scholarly journals Empowerment through participation in local governance: the case of Union Parishad in Bangladesh

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nasir Uddin
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Traditional Concept ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Government Institutions ◽  
Direct Participation ◽  
Community People

Purpose The traditional concept of people’s participation through their representatives is changing to the mechanism of direct participation of community people in the local governing process. In coupling with these, the Constitution of Bangladesh and the local government acts guarantee to foster the direct participation of people in the formation of local bodies and development programs. The purpose of this paper is to explore the avenues of people’s participation in local government, particularly the Union Parishad (UP) in Bangladesh, and to evaluate the empowerment of marginalized community through those avenues. Design/methodology/approach Using a broad descriptive and analytical approach, this paper evaluates the relationship between participation and empowerment of local community based on the review of secondary sources of information. Findings The local government institutions, particularly UP, has existed many mechanisms through which people participate in decision-making process. It is also believed that participation of community people in local government institutions is not only an opportunity for them but also an apparatus of empowerment. Hence, the process of empowerment is entrenched in the notion of participation. It is evident that the people at grass root level have been participating in UP in diverse arrangements, but the effectiveness of these participations in terms of empowerment is still meager and even lack. Originality/value Though a long time has passed after introducing these participatory mechanisms, very few studies have undertaken to assess the people’s participation in local government. Additionally, no single initiative was undertaken to assess how empowerment of marginalized people happened through these initiatives as empowering community people is the key objective of it.

scholarly journals Local Election of Nepal 2017: An Overview of Gender Inclusion Prospective

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-32
Author(s):  
Dipendra Bikram Sijapati
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
Local Elections ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Federal Constitution ◽  
Election Manifestos ◽  
Gender Inclusion

Gender refers to the socially constituted relations between men and women. It focuses on power relations, roles and challenges along with the existing women's subordination in the society. Gender Inclusiveness is additional diverse activity and process of local governments, local institutions like Ward, Rural Municipality, District Coordination Committee and Municipality with self-reliant local governance and sustainable and effective service providing agencies. This article based on the objective to highlight the existing variation of women's inclusion in local governments among developed and developing countries. It analyses the provisions regarding inclusion addressed in the federal Constitution of Nepal in local elections. This paper widely covers concept, definition, theories, practice, situation, laws, policies and program at all levels. The paper is based on secondary sources of information, data published by Election Commission 2017, in Nepal. The raw data are analysed using the Excel spread program on computer and are calculated in frequency distribution and percentage to make its meaningful analysis. Data are carefully analysed and interpreted for generalization. The gender inclusion in local government is gradually increasing. As in national election 2017, the female elected members in local government are almost 40 percent in the districts of Nepal and the data is more than allocated (33%) by the Constitution of Nepal 2015 and election manifestos of different political parties. All the acts, policies and constitutions also emphasized the gender inclusion in all sector of Nepalese government.

scholarly journals Local Government: Constitutional Vision and Present Practice

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-128
Author(s):  
Krishna Man Pradhan
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Power Allocation ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Federal Level ◽  
Allocation System ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Opposition Party ◽  
Present Practice

Is it local government or local level unit of provincial and federal level governments? The constitution is still unclear. The constitution has not any provision of opposition party but it has executive, legislative and judiciary power allocation system of the organs of a government. To explore the vision and practice of local governance in Nepal, the study has been conducted. The methodology consists of analyzing primary and secondary sources. Primary data have been collected through field discussions with the stakeholders. Regarding the local governance various recommendations are presented in conclusion.

Reassessing the contents and context of governance in Asia: recognizing achievements

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 353-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Shafiqul Huque
Keyword(s):  
Good Governance ◽  
Primary Sources ◽  
Political Systems ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Alternative Approach ◽  
Ranking Countries

