Environmental Governance in China: State Control to Crisis Management

Daedalus ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 143 (2) ◽  
pp. 184-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Economy
Keyword(s):  
Crisis Management ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Environmental Governance ◽  
Management Style ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Current Crisis ◽  
Emerging Nations ◽  
Political Processes ◽  
Rapid Economic Growth ◽  
The Government

After three decades of rapid economic growth, environmental degradation is now one of the most significant issues facing the Chinese government. The country's air, water, and land are all heavily polluted. Despite a number of environmental protection initiatives, both at the national and local levels, China ranks poorly when compared with other emerging nations. Formal government institutions have failed to address adequately the people's concerns. Beijing's system of decentralized authoritarianism lacks the political processes and incentives needed to implement meaningful national reform and to encourage local governments and polluting factories to enforce laws and regulations. The Chinese government now faces growing pressure from civil society, as NGOs, Internet activism, and protests compel the government to proactively address environmental issues. Beijing would do well to increase engagement between the government and its citizens, rather than relying on its current crisis management style of environmental governance.

scholarly journals State-Mediated Globalization Processes and the Adoption of Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting in China

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Marquis ◽  
Juelin Yin ◽  
Dongning Yang
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Political Legitimacy ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Political Processes ◽  
Csr Reporting ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting ◽  
Global Norms ◽  
The Government ◽  
Corporate Social

ABSTRACTDespite the prevalence of global diffusion, little is known about the processes by which international practices are adopted and adapted within organizations around the world. Through our qualitative research on the introduction of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting at two leading Chinese companies, we identify a unique set of political mechanisms that we labelstate-mediated globalization, whereby powerful nation-state actors influence the ways in which corporations adopt and adapt global norms and practices. We find that businesses’ needs for political legitimacy from a key stakeholder, in this case the government, leads them to deviate systematically from the global practice in bothformandcontent. These intentional practice adaptations are then legitimized by the government to createinternationalization toolsandlocalized standardsto aid adoption by other organizations. Our findings illustrate previously unidentified mechanisms by which powerful stakeholders such as the Chinese government may mediate, and thereby direct, the ways in which corporations adopt and adapt global CSR practices. Contributions to understanding the political processes of institutional translation in the context of globalization are discussed.

The ‘bureaucratized’ project system: An organizational study of Chinese central governmental earmarked projects

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 409-449
Author(s):  
Puyuan Shi
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Institutional Design ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Structural Constraints ◽  
System A ◽  
Project Integration ◽  
Government Bureaucracy ◽  
The Government ◽  
Organizational Study

In recent years, a proliferation of central governmental projects has been taking place within the Chinese government bureaucracy. In order for us to understand this phenomenon, we need to examine both the bureaucracy and the project system. This article proposes three key features of the project system, which tends to be temporary, goal-oriented, and flexible, as well as innovative in institutional design. A comparison of these features with the basic elements of bureaucracy shows that underneath the superficial fusion of the two systems there is unavoidable tension. Given the fact that the Chinese bureaucracy lacks structural constraints and public participation in its decision-making process, projects seldom meet the target of an appropriate supply–demand equation. Tensions are particularly manifested in two areas: (1) projects are inter-departmental and temporary in nature while bureaucracy is always rigid and insular; and (2) projects are goal-oriented and flexible while bureaucracy is rule-oriented and hierarchical. In most cases, central governmental projects have to operate within the government bureaucracy, and thus we call the system a ‘bureaucratized project system.’ In our case study, we find that the bureaucracy resists the project integration reform because its power is being threatened even though it is apparently beneficial for project operations. We are not optimistic about the future of the project integration reform as the task has now been laid upon the already over-loaded and wrongly-motivated local governments while the state bureaucracy remains all powerful.

scholarly journals Crisis Coordination and the Role of Social Media in Response to COVID-19 in Wuhan, China

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 698-705
Author(s):  
Yiran Li ◽  
Yanto Chandra ◽  
Naim Kapucu
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Information Overload ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Crisis Response ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Media Platform ◽  
The Government ◽  
Use Of Social Media

The commentary addresses the government’s role in mitigating information asymmetry problems during pandemic crisis response. We use the outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, as a case to show the use of social media as a key mechanism in shaping the actions of the central government in its coordination with the local governments during the pandemic response. The Chinese government effectively collaborated with a social media platform to not only create a dedicated channel to allow citizens to post information about the pandemic to accelerate the speed of relief but also mobilize citizens and nonprofit organizations to support government response and recovery efforts. This suggests that social media can provide a venue for the government to not only tackle the information overload but also mitigate the friction among levels of governments.

