Weighing private preferences in public sector safety decisions: some reflections on the practical application of the willingness-to-pay approach

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 122-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
MICHAEL JONES-LEE ◽  
TERJE AVEN
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Practical Application ◽  
The Public ◽  
Expert Analysis ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Regulatory Decisions

AbstractViewed from both an ethical and practical perspective, it is clearly desirable that public sector allocative and regulatory decisions should, so far as possible, reflect the preferences of individual members of society. It is therefore hardly surprising that, in appraising proposed safety improvements, public sector bodies have displayed an increasing tendency to estimate the benefits of such improvements on the basis of values of safety defined in such a way as to reflect the preferences and attitudes to safety of individual members of the public. However, given the technical complexity of many public sector safety decisions, it is also necessary to rely on expert analysis and informed judgement in reaching such decisions, so that preference-based values of safety should be regarded as being only one input to the decision-making process. In addition, the definition and estimation of the values themselves raise a number of practical and ethical questions. The purpose of this paper is to consider the role that preference-based values of safety can realistically be expected to play in these decision-making processes, given these difficulties and limitations.

Framing Information Technology Governance in the Public Sector: Opportunities and Challenges

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 89-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khalifa Al-Farsi ◽  
Ramzi EL Haddadeh
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
It Governance ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
Technology Governance ◽  
Support Organizations ◽  
Information Technology Governance ◽  
Decision Making Processes

Information technology governance is considered one of the innovative practices that can provide support for decision-makers. Interestingly, it has become increasingly a de facto for organizations in seeking to optimise their performance. In principle, information technology governance has emerged to support organizations in the integration of information technology (IT) infrastructures and the delivery of high-quality services. On the other hand, decision-making processes in public sector organisations can be multi-faceted and complex, and decision makers play an important role in implementing technology in the public sector. The aim of this paper is to shed some light on current opportunities and challenges that IT governance is experiencing in the context of public sector services. In this respect, this paper examines the factors influencing the decision-making process to fully appreciate IT governance. Furthermore, this study focuses on combining institutional and individual perspectives to explain how individuals can take decisions in response to institutional influences.

scholarly journals Service outsourcing decisions – a process framework

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-194
Author(s):  
Suvituulia Taponen ◽  
Katri Kauppi
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Cost Analysis ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Market Analysis ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Service Outsourcing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Sector Organizations

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to compare service outsourcing decisions between public and private organizations and against a theoretical decision-making framework to both understand differences across the sectors and to provide an outsourcing framework more suitable specifically for outsourcing (and for the public sector). Design/methodology/approach Multiple case studies, i.e. a study of phenomena (here outsourcing process) at various sites is used as an approach. Findings Findings indicate that public sector organizations are trailing behind private sector organizations in how the decision-making process is conducted and resourced. The authors suggest regular evaluation of service functions internally as a starting point for the outsourcing service decision-making process. Additionally, the market analysis should be done prior to cost analysis and benchmarking as the availability of suppliers more qualified than the internal process defines the make or buy decision. Research limitations/implications The newly developed framework based on empirical evidence includes the following phases: regular evaluation of service functions, market analysis, cost analysis and benchmarking and evaluating relevant service activities. Applying the framework improves the efficient delivery of outsourced public services and brings public sector outsourcing closer to the professionalism currently present in the private sector. Originality/value Choosing between in-house and outsourced service delivery is a fundamental decision in both private and public sector organizations. Previous outsourcing research has mostly focused on the private sector, with limited focus on the public sector’s outsourcing processes, yet understanding of the service outsourcing process is important in ensuring organizational competitiveness and cost efficiency.

Economic Decision-Making in Private Corporations Versus Public Sector

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-98
Author(s):  
Brian J. Galli
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Private Firms ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Economic Decision ◽  
The Public ◽  
Economic Decisions ◽  
Economic Decision Making ◽  
Decision Making Processes

This research takes a comparative analysis approach to study the process of economic decision-making within the private sector and the public sector. There are four main research objectives that guided this article. First, it aims to identify the different kinds of decision-making methods. Second, this article analyzes the economic decision-making processes that stakeholders have to make in public and private firms. Third, this r seeks to illustrate that establish effective decision-making and financial performance relate. Lastly, the article will offer effective economic decision-making procedures in private and public organizations, so as to make recommendations and to guide these businesses. To do so, there is a literature review in this research to find the best economic decision-making processes. Data collection tools were created in reference to the literature review that directed the structuring of the variables, and the study based the quantitative analysis on the adopted descriptive methodology. The sample was comprised of 100 respondents from China, and since 95% responded, that was a total of 95 responses. Based on the formulated study hypothesis and the research objectives, the collected data was examined for descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. In general, the findings showed that cost-benefit analysis was the favored economic evaluation method, and the respondents specified that they their internal and external economic decisions directly influence the company's operations. When focusing on how organizational performance is affected by effective economic decisions, the findings established that there was a key component for a better economic analysis outcome in the public and private firms: accounting information. Additionally, evaluating the number of processes in public and private firms led to findings that revealed the following: every decision in the public sector requires many approvals. These approvals greatly hinder economic decisions and decision-making. Social, cultural, and environmental aspects influence the decision process significantly, so they must be addressed immediately.

