When innocence is no protection: governance failure of digitization and its impact on local level implementation

Purpose Governance of e-government is rarely discussed in the initial digitization stage, especially in developing countries where the government’s focus is mainly to pursue rapid proliferation of digital adoption rather than to implement governance. This study aims to explore the consequences of this absence of governance at local level conditions. Design/methodology/approach An in-depth exploratory case study is conducted at a municipal health government in a southern city in Kalimantan Island, Indonesia, examining the conditions of local actors in response to various nationwide health digitization imperatives. The postcolonial theory with the critical paradigm is used to interpret and conceptualize the empirical findings. Findings This study identifies two critical failures of digitization governance that represent the mainstream condition: horizontal sectoral ego and vertical asymmetry and misalignment. These failures have resulted in undesirable consequences at the subalterns indicated by diverse ambivalence and de-voiced constructs displayed by the local actors. Practical implications This paper suggests that various issues that emerge from local level implementation in nationwide digitization agenda might not always be issues of local technology adoption, but rather negative impacts due to the absence of governance practice at the strategic level. Originality/value Through a critical perspective, this study unearths the underlying power and structural inequity responsible for generating the various issues and undesirable consequences that emerge at local levels related to the nationwide digitization agenda.

What’s in a King? Unveiling the pragmatic micro-perceived value attributes of a fulfilling corporate governance code for responsible sustainable development

Purpose A recent contribution entitled Global Responsibility and the King Reports was made to the literature that represents a significant advancement in the understanding of how standards of good governance are practised. The corpus revealed key insights about macro-institutional governance regimes, yet, extraordinarily little about meso-organisational and even less so, micro-individual corporate governance practice. This study aims to shed light on the micro-individual level of corporate governance practice which has remained obscured by drawing pragmatic insights from the landmark South African King Code experience that may be applied to other governance jurisdictions for global organisational responsibility. Design/methodology/approach To unearth micro-individual corporate governance code practices, a phenomenological exploration of corporate governance practitioners’ (CGPs) perceptions was conducted. Qualitative semi-structured interviews with senior board members of securities-exchange listed companies were conducted with 10 directors of leading multinational South African corporations listed on Africa’s largest formal financial market; the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Recursive analysis of the qualitative data revealed key attributes that render a corporate governance code “fulfilling” as a consequence of being perceived as subjectively valuable by practitioners who are the ultimate end-users of the King Codes for advancing good corporate governance practice in each of their respective companies. Findings Two categories of fulfilling micro-perceived value attributes (MPVAs) of corporate governance codes emerged, namely, internal and external MPVAs. The three internal MPVAs are, namely, (I1) Meaningful innovation, (I2) Ethical pragmatism and (I3) Cultural transformation. The three external MPVAs are, namely, (E1) Governance legitimacy, (E2) Societal licencing and (E3) Risk mitigation. From these six attributes, two testable corporate governance code development propositions are advanced, namely, (P1) a corporate governance code with a higher constitution of MPVAs will fulfil CGPs more than one with less. (P2) A more fulfilling corporate governance code will enjoy higher adoption, application and/or compliance rates. Originality/value Illumining the subjective experiential perceptions that constitute the fulfilment of a corporate governance code deepens the pragmatic understanding of the “demand-side” or consumption of such codes in practice. Knowing these fulfilling MPVAs may also result in the development of codes that enjoy wider adoption and compliance rates thereby enhancing global corporate responsibility pragmatism through enhanced good governance. This study sheds light on the nexus where normative corporate governance principles and the enactment thereof meet at the coalface of organisational activity with an emphasis on those attributes that render them valuable to practitioners.

Governance Practice Implementation on Education for Sustainable Development in Host Universities’ Regional Centres of Expertise, Kenya

Institutional management refers to the effective running of different programmes and activities of an institution. This study sought to assess governance practice implementation on education for sustainable development (ESD) in host universities’ Regional Centres of Expertise (RCE) in Kenya. The study employed mixed methodology and concurrent model of triangulation and descriptive survey research design to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. The target population was from 8 acknowledged RCEs in Kenya. This included 8 RCE coordinators, 270 lecturers conversant with ESD and 150 representatives of partner institutions making a total of 428 respondents. Purposive and simple random sampling was used to come up with the study sample of 93 respondents comprising of of 3 RCE coordinators, 60 lecturers, and 30 representatives of partner institutions. Research tools used were open and close-ended questionnaires, interview schedule and document analysis checklist. Quantitative data was analysed descriptively using SPSS version 23 and presented using tables, frequencies, percentages and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Qualitative data was thematically analysed and presented verbatim and as narratives using MS Word. Mixing and interpretation of data was then done. The study established that despite numerous challenges, RCE host universities had implemented RCE governance practice on ESD through establishment of governance structures and appointment of coordinators. Financial and infrastructural resources were found to be a main challenge in implementation of governance practice on ESD. Anticipated beneficiaries of the study findings and conclusion include the management of RCE host universities, RCE coordinators, Ministry of education and County governments. The study recommended that host universities in Regional Centres of Expertise should initiate innovative methods of raising funds from both government and private sectors to establish a funding mechanism for ESD activities and programs in the RCEs. The appointment of RCE coordinators needs to be removed from the host university Vice Chancellors and a committee of partner representatives tasked with the appointment.