scholarly journals Human Resources Management for Effective Public Administration

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Covell
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Human Resources Management ◽  
Management Style ◽  
Scientific Management ◽  
Academic Field ◽  
Resources Management ◽  
Political Processes ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Right

Managing human resources in public administration is difficult and complex because it is an academic field, a field of scientific management and application, and a field of managerial professionalism, which includes legal and political processes. Effective management of human resources in public administration requires the incorporation of human resources development and continuous and strategic planning for “the right person for the right job.” The contemporary public administration with personnel that possess “employable skills” belittles the government and reduces its capacity. This system has resulted in a human resource management style that is based on feelings. This paper argues that traditional human management is more effective and it determines the success and the strength of the government. The crisis faced by public administration today is the result of the reinventing the government movement–a system whose human resources management is based on “employable skills,” multitasking, and a fast-paced environment. This system diminishes the importance of knowledge, science, and professionalism. It causes a leadership crisis and poor capacity governance. This paper describes the theoretical foundation of human resources management in the government. This paper also discusses a comparative analysis between line-department and matrix approach as an alternative solution to improve the capacity of public employees so that they can perform effectively and maximize their potential.

scholarly journals China's Economic Policy in the Time of the Global Financial Crisis: Which Way Out?

2009 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 165-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margot Schüller ◽  
Yun Schüler-Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Financial Crisis ◽  
Global Financial Crisis ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Chinese Economy ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Current Crisis ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Global Financial Crisis ◽  
The Impact

This contribution analyses the impact of the global financial crisis on the Chinese economy and the policies implemented by the Chinese government to cope with it. We argue, first, that China has not been able to decouple its economic performance from that of the U.S. and other developed countries. Second, although economic growth in the second quarter of 2009 showed that the stimulus package is working, the current development does not seem to be sustainable. In order to avoid another round of overheating, the government needs to adjust its stimulus policy. Third, the current crisis offers opportunities to conduct necessary structural adjustments in favour of more market-based and innovative industries, more investment by private companies and a stronger role of private consumption in economic growth. Fourth, with the external demand from the OECD countries declining, Chinese export companies need to further diversify their international markets and reorient their production and sales strategies to some extent towards the domestic market.

scholarly journals Tripartite Data Analysis for Optimizing Telemedicine Operations: Evidence from Guizhou Province in China

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 375
Author(s):  
Jinna Yu ◽  
Tingting Zhang ◽  
Zhen Liu ◽  
Assem Abu Hatab ◽  
Jing Lan
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Analysis ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Evolutionary Game ◽  
Guizhou Province ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Behavioral Strategies ◽  
Telemedicine System ◽  
Medical Institutions ◽  
The Government

Telemedicine is an innovative approach that helps alleviate the health disparity in developing countries and improve health service accessibility, affordability, and quality. Few studies have focused on the social and organizational issues involved in telemedicine, despite in-depth studies of and significant improvements in these technologies. This paper used evolutionary game theory to analyze behavioral strategies and their dynamic evolution in the implementation and operation of telemedicine. Further, numerical simulation was carried out to develop management strategies for promoting telemedicine as a new way of delivering health services. The results showed that: (1) When the benefits are greater than the costs, the higher medical institutions (HMIs), primary medical institutions (PMIs), and patients positively promote telemedicine with benign interactions; (2) when the costs are greater than the benefits, the stability strategy of HMIs, PMIs, and patients is, respectively, ‘no efforts’, ‘no efforts’, and ‘non-acceptance’; and (3) promotion of telemedicine is influenced by the initial probability of the ‘HMI efforts’, ‘PMI efforts’, and ‘patients’ acceptance’ strategy chosen by the three stakeholders, telemedicine costs, and the reimbursement ratio of such costs. Based on theoretical analysis, in order to verify the theoretical model, this paper introduces the case study of a telemedicine system integrated with health resources at provincial, municipal, county, and township level in Guizhou. The findings of the case study were consistent with the theoretical analysis. Therefore, the central Chinese government and local governments should pay attention to the running cost of MIs and provide financial support when the costs are greater than the benefits. At the same time, the government should raise awareness of telemedicine and increase participation by all three stakeholders. Lastly, in order to promote telemedicine effectively, it is recommended that telemedicine services are incorporated within the scope of medical insurance and the optimal reimbursement ratio is used.

scholarly journals Analysis of Farmland Abandonment and Government Supervision Traps in China

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1815
Author(s):  
Yemei Li ◽  
Yanfei Shan ◽  
Ying Chen
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Rural Households ◽  
Evolutionary Game ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Security Risk ◽  
Farmland Abandonment ◽  
Government Supervision ◽  
The Government