scholarly journals Association of the implementation, use and appropriation of information technologies with decision making in the public sector: An exploration of the case of the mayoralty in Bucaramanga, Colombia

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-118
Author(s):  
H. Gélvez Díaz ◽  
J. F Reyes-Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
The Public ◽  
Gradual Process ◽  
The City ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Natural Way ◽  
Second Use

This investigation explores the association between the implementation, use and appropriation of information technologies in the decision making process in the public sector. The study adopted a quantitative approach with data collected from the application of a questionnaire to 294 employees at the mayoralty of the city of Bucaramanga, Colombia. Results show that understanding information technologies as part of a structured and gradual process can positively influence those who make decisions, facilitating and speeding up their work. The above requires three previous steps: first, to carry out implementations of information technologies in accordance with strategic planning; second, use those implemented technologies in a prolonged way over time; and third, appropriate such technologies to the point where its advantages are taken grasped of in a natural way to obtain effective results in the development of work activities. The practical implications of the influence of information technologies in decision- making in the public sector are to facilitate and expedite the decision-making process of workers who decide, through the implementation of approval channels, the availability and security of information, the historical evidence and the prioritization of resources.

scholarly journals The Double Side of Artificial Intelligence in the Public Sector

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-165
Author(s):  
Isabella Alberti
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Public Servants ◽  
Legal Rules ◽  
The Public ◽  
Italian Case ◽  
Rules And Principles ◽  
The One

The introduction of artificial intelligence in the public sector seems to be both a positive and negative development. On the one hand, artificial intelligence could improve the efficiency of public bodies due to the acceleration of the decision-making process, especially for repetitive procedures to free up public servants. Big data analysis, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things applied to the public sector could allow the reshaping of public service delivery. This is so, on the one hand, because data becomes a ‘piece of reality’ and, therefore, the aggregate analysis of data gives a realistic and objective picture of the current society. On the other hand, some concerns arise when artificial intelligence dissociates civil servants from the recipients of their services or affects the rights of these recipients. Scholars are called upon to reflect on the nature of artificial intelligence to overcome obstacles related to the ‘black box’ nature of its functioning and to better implement it in the public sector field. Legal rules and principles in the administrative decision-making process play a crucial role as they risk hindering the development of artificial intelligence in the public sector, as the Italian case-law highlights.

scholarly journals How the state legitimizes national development projects: The Third Development Axis case study, Slovenia

2021 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-121
Author(s):  
Maruša Goluža ◽  
Maruška Šubic-Kovač ◽  
Drago Kos ◽  
David Bole
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
National Development ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Third ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Democratic Principles ◽  
Output Legitimacy

We analyzed planning mechanisms and evaluated their performance in achieving legitimacy in infrastructure planning in Slovenia. Planning mechanisms were divided according to the concept of input, throughput and output legitimacy. We conducted a document analysis and interviews to assess their effectiveness in achieving legitimate decisions. Although the analyzed decision-making process declaratively promoted democratic principles, the mechanisms failed to satisfactorily enhance the legitimacy of decisions. The study revealed inadequate communication approaches, both in the decision-makers' relationship with the public and within the expert discourse. Accordingly, the study argues for more genuine communication with the public and within academia to address legitimacy challenges in increasingly conflictual decision-making processes.

Developing a Drug Testing Policy at a Public University: Participant Perspectives

2001 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 467-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen O. Griffin ◽  
Adrienne Keller ◽  
Alan Cohn
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Constitutional Law ◽  
Drug Testing ◽  
Public University ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
The Public ◽  
Hard Data ◽  
The Past ◽  
Participant Perspectives

Employee drug testing has been around for more than 30 years. The practice was embraced by private employers early on and is now widespread, particularly among larger companies. The development of drug testing programs in the public sector, however, has been slower and more deliberate due to constitutional law constraints, and perhaps also to a more democratic, convoluted decision-making process. Intensity of interest in drug testing has long subsided with respect to the literature; there are, nevertheless, compelling reasons to revisit this issue. Much of the past literature focuses on drug testing in the private sector, and where public-sector issues were broached (primarily from the legal/constitutional perspective), many have not been resolved. Moreover, many issues confronted by public policymakers have not been identified or adequately discussed. Also, most treatment in the literature has been academic and explicit, whereas analysis in this article is more anecdotal and implicit. Increasingly, policymakers are finding value in qualitative analysis of this type of data, as such analysis fills in gaps and guides utilization of the more explicit data. This is especially true of policymakers in the public sector who are keenly aware that decision making in this arena is often a politically- or socially-sensitive process, and that the hard data alone is insufficient to assist them.

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