scholarly journals Sontaku and political scandals in Japan

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-45
Author(s):  
Matthew M. Carlson
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Special Treatment ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Japanese Politics ◽  
The Government ◽  
Political Scandals ◽  
Specific Construction

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explain a new scandal ingredient in Japanese politics called sontaku. This word refers to cases when officials grant special treatment to a project because they believe they are acting in accordance with the wishes of an associated powerful person.Design/methodology/approachThis paper describes the specific construction of major scandals involving sontaku from 2017 based primarily on newspaper accounts, examines the consequences of these scandals for politicians and bureaucrats, and discusses their implications for combating corruption in Japan.FindingsThe scandals after 2017 damaged to some extent the public support for the current Japanese administration and influenced the prime minister's decision to call a snap election. The scandals also highlighted systematic problems in the bureaucracy and motivated the government to reform laws concerning the management of public documents.Originality/valueThis paper will be useful to scholars and policy makers interested in studying the causes and consequences of scandals and political corruption in Japan.

Public health challenges during the COVID-19 outbreak in Nepal: a commentary

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 373-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharmistha Sharma ◽  
Jeevan Bhatta
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Health Challenges ◽  
Current Scenario ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
The Government

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to depict the current scenario of coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) in Nepal, how the government is tackling this pandemic as well as look at the public health challenges that Nepal is facing and might face in the future.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is a viewpoint of COVID-19 activities conducted in Nepal.FindingsNepal is vulnerable to COVID-19, as it shares borders with China and India. Cases have started to be seen in different parts of Nepal. Government of Nepal has started various measures to control the spread of the virus such as deploying health workers, information sharing via different mediums. However, there are still many challenges that the government and public health officials need to be concerned about as well.Originality/valueThis paper provides information about the situation of COVID-19 in Nepal, how the government is handling, and public health challenges that may arise. This paper can be beneficial for further public health interventions.

Do public support services matter in the multilocation process in China?

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 357-373
Author(s):  
Borja Portero ◽  
Francisco Puig
Keyword(s):  
Support Services ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Weak Links ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Distant Market ◽  
Implementing Strategies ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose – During the last decade the demand to comprehend the overarching success factors of the multilocation process in distant countries such as China has increased significantly. In this context, the purpose of this paper is to explore and understand the nature and scope of the collaboration between the public support services (PSS) in China and the Spanish enterprises which decided to be multilocated there. Design/methodology/approach – The present study examines the necessity of the PSS in China by employing a review of literature as well as both quantitative and qualitative surveys from 31 Spanish companies multilocated in China. Findings – The main conclusions highlight the fact that the PSS do not seem to have a big and homogenous influence on the multilocation process, although those companies with higher levels of commitment that have been operating in China for a longer time have used it more frequently. Originality/value – While other studies of multilocation have isolated the companies from their host environment, the aim of this paper is to evaluate the weak links between the PSS and companies in a culturally and psychically distant market. By providing an insight into the dynamics of how firms interact and collaborate with the PSS, this study contributes to guiding policy makers and managers in designing and implementing strategies to support enterprises in the multilocation process in China.

Performance objectives of public private partnership implementation in Malaysia: perception of key players

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosnani Mohamad ◽  
Suhaiza Ismail ◽  
Julia Mohd Said
Keyword(s):  
Public Service ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Private Partnership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Facilities ◽  
Key Players ◽  
The Government

Purpose The objectives of this present study are twofold. First, it aims to investigate the performance objectives of PPP implementation in Malaysia. Second, it aims to examine the differences in the perceptions of two PPP key players – the public and private sectors – pertaining to the performance objectives. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey was used to elicit the perceptions of the public and private sectors concerning the performance objectives of PPP projects in Malaysia; 237 usable responses were obtained and analysed using SPSS to rank the importance of the performance objectives and to examine the differences in the perceptions between the government and private sectors. Findings The results reveal that the five most important performance objectives for PPP implementation in Malaysia based on overall respondents’ perceptions are “High-quality public service”, “Provide convenient service for society”, “Within or under budget”, “On-time or earlier” and “Satisfy the need for more public facilities”. As for differences in the perceptions of the two key players, only one objective was perceived as statistically more important by the public sector respondents than by their private sector counterparts. Originality/value The contribution of this paper is that it not only provides empirical evidence for the performance objectives for PPP implementation in Malaysia, but also offers evidence concerning the differences in the perceptions of the public and private sectors pertaining to the performance objectives.

