Problems of Controlling Public Sector Agencies: The Case of Norwegian Oil Policy

1981 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Control Systems ◽  
High Technology ◽  
The Self ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Self Interest ◽  
Oil Policy ◽  
And Control ◽  
Western Democracies

The problem of the control and accountability of public sector agencies is common in most Western democracies. Though ‘hiving off’ is seen as attractive by policy-makers, it often brings with it quite serious problems. It is important to take account of the role of the self-interest of agencies in designing control systems. This is particularly necessary where failure to control the activity of an agency can have serious consequences in other policy areas or for society as a whole. An examination of Norwegian North Sea oil policy illustrates the difficulty of achieving control in areas involving uncertainty and high technology. The Norwegian case does, however, also illustrate that the ‘natural tendencies' of organizations can be utilized, once recognized, to achieve a greater degree of accountability and control.

From Container to Claustrum: Projective Identification in Couples

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamara Feldman
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Health ◽  
Projective Identification ◽  
The Self ◽  
The Other ◽  
Intimate Partners ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
As If

This paper is a contribution to the growing literature on the role of projective identification in understanding couples' dynamics. Projective identification as a defence is well suited to couples, as intimate partners provide an ideal location to deposit unwanted parts of the self. This paper illustrates how projective identification functions differently depending on the psychological health of the couple. It elucidates how healthier couples use projective identification more as a form of communication, whereas disturbed couples are inclined to employ it to invade and control the other, as captured by Meltzer's concept of "intrusive identification". These different uses of projective identification affect couples' capacities to provide what Bion called "containment". In disturbed couples, partners serve as what Meltzer termed "claustrums" whereby projections are not contained, but imprisoned or entombed in the other. Applying the concept of claustrum helps illuminate common feelings these couples express, such as feeling suffocated, stifled, trapped, held hostage, or feeling as if the relationship is killing them. Finally, this paper presents treatment challenges in working with more disturbed couples.

scholarly journals The Public Employee Facing Unconstitutional Policies: Organization, State, Power, Stability and Social Control

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helder Gusso
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Social Control ◽  
Government Policy ◽  
Power Relations ◽  
Control Agency ◽  
Public Employee ◽  
Organizational Analysis ◽  
The Public ◽  
And Control

This article highlights the duty of the public employee to oppose any government policy that goes against constitutional principles and objectives. The defence of this position is made from an organizational analysis of the State. Theoretical contributions such as the understanding of State and Domination in M. Weber, Organization in D. Katz and R.L. Khan, and Control Agency in B.F. Skinner have been used. The analysis of contingencies that control the behavior of the public employee and the understanding of the notions of State and Organizations enable greater clarity about what constitutes the role of workers in the public sector. It also highlights the importance of existing mechanisms to reduce the imbalance in power relations between governors, servants and the population.

scholarly journals People in suits: a case study of empowerment and control in a non-profit UK organisation

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 511-528
Author(s):  
Roxana Corduneanu ◽  
Laura Lebec
Keyword(s):  
Control Systems ◽  
Management Control ◽  
Interactive Systems ◽  
Employee Perceptions ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
And Control

PurposeDrawing on Simons's levers of control (LoC) framework, the primary aim of this study is to advance an understanding of the balance between empowerment and constraint in a non-profit UK organisation. In particular, this study examines the antecedents and manifestations of LoC (im)balance, in relation to employees' level of engagement with the control systems in place.Design/methodology/approachFor this study, 27 semi-structured interviews were conducted with different organisational members, from directors to non-managerial staff, to gain an in-depth appreciation of the main differences between managerial intentions in the design of management control systems (MCS) and employee perceptions regarding the role of such systems.FindingsThis research reveals that suppression of interactive systems and internal inconsistencies between different types of controls hinder the balance between empowerment and constraint. This imbalance is then found to have important consequences for employee buy-in, in some cases, defeating the purposes of control.Research limitations/implicationsThis study enhances our understanding of the gap between the design of control systems and the employee perceptions of it in an unusual organisational setting (non-profit and bringing together clinical and non-clinical staff and operations).Originality/valueThe study of MCS and its role in organisations has long been the focus of both academic and practitioner research. Yet, while extant literature focused on management's perspective on MCS, few studies have explored employees' attitudes and behaviours that accompany the implementation of control. What is more, little is known about the specific uses and behavioural outcomes of MCS in the context of non-profit organisations. Drawing on Simons's LoC framework, this paper addresses these gaps in the literature and investigates the balance between control and empowerment of employees in a UK non-profit organisation with significant clinical remit.