Purpose Good governance has been declared as the key target of most Asian governments, but it appears to be an unattainable objective. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potentials for establishing governance across Asian countries. Drawing upon the literature and experience of Asian countries, the study argues that governance represents an unclear state that is rooted more in perception than reality. An extensive review of the indicators of governance reveals the anomaly and unorganized efforts to measure it, and points to the need for recognizing accomplishments in areas that are not directly or indirectly covered in the existing schemes of assessment. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a broad review of the literature on governance and political systems in Asian countries. Existing arrangements for assessing governance are critically reviewed to point out the risks in a perception-dependent approach. Secondary sources and insight obtained from relevant research constitute the data analyzed in the paper. Findings The paper finds that the target of good governance cannot be fully achieved due to the significant diversity across Asian countries as well as varied perceptions held by assessors. Stakeholders have different perceptions about the requirements and ideal of governance and existing tools for measuring governance are inadequate. Most importantly, assessment frameworks do not recognize contextual dimensions that are relevant to Asian countries. Furthermore, it is important to recognize efforts that are aimed at improving conditions instead of working toward an absolute outcome of governance. Recognition of small successes will contribute to the improvement of circumstances rather than ranking countries on the basis of a limited number of perception-based indicators and listing them on international indices. Research limitations/implications The paper does not draw upon primary sources of information and is limited to an assessment of existing arrangements. Practical implications The paper will help draw attention to the limitations of existing arrangements of assessing countries and ranking them for the quality of governance. It will also encourage researchers to think about alternative tools for assessing governance and recognizing progress in Asian countries. Social implications The paper will encourage governments to identify obstacles to good governance and adopt policies to overcome them. Originality/value The paper contributes to the literature presenting a critical view for encouraging alternative approach to governance, incorporating perceptions of diverse stakeholders and highlights the need to recognize progress, however limited, in all areas.

Building a resilient local council: evidence from flood disasters in Italy

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 430-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Sciulli ◽  
Giuseppe D'Onza ◽  
Giulio Greco
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Flood Disasters

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate resilience to extreme weather events (EWE) in a sample of Italian local councils (LCs), impacted by flood disasters. Whether resilience as a concept is adopted by the affected councils and factors that promote or inhibit LC resilience are explored. Design/methodology/approach – Using semi-structured interviews, the authors investigate seven Italian LCs that were severely impacted by the flood event. An interview protocol was developed and background information collected. A number of themes were drawn from the interview transcripts and relationships with the relevant literature were examined. Findings – The findings highlight that the adoption of the concept of resilience is at an early stage in the LCs decision and policy making. The authors find that the financial resources and the external relations management with other public entities, NGOs and local communities, promote the LCs resilience during and after an EWE. By contrast, bureaucratic constraints and poor urban planning restrain resilience. The findings suggest that LCs resilience needs to be distinguished from local community resilience. Originality/value – The paper contributes to the literature on public sector management and investigates the under-researched area of resilience within the context of the public sector, vis-à-vis, local government. In particular the realization that EWE are not the realm only of emergency personnel, but that local government managers have an integral role placed upon them during and especially after the EWE.

The role of different stakeholders in destination development

2016 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raija Komppula
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Historical Review ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Review Reports

Purpose This paper aims to highlight the crucial role of individual people, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders in the development of a tourist destination during its life cycle. The purpose is to increase our understanding of individual actors as contributors to leadership and development of tourism destinations. Design/methodology/approach An intrinsic case study of a Finnish ski resort, Ruka, is presented. The primary data consist of 16 narrative interviews. Secondary sources of information such as a history book and a historical review, reports and Web pages have been used as well. Findings The study suggests that the leadership in a destination is attributed to individuals. It is the charismatic entrepreneurs, business managers, municipality and influential politicians that may take control of the leadership at the destination. Being local enhances the sense of identity with the place and facilitates a cooperative atmosphere between actors. Finally, the roles of stakeholders and aspects of the leadership of a destination may vary along the destination life cycle. Research limitations/implications As this paper presents a single case study in a Finnish context, the findings cannot be, and are not meant to be, generalized. Rather, the findings present an example of an exception to the mainstream destination management and governance literature. Originality/value The paper fills the research gap noted by Kennedy (2014) and presents an in-depth study analysing the role of different stakeholders in destination leadership.

Egypt’s military will entrench control of public life

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Public Life ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
International Organisations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Notable Change ◽  
Supreme Council ◽  
Civilian Authority

Significance The most notable change institutionalises the control by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) over officers’ participation in elections; another extends the military’s reach into local government. These represent a further step in the construction of a parallel state run by the armed forces, and the reduction of civilian authority in all areas. Impacts Elections to the reinstated Senate scheduled for August will result in a major win for pro-Sisi candidates. Local governance and education at all levels will experience greater interference from the armed forces. Activities of international organisations and businesses across Egypt will be increasingly subject to monitoring by military authorities.

BRI and railways in Latin America: how important are domestic politics?