Instrumental red teaming of “terrorism”: attack-concept gaming to develop comprehension, anticipation and resilience

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-94
Author(s):  
Charles Knight
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Terrorist Attack ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Theoretical Explanation ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe a gaming approach to making key theoretical ideas accessible, understandable and useful for security practitioners confronting “terrorism” in the real world. Design/methodology/approach The tool is instrumental “red-team” matrix gaming: a structured way to first build and then wargame instrumental “terrorist” attack plans. The working assumption is that “terrorist” violence is designed with purpose, and that it reflects Fromkin’s understanding that terrorism is a form of jujitsu to manipulate more powerful opponents into politically and ideologically self-destructive behaviours. By designing and gaming attack plans with political objectives as the focus, practitioners quickly gain a deeper understanding of the processes of violent influence and the role of responders and decision makers. The paper is structured to, first, provide a theoretical explanation of contemporary conflict, focussing on the public support and how violence can be differently designed to political ends. On this foundation, the methods for learning are explained. A “playing-card” technique for setting students objectives in terms of psychological levers, vulnerabilities, political purposes and influence targets is described and options for participants generating scenarios outlined. Then the matrix-gaming approach, where play progresses according to the result of a dice roll applied to a probability based on the merit of participants’ competing arguments is explained with an example. Findings The described method of creating and wargaming terrorist attack plans offers a new and engaging method of exploring and understanding the processes of terrorism while preparing practitioners by potentially developing both their decision making and resilience. Practical implications The method described has potential value for teaching about terrorism by generally improving student engagement, preparing practitioners to respond to terrorism and wider application (of matrix gaming) to other topics. Originality/value This is a novel application of matrix gaming in a simplified format suited for classrooms.

scholarly journals Malaysian experience with public-private partnership (PPP)

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 508-520 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Imran Zin Zawawi ◽  
Udayangani Kulatunga ◽  
Menaha Thayaparan
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Public Private Partnership ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Private Partnership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Procurement ◽  
The Government ◽  
Quality Infrastructure

Purpose Lack of competition in procurement processes may affect the sustainable procurement due to overpriced and low-quality infrastructure. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current practices in Malaysian public-private partnership (PPP) in handling unsolicited proposals within PPP and to suggest ways in which the practices can be improved to achieve sustainability. Design/methodology/approach Case study was conducted within which 13 semi-structured interviews were carried out with different groups: the policy makers, the practitioners and the experts. The study also scrutinised published guidelines and relevant regulations used by in management of unsolicited proposals in Malaysian PPP. Findings The Government of Malaysia welcomes unsolicited proposals from the private sector, even though it does not publish any established mechanisms to handle such proposals. Lack of competition in unsolicited proposals is a major concern in achieving sustainable goals of procurement. This could be addressed by introducing a competitive element to unsolicited proposals. Originality/value There are limited study and reports on the implementation of unsolicited proposals by the Malaysian Government. Besides adding to the literature, this paper reveals the management of unsolicited proposals. Most importantly, it is useful in assisting potential Malaysian PPP stakeholders and investors in what to expect, based on findings from the actual practice.

Rationales for public private partnership (PPP) implementation in Malaysia

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 188-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suhaiza Ismail ◽  
Fatimah Azzahra Haris
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Private Partnership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Government ◽  
Role Of The Government ◽  
Private Sector Involvement

Purpose – This paper aims to, first, examine the rationale for implementation of public private partnerships (PPP) in Malaysia. Second, it investigates the differences among perceptions of the public and private sectors, in relation to the rationales for implementing PPP in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire survey captured the perceptions of the public and private sectors concerning the rationales for PPP implementation in Malaysia. Of 250 questionnaires distributed, 122 usable responses were obtained and analysed using SPSS to rank the importance of the rationales and to examine differences in perceptions between the government and private sectors. Findings – Results show that “to enhance private sector involvement in economic development” is the only rationale that was rated as most important by all respondents. While other rationales were perceived as important, “to reduce the role of the Government in providing public services and facilities” was regarded as the least important rationale by both parties. The results also reveal significant differences between public and private perceptions for the least important rationales. Originality/value – This paper offers empirical evidence on the concept and the rationales for implementing PPP in Malaysia, and also provides evidence on the differences in the perceptions of the public and private sectors in relation to these rationales.