Designing Arduino-Based Sluice Control System With Self-Check Sensor Feature

JURNAL TIKA ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (03) ◽  
pp. 205-212
Author(s):  
Balqis Yafis ◽  
Rahmat ;
Keyword(s):  
Control System ◽  
Water Level ◽  
Control Systems ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
The Self ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Self Monitoring ◽  
Measurement Results ◽  
Sensor Measurement ◽  
And Control

The use of Arduino-Based floodgates aims to address the issue of flooding. The goal of this research was to create a system that could monitor water levels and control floodgatesUltrasonic sensor was used to measure water level, as the water level becomes the indicator to open and close the floodgates. The ultrasonic sensor is mounted on the dam and measures the distance between the water’s surface and the sensor transmitter. The results of the measurement of the water level are used to control the floodgates. Sensor measurement results are not always valid, given the age of the sensor and the terrain around the dam is quite challenging. The self-check sensor feature is introduced in this study as a way to overcome detection faults in the system, where ultrasonic sensors can perform self-monitoring by relying solely on their neighbours. In general, the process is carried out in four stages, starting from the stage of reading the sensor, the stage transmitting and receiving data from the Arduino, the stage of detecting sensor’s value, the stage of displaying the sensor values. At the stage of displaying the sensor value, there are four water level conditions, normal, waspada, siaga and bahaya. According to the test results, incorporating self-check sensors into the system enables for more efficient Arduino-based sluice control systems, as well as the possibility of detecting malfunctions caused by sensor damage

scholarly journals OPTIMAL CONTROL REALIZATIONS OF LAGRANGIAN SYSTEMS WITH SYMMETRY

2011 ◽  
Vol 08 (07) ◽  
pp. 1627-1651 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. DELGADO-TÉLLEZ ◽  
A. IBORT ◽  
T. RODRÍGUEZ DE LA PEÑA
Keyword(s):  
Optimal Control ◽  
Control Systems ◽  
Optimal Control Problems ◽  
Lagrangian System ◽  
Control Problems ◽  
Lagrangian Systems ◽  
Explicit Realization ◽  
Control Equation ◽  
And Control

A new relation among a class of optimal control systems and Lagrangian systems with symmetry is discussed. It will be shown that a family of solutions of optimal control systems whose control equation are obtained by means of a group action are in correspondence with the solutions of a mechanical Lagrangian system with symmetry. This result also explains the equivalence of the class of Lagrangian systems with symmetry and optimal control problems discussed in [1, 2]. The explicit realization of this correspondence is obtained by a judicious use of Clebsch variables and Lin constraints, a technique originally developed to provide simple realizations of Lagrangian systems with symmetry. It is noteworthy to point out that this correspondence exchanges the role of state and control variables for control systems with the configuration and Clebsch variables for the corresponding Lagrangian system. These results are illustrated with various simple applications.

scholarly journals Gender Inequality and Adaptive Capacity: The Role of Social Capital on the Impacts of Climate Change in Vietnam

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loan Phan ◽  
Sue Jou ◽  
Jun-Hua Lin
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Gender Inequality ◽  
Informal Networks ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

Climate change has exacerbated gender inequality, and women are a vulnerable group. Previous research attributed this to physical gender differences, gender differences in ownership and control of natural resources, and socioeconomic status. We used a survey of 99 participants, seven focus group discussions, and 13 in-depth interviews in a coastal community in Vietnam to gain insight into the roots of gender inequality in the capacity to adapt to climate change. We analysed the role of social capital in regulating and mobilising other livelihood assets from a gendered perspective and found that gender norms explain the division and interactions of men and women in formal and informal networks. Based on our results, we suggest that policy-makers should pay more attention to gender issues when proposing climate change policies and reducing the gender imbalance in the impact of climate change adaptation.

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