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Leiva
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Domestic Politics ◽  
High Speed Train ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Chinese Investment ◽  
Chinese Foreign Direct Investment

PurposeChina's experience of investing in Latin America in one of the main sectors included in the BRI architecture, railways, has faced significant challenges: only one of four Chinese potential railway projects in Latin America has materialised. The purpose of this paper is to explore these challenges and to provide an explanation focusing on the importance of the “domestic politics” factor.Design/methodology/approachThe paper proposes a comparative study of four cases, developing a qualitative analysis based on an in-depth review of the literature and primary and secondary sources of information.FindingsThe findings suggest that domestic politics played a significant role in the outcomes of the Brazil–Peru Bi-Oceanic railway (changes in government), in Argentina's Belgrano Cargas modernisation project (multiple “domestic politics” factors, such as a presidential campaign), in Venezuela's failed Tinaco-Anaco high-speed train project (authoritarian turn/country's stability) and in Mexico's Querétaro-Ciudad de México high-speed train project (corruption and popular contestation). The paper suggests that one should not expect an easy or fast projection of the BRI in the region, at least in the short- and mid-term, because becoming familiar with the domestic politics of Latin American is a complex and gradual task.Originality/valueThe particular impact of the political risks related to domestic politics in the Chinese Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Latin America has not been extensively explored, especially in the railway sector. This paper intends to contribute to this literature gap by analysing four cases of Chinese investment in railways in Latin America, an area that has received little attention in the studies of the Chinese FDI in the region, and proposing an explanation of their outcomes focusing on the “domestic politics” factor.

Migration governance as place making: South African experiences

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 391-407
Author(s):  
Caitlin Blaser Mapitsa
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
South African ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Place Making ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Local Government Officials

Purpose This paper aims to explore the role of migrants in the process of place making, through case studies of migrant engagement with municipal planning in five South African municipalities. Design/methodology/approach This study draws on empirical research carried out over two years, using mixed methods research in each municipal case study. Data come from key stakeholder interviews, participant observation, focus groups and demographic data to understand the perceptions and practices of local government officials and migrants within the community. Findings This research demonstrated that local government officials are assuming a population that is sedentary and geographically bounded, while migration is actively shaping communities. This mobility provides an opportunity for management practices to become more inclusive and effective. Originality/value By examining systems of local governance through the lens of a mobile population, new possibilities emerge about the ways migrant participation can contribute to the definitions of a place.

scholarly journals Competitive intelligence practice in liquor retailing: evidence from a longitudinal case analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (9) ◽  
pp. 997-1010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constantinos Vasilios Priporas
Keyword(s):  
Business Environment ◽  
Competitive Intelligence ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Two Phases

Purpose Competitive intelligence (CI) is a vital tool for any company to survive and remain competitive in today’s hypercompetitive and uncertain business environment. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of CI in liquor retailing in the USA. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory single longitudinal case study was performed through observation and semi-structured interviews plus examining documents from secondary sources in two phases. Content analysis was used for the data analysis. Findings Regardless of the small size of the company, the owner has an active attitude toward monitoring competition by using various sources of information and converting it into intelligence for making sound decisions for both short-term and long-term competitiveness. Also, the central role of the owner in the CI process has been verified. Originality/value This study responds to calls for more case studies in the field and is the first one to explore CI in the liquor retailing ecosystem by using a longitudinal case study. In general, studies of CI in retailing are limited. It has clear value to CI practices for retailers in the USA and in general.

Spain: financial ownership file and money laundering prevention

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 238-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Gil Soriano
Keyword(s):  
Money Laundering ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Personal Data ◽  
Data File ◽  
Comprehensive Analysis ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Royal Decree ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Access Rights

Purpose This paper aims to analyse the legal configuration of the Spanish financial ownership file and identifies its main legal shortcomings and its necessity and proportionality. Design/methodology/approach The primary and secondary sources of information on which this paper is based are statutes and reports issued by Spanish consultative bodies, respectively. Article 43 of Act 10/2010 of 28 April on the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing created the “financial ownership file”, a publicly owned personal data file containing information on the opening and cancellation of all types of financial accounts. The recently enacted Royal Decree 304/2014 of 5 May approving the Regulations of Act 10/2010 contains further guidance. Findings The objective of the financial ownership file is laudable, but the way it has been configured creates new obligations that it could be argued are unnecessary as there are already mechanisms in place to obtain the information in question. The recently enacted regulations raise concerns to the author about access rights, data protection and monitoring, among other aspects. Originality/value This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the Spanish financial ownership file, a topic not yet explored in great detail, and could be useful for other legislatures intending to implement similar systems in their countries.

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