scholarly journals IMPLEMENTASI KEBIJAKAN SISTEM PEMUNGUTAN PAJAK SELF ASSESSMENT

2018 ◽  
pp. 11-27
Author(s):  
Anzala Sakinah
Keyword(s):  
Policy Implementation ◽  
Sampling Method ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Collection System ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Tax Collection ◽  
Tax System ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Government

ABSTRACTOne of the problems that occurred in the Probolinggo City, East Java province is thegaps in the implementation of the tax collection system self assessment at the restauranttax. Where, there is no public support for the policy of self assessment tax collectionsystem at the restaurant tax in Probolinggo City.Self assessment tax collection system at the restaurant tax is a tax collection system inwhich the public taxpayer restaurant was entrusted to carry out the national mutualcooperation through compute, calculate, and report on their own pay taxes owed.This study aimed to analyze the policy of the tax system of selfassessment on taxesrestaurants in Probolinggo City East Java province, in force since the enactment ofConstitution No. 6 of 1983 on General Provisions and Tax Procedures, as amendedby Constitution No. 9 of 1994 and Constitution No. 16 of 2000, and changed again toConstitution Number 28 of 2007. This study is the use of qualitative research methods.Determination of informants done purporsive sampling method is sampling techniquebased on a certain criteria. The number of informants interviewed was 18.The results of the analysis in this study showed that the implementation of the policy of taxcollection system of self-assessment at the restaurant tax still has not managed entirelyto be applied in Probolinggo City due to several factors into obstacles such as lack ofawareness of the taxpayer (tax consciousness), honesty taxpayer, willingness or desire topay taxes (willingness to pay), discipline taxpayer (tax discipline) in implementing the taxlaws, the laws are weak and some other obstacles.Based on the analysis, researchers gave suggestions to the Government of ProbolinggoCity to further enhance socialization activities, consider the e-tax system, andalso to policy-makers to pay more attention to return the contents of the policy andimplementation context .Keywords: policy implementation, self assessment, tax restaurants

scholarly journals Strategic management accounting in the public sector context: the case of the Swedish Transport Administration

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Höglund ◽  
Mikael Holmgren Caicedo ◽  
Maria Mårtensson ◽  
Fredrik Svärdsten
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Strategic Management ◽  
Balanced Scorecard ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Management Accounting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Strategic Management Accounting ◽  
The Government ◽  
Empirical Material

PurposeThe objective of this paper is to generate further knowledge about strategic management accounting (SMA) in the public sector context. The authors attempt to do this through a study of SMA work in a public sector agency (PSA), the Swedish Transport Administration (STA). The paper elaborates on the formation of the agency's strategies and the challenges the agency's SMA work had to deal with, and focuses its analysis on the interplay between SMA and the characteristics of the public sector as well as how it is constitutive of strategy.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical material was gathered between 2013 and 2015 and consists of documents that include the STA's appropriation, mandate, strategic and operational plans, and balanced scorecard, as well as interviews with 35 civil servants at various levels of the STA.FindingsThe study finds that, depending on the performances of PSAs in their specific environment and the influences from the environment's constituents, SMA may function as an instrument that makes or breaks strategies. The characteristics of the public sector context may therefore affect SMA, and by extension, strategy, in several ways. First, the present case shows that the inherent reduction that the focus of SMA techniques entails, and their inability to deal with the complexity of a PSA's context, places them at constant risk of becoming strategically irrelevant in the eyes of knowledgeable local managers in a PSA. Second, interventions from the government may override a PSA's SMA and in effect make a PSA's strategic focus ambiguous. Third, outside monitoring performed by such actors as the National Audit Office and the mass media may influence a PSA's SMA work both directly and indirectly when the agency and the government are responsive to the agenda set by such scrutiny.Originality/valueThe paper broadens the scope of earlier SMA research in the public sector by including the specific characteristics of the public sector in the analysis and how accounting techniques may come to compete for strategic placement as they are propelled from within and from without the organization.