Farmland abandonment has become relatively common in rural China. In the context of food security, the Chinese government has introduced policies for farmland abandonment supervision, but the effect of these policies has proven to be marginal. By constructing an evolutionary game model, our research explores the evolutionary logic during the supervision of farmland abandonment by governments and rural households. The results indicate that low food yield and high opportunity costs are the leading causes of farmland abandonment. The probable punishment administered by the central government for dereliction is a major motivation for the local government to practice farmland abandonment supervision. The low supervision avoidance cost for rural households leads local governments and households to form collaborations to jointly cope with central government supervision. When this occurs, local governments’ supervision of farmland abandonment falls into a trap, as it leads to continued supervision practices that are costly and ineffective. Food security risk comes from the contradictory population and land resources demands. To improve food security while managing these contradictory demands, it is both necessary and feasible for the government to control population growth and focus on farmland protection, whereas it is unnecessary and unfeasible for the government to supervise whether or not farmland should be abandoned.

scholarly journals THE IMPACT OF INDONESIA CAPITAL RELOCATION TO KALIMANTAN PEATLAND RESTORATION

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-241
Author(s):  
Theresia ◽  
Ricky Martin Sihombing ◽  
Florentina Simanungkalit
Keyword(s):  
Political Ecology ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Environmental Governance ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Regional Autonomy ◽  
East Kalimantan ◽  
Peatland Restoration ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

East Kalimantan is the location designated by President Jokowi Dodo as the new capital city of Indonesia. In terms of autonomy, the reason for moving the capital city according to the government is for the sake of equitable development. Decentralization is the idea and spirit of the founders of the state, with division of territories including their powers. This is stated in the provisions of Article 18 of the 1945 Constitution which encourage the implementation of regional autonomy in a broad and concrete manner, with the hope that disadvantaged areas can develop themselves and align themselves with other regions in order to advance welfare. The relocation of the new capital city will create new problems in this country, not only peat problems, but will result in ecological disasters. It is hoped that the relocation of the capital city will really be studied and evaluated because it will seriously threaten the sustainability of peatlands in East Kalimantan, where 0.3 million hectares are peatlands. The role of local government is very important because in its implementation in realizing good environmental governance, the ability of local governments to protect and manage the environment is needed. This study uses a qualitative research approach which is a scientific method used and carried out by a group of researchers in the field of social sciences, including education. Keywords: Peatland Restoration, Political Ecology, Respons to Indonesia Capital Relocation, Decentralization, Regional Autonomy

Green or Brown? Environmental Attitudes and Governance in Greater China

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul G. Harris
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Governance ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Chinese Language ◽  
Environmental Awareness ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Rapid Economic Growth ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
Chinese View

China is experiencing profound adverse environmental changes, many of them driven—and all exacerbated—by rapid economic growth. Attitudes toward the environment in China are ambiguous. Nevertheless, these attitudes are indicators of how the Chinese view the natural environment and how they are likely to behave toward it and respond to efforts to protect it. They are also important precursors to actions by the Chinese government to address environmental problems that affect the rest of the world. Environmental awareness and attitudes are associated with individuals' educational level, socio-economic status, living environment, and exposure to media. By understanding the Chinese view of the environment and the degree to which they prioritize it (or not) relative to other important issues, Chinese and international policymakers and stakeholders can enhance their capacity to perhaps start shifting these attitudes, values, and behaviors toward those that might do less harm to China's environment and the world's. This article reviews findings on environmental awareness, attitudes, and behaviors, and makes observations on their implications for environmental governance in China. Information is drawn from Chinese survey data, secondary Chinese-language sources, and related tertiary literature.

Online Political Participation in China: Local Government and Differentiated Response

2019 ◽  
Vol 238 ◽  
pp. 331-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongshun Cai ◽  
Titi Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Media Exposure ◽  
The Political ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Political Hierarchy ◽  
The Government ◽  
Government Responsiveness ◽  
The Cost

AbstractChinese citizens commonly take to the internet to voice complaints concerning their daily lives. The political hierarchy in China dictates that local governments are primarily responsible for addressing such grievances. This study investigates how local governments deal with online complaints and finds that they respond in a variety of ways and that their choice of a particular form of response is shaped by the pressure generated by the complaint and the cost of resolving it. This study contributes to the understanding of government responsiveness in China by directly assessing the quality of governmental responses and by measuring the pressure and costs faced by the government when dealing with online complaints. It also explains how the Chinese government, without having to rely on censorship, shields regime legitimacy from media exposure.

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