responsibility actions and present the benefits and moral values of the activities to the public, and as well make effort to diffuse WIP-related knowledge through interactive activities with the public. Authorities should establish social and personal value systems that praise public participation and improve their expectations of participation outcomes.

An empirical investigation on waqf governance practices in waqf institutions in Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Iqmal Hisham Kamaruddin ◽  
Mustafa Mohd Hanefah
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Empirical Investigation ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Fund Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Governance Practices ◽  
Governance Processes

Purpose This study aims to examine and compare the current waqf governance practices in waqf institutions in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach This paper reviews professional documents and literature to propose a new and practical waqf governance measurement. Waqf governance measurements were used to examine and compare the current waqf governance practices among waqf institutions in Malaysia. The annual reports of all waqf institutions under the State Islamic Religious Councils (SIRCs) were analysed using content analysis on the current waqf governance practices using binomial logic. Findings Overall, the results indicate moderate waqf governance practices under three waqf governance categories, namely waqf governance policy, waqf governance board and waqf governance processes. This study also found a significant impact of corporatisation reformation of waqf institutions on waqf governance practices. Research limitations/implications The findings indicate the need for all waqf institutions in Malaysia, especially for non-corporate waqf institutions, to enhance their waqf governance practices by disclosing all relevant information to the public. This is because the success of waqf fund management can be portrayed through the management’s transparency in waqf governance practices on how they deliver and use their resources to attain socio-economic objectives. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first studies that examined and evaluated the current waqf governance practices in several waqf institutions in Malaysia.

Synthesizing e-government maturity model: a public value paradigm towards digital Pakistan

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 495-522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sohail Raza Chohan ◽  
Guangwei Hu ◽  
Wenfeng Si ◽  
Ahmad Tisman Pasha
Keyword(s):  
Public Participation ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Maturity Model ◽  
Public Value ◽  
Maturity Models ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Science Policy Interface ◽  
The Government

Purpose This study aims to fulfill the research gap by suggesting an appropriate and adaptable e-government (e-gov) maturity model for Pakistan not just in the abstract pattern relatively but also in a practical solution assured by the industry experts. Design/methodology/approach The qualitative research approach using key informants from the public sector domain; furthermore, e-gov performance artifacts were verified by the citizens through the process of focus group interviews. Findings The major finding of the study is the development of e-gov maturity model with implementations artifacts in proposed stages as follows: availability, interaction, integration, transactions and public participation. Research limitations/implications This study contributes a qualitative meta-synthesis in the field of e-gov maturity models and could support researchers who are in a quest of knowledge and references to develop new maturity models for their specific countries by providing them with useful resources for further investigation and study. Practical implications This maturity model will strengthen the argument that the e-gov services are necessary for the acceptance behaviour of the citizens and the prosperous public administration by the Government in Pakistan. This research strengthens the science-policy interface that has prevented governments from delivering changes on the ground to the public, and it will also identify diversified opportunities for the e-gov sector that can reverse the lack of investment in this domain. Social implications The study intends to provide directions to policymakers for the development of e-gov services for the citizens. Additionally, the public value of e-gov can be better understood in the form of citizens’ expectations from the government and this model will integrate public participation in the development of e-gov service. Originality/value The public value of e-gov can be better understood in the form citizens’ expectations from the government through this maturity model, furthermore, it can be recommended that the government can improve the relationship between the citizens and the state through the use of information and communication technologies which will strengthen the democratic process in Pakistan.

Do sovereign credit rating announcements influence excess bond and equity returns in Africa?

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1522-1537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Misheck Mutize ◽  
Sean Joss Gossel
Keyword(s):  
Financial Markets ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Sovereign Debt ◽  
Credit Rating ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sovereign Credit ◽  
Study Techniques ◽  
Sovereign Credit Rating

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine whether new sovereign credit rating (SCR) changes are valuable, and relevant information is provided to bond and equity markets in 30 African countries that received an SCR during the period 1994–2014. Design/methodology/approach This study applies a combination of GARCH models and event study techniques. Findings This study shows that the financial markets do not significantly react to SCR announcements, possibly because these African markets are already perceived to be risky. Research limitations/implications At last, a significant portion of Africa’s sovereign debt is held by foreign investors (Arslanalp and Tsuda, 2014) who commonly preclude asset managers from investing in low SCR grades. Thus, an unfavorable SCR announcement could lead to a withdrawal of these funds, which could significantly alter both fiscal and monetary policies in the economy. Practical implications SCRs is immaterial to investors holding African securities. Social implications Although financial markets are weakly responsive to SCR announcements, they appear to be informationally important in the operation of stocks and bond markets in Africa. Therefore, governments should appreciate the long-term information exchange between investors and borrowers, and the consequential nature of credit ratings in Africa’s nascent financial markets in order to proactively manage the risks of negative ratings. Originality/value Studies on credit rating effects on Africa markets are rare.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document