Analytical study of the ETD repositories and government initiatives for depositing ETDs in India

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (4/5) ◽  
pp. 308-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dinesh K. Gupta ◽  
Neerja Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Analytical Study ◽  
Literature Survey ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital Repositories ◽  
The Public ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
The Government ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to critically analyse the Electronic Theses and Dissertation (ETD) repository creation efforts by various institutions in India and also analyse whether the guidelines issued for depositing ETDs by various government bodies in India are sufficient to implement the ETD submission nationwide. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is the result of the analytical evaluation of the Indian digital repositories especially ETD repositories and the guidelines issued by various government bodies for acceptance of ETDs. To obtain a complete picture of the Indian ETD repositories literature review was conducted, browsed the Registry of Open Access Repositories (ROAR) and Directory of Open Access Repositories (OpenDOAR), since these do not include all the Indian ETD repositories snowball technique was followed. Many of the sites were inaccessible during the study, they are discussed either on the basis of the earlier accessed record or the available literature. Findings – Though in India University Grants Commission (UGC, 2005) and other government bodies have issued guidelines for ETD submission and UGC (in 2009) made it mandatory for all the universities to deposit a copy of the thesis submitted, in the National ETD repository, i.e. Shodhganga, yet the universities do not seem very serious about this issue so far. The study of the ETD repositories of most of the Indian universities and higher level institutions reveals that most of them are busy with the government-funded projects of retro-conversion of the PhD theses piled up in their libraries and have not taken sufficient steps for accepting the current ETD and ETD creating facilities for the researchers. Practical implications – The Indian universities may expedite the process of accepting the current ETDs and plan training and workshops for the researchers, faculty, theses evaluators and librarians to make them aware about their respective responsibilities. Social implications – The Indian researches will be accessible globally resulting in the acceptability and implementation of the research findings for the society and will help in avoiding duplication of research, which means judicial utilization of the public funds, as mostly the research in India is funded by the government. Originality/value – The literature survey about the ETDs in Indian libraries revealed that almost every article describes the availability of the ETDs and define the ETDs decoratively. All the existing repositories are not exhaustive and contain only retro theses, which neither anybody has tried to evaluate nor stressed on the need of starting accepting the current ETDs. This paper analyses the available collections in ETD repositories and policy provisions for ETD acceptance and also tries to identify the unclear issue before the Indian universities regarding accepting current ETDs.

A benchmarking study of Indian seaports

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-102
Author(s):  
Sajeev Abraham George ◽  
Anurag C. Tumma
Keyword(s):  
Financial Performance ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Data Envelopment ◽  
Operational Parameters ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Port Authorities ◽  
Financial Performance Measures ◽  
The Government

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to benchmark the operational and financial performances of the major Indian seaports to help derive useful insights to improve their performance. Design/methodology/approach A two-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) methodology has been used with the help of data collected on the 13 major seaports of India. The first stage of the DEA captured the operational efficiencies, while the second stage the financial performance. Findings A window analysis over a period of three years revealed that no port was able to score an overall average efficiency of 100 per cent. The study identified the better performing units among their peers in both the stages. The contrasting results of the study with the traditional operational and financial performance measures used by the ports helped to derive useful insights. Research limitations/implications The data used in the study were majorly limited to the available sources in the public domain. Also, the study was limited to the major seaports which are under the Government of India and no comparisons were carried out with other local or international ports. Practical implications There is a need to prioritize investments and improvement efforts where they are most needed, instead of following a generalized approach. Once the benchmark ports are identified, the port authorities and other relevant stakeholders should work in detail on the factors causing inefficiencies, for possible improvements in performance. Originality/value This paper carried out a two-stage DEA that helped to derive useful insights on operational efficiency and financial performance of the India seaports. A combination of the financial and operational parameters, along with a comparison of the DEA results with the traditional measures, provided a different perspective on the Indian seaport performance. Considering the scarcity of research papers reported in the literature on DEA-based benchmarking studies of seaports in the Indian context, it has the potential to attract future research in this field.

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