Bank Liquidity Risk: Significance of Financial Disclosure and Governance Practice

The objective of the study is to show the remedial effect of bank liquidity risk in the marketplace by disseminating financial information and practicing corporate governance mechanisms. The link between financial disclosure, corporate governance, and banks' liquidity risk management in Bangladesh is examined in this paper. The study used panel data on 32 commercial banks from the 2008 to 2018 with 346 observations collected from published annual reports. Based on the preliminary diagnosis, the study chose the two-stage least squares (2SLS) regression method to minimize the errors arising from heteroskedasticity, autocorrelation, and endogeneity issues. The study found that adequate financial disclosure and corporate governance practices minimize bank liquidity risk to maintain a stable image in the minds of investors and withstand immense regulatory pressure. To allow banks to detect issues early, they must implement changes quickly and be more robust to crises, thus risk management efficacy and excellent corporate governance implementation are required. Moreover, banks are mainly concerned about liquidity risk as it directly affects the market's performance and stability. Liquidity crises can be eradicated by proper monitoring and providing information pertaining to risks to prudent investors in a reliable and transparent corporate culture.

Municipal integrated coastal governance approach: complimentary disciplinary instruments and collaboration pre-conditions

Municipal coastal governance practice also in Latvia has various limitations, and taking into account growing climate change adaptation challenges, new understanding and new approaches are to be studied and tested. Overall study frame is based on research-and-development approach. The aim of the research was to study how municipal coastal governance is functioning in practice, particularly, in the relation to the coastal dune protection zones (150/300 m) and further coastal territory behind that, applying whole list of governance instrument groups – political/legal, planning, and especially institutional instruments, also financial, infrastructure and, last but not least, coastal communication instruments. This was done via research-and-governance frame of the three coastal governance dimensions – governance content, stakeholders (governance segments) and governance instruments, realized in Jurmala municipality as especially nature-culture rich and due to tourist attraction also sensitive coastal pilot territory at the Latvia coast. Case study research methodology applied (document studies, observation and stakeholder’s interviews) were approving pre-study understanding, based on previous coastal governance studies, that also this territory with international coastal resort status and well developed municipal administration capacities have limited success on integrated coastal management (ICM) approach implementation and, subsequently, there are requirements on further development of disciplinary instruments and also collaboration governance as ICM preconditions. An integrated ICM approach was internationally designed and approved also for EU coastal countries, since comprehensive requirement to manage the adequate governance of the coast as complex socio-ecological system, but old shaped long existing traditional disciplinary/branch approaches of former and formal municipal planning and management does not really permit necessary innovations with cross-sectorial and cross-level integration perspectives. However, also orientation towards re-use and/or re-development of disciplinary ICM instruments, especially, to be designed and realized as complementary as possible and collaboration governance developments shall be seen as necessary pre-conditions for ICM adequate development.

The ascendancy of stakeholder capitalism: What is its meaning for corporate governance?

We address the recent ascendancy of “stakeholder capitalism” and its potential impact on US corporate governance practice. Utilizing a four dimensional, analytic framework (legal, ethical, economic, and political), the authors evaluate the potential effects of stakeholder capitalism on the existing corporate governance of companies, concluding that stakeholder capitalism is a commitment, not a legal requirement; it is currently being practiced in boardrooms; and yet it is not the responsibility of the company, under stakeholder capitalism, to solve America’s social issues. The article concludes with business policy recommendations for directors concerning likely legal, ethical, economic, and political changes affecting stakeholder capitalism.

Differential Effects of Information and Communication Technology on (De-) Democratization of Authoritarian Regimes

Utilizing state–society relations as a theoretic framework, this study investigates whether the Internet is used to facilitate or impede democratization in authoritarian regimes. The present paper uses governance practice as the mediating mechanism, along with a regime's degree of authoritarianism as a moderator, to measure the direct and indirect effects of the Internet on democratization. This research found that the Internet can be mobilized to suppress political freedom in authoritarian regimes, while at the same time reinforcing the legitimacy of the regime's basis—both of these deter democratization. The Internet, as a tool, must be complemented by democratic deliberation to fully generate democratization.