scholarly journals African bureaucracy and public administration: Analysing the normative impediments and prospects

Author(s):  
Chinyeake J. Igbokwe-Ibeto

Background: Public perception of bureaucracy and public administration is key to determining how much they can accomplish in a given environment. The pejorative view of bureaucrats and public administrators is not restricted to Africa. Although they are sometimes seen as one and the same, analytically they can be divorced.Aim: Within the framework of system theory, this article analysed the interface between African bureaucracy and public administration with the aim of identifying its impediments and prospects.Setting: Relevant sources of this research were fairly and professionally scrutinised, understood and tested with the available literature for the research purpose. Inter alia, it included scan-reading, comprehensive and critical reading and writing down ideas. Authoritative scholarly sources were reviewed during a desktop study. The purpose was to identify the relevant publications and apply them in the research.Methods: This article utilised qualitative research design and descriptive methods to gain an insight into the nature and character of African bureaucracy and public administration. It is also exploratory because the article attempts to explore the nexus between African bureaucracy and public administration.Result: This article argues that African bureaucracy is losing its potency and ability to give intellectual leadership to public administrators. Bureaucrats in the field rely too much on discretion that often does not sit well with the people and result in poor service delivery.Conclusion: It therefore concludes that the poor state of affairs in African bureaucracy could change if the bureaucracy opens up to administrative reforms, particularly those that add value to their activities and actions. In this era of globalisation, international best practices should be domesticated.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Durst ◽  
Mariano Martin Genaro Palacios Acuache ◽  
Guido Bruns

Purpose Crises of any type have become an integral part of business activity and responses to them could make the difference between survival and failure. This applies in particular to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Taking the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as a starting point, this study aims to investigate how Peruvian SMEs have been coping with COVID-19 so far. Based on that a conceptual framework is proposed which highlights the practice of SMEs trying to deal with a new type of crisis. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on an exploratory qualitative research design involving 25 semi-structured interviews conducted in Peruvian SMEs. Findings The findings demonstrate how the Peruvian firms studied to adapt to the new situation and initiate responses to increasing the chance of survival. Furthermore, the role of the companies’ decision-makers, as well as the role of crisis management and other related approaches in the companies are shown. Research limitations/implications The paper expands the underdeveloped body of knowledge regarding crisis management in Latin America in general and crisis management in SMEs by providing insight into how Peruvian SMEs perceive and adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic. Practical implications The findings presented in this paper have implications for both managers and managerial staff of SMEs but also for the people in charge of the curricula at universities and other teaching-focused institutes. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first empirical study of crisis management on the impacts of COVID-19 with a dedicated focus on SMEs from Latin America. It provides fresh insight into current reactions to the Pandemic.


Author(s):  
Amara Saad Chandoul, Widad Ali Zughir

In this paper, the researcher stresses that the crisis of Corona, which the world has gone through and is still primarily a crisis of awareness in providing priorities. This predicts the emergence of serious economic and social problems that may afflict existing societies and systems, or arrange them in a worse way, as the foundations of justice in the world are broken. The researcher notes that the world around the pandemic is divided into three parts : The first part, whoever claims to be a true pandemic is a caution, and they are in two directions : The first one is for whoever thinks that the pandemic is natural and requires cooperation in finding a solution and complying with the provisions of the World Health Organization. The second concern whoever goes on to say that the pandemic is an effective act, and he has all the information about it and has to disclose and stop spreading it to protect humanity. The second part cover people who deny the seriousness of the pandemic and that it is just a conspiracy in preparation for the adoption of a new political system that rules the world, increases the servitude of the people and oppresses the poor, and they are in two directions: The first one, concern people who deny the existence of such a virus in the first place. The second, includes who acknowledges his existence and excludes his danger. The third part, is the part of persons holding that the existence of a pandemic or does not matter as much as it matters how to deal with it and with similar counterparts that are not literally dangerous to it, and the originality of their duty is to seek the assistance of the qualified and specialized, to provide the most important on the important and to present alternatives that prove sustainability as possible and possible. This is because the boasting of building hospitals in a short period was not accompanied by building laboratories to eradicate such a scourge and others that we live in and may be experienced by humanity in the future. The research concluded that it is necessary to not look into the existence or absence of the pandemic, but rather to look at how to deal with it and overcome it and its counterparts, without stopping people's lives or political exploitation of the crisis. It deals also to be careful in order that fear does not dominate us at the point of illusion, and to look with insight into what can carry conspiracy. The researcher adopted the inductive approach, by tracking people's opinions about COVID-19. The research also dealt with the descriptive approach, in presenting these opinions, in analyzing and clarifying their evidence, clarifying what is in, and discussing it.


Author(s):  
Maria Brons ◽  
Harry Knoors ◽  
Marc Marschark

This concluding chapter pulls together the threads that run through this wide-ranging volume. It first addresses the notion of learning through exchange of knowledge. It then considers the practices and policies in educating deaf and hard-of-hearing learners in the countries represented by chapters of this volume. Each of these chapters provides the reader with insight into the state of affairs of deaf education in a country as seen and experienced by individuals actually working in that country. What are the commonalities? What are the differences? What can we learn from best practices? The chapter concludes by assessing the major challenges facing deaf education in countries “beyond the Western world” and looks ahead to the prospects for future development and research in the context of recently adopted international legal frameworks.


Author(s):  
Mukund Deshpande

Globalization has been the ensuing source of multiple opportunities and concerns as well for the Management Institutions as they cross through twenty first century. They face diverse challenges in their operations, students' liking or behaviour and the business environment. MBA programmes, for many years, enjoyed reputation and growing prestige in the business world. Today, however MBA programmes face strong disapproval for deteriorating to pass-on useful skills that are incapable to prepare leaders and unable to inculcate norms of ethical conduct and even weak to lead graduates to good corporate jobs. The state of affairs has made these Institutions indispensable to relook for instant actions to bring them back to same respect they enjoyed. Insight into the aforesaid concerns reveals a ‘Bi-lateral' instrument that has superior utilitarian and balancing character, coupled with ‘Tri-dimensional' feature of framing the policy, delivers highly effective results to best practices, for managing the Institutions to regaining global leadership.


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J Mallinson

Public administrators are deeply affected by the global crisis in public finances. As public sector revenues remain weak and demand increases for spending and debt reduction, as well as tax reform, the newest cadre of public administration students must learn how to face the challenge of substantial uncertainty in public finances, regardless of whether they serve at the national, regional, or local level. Simulations offer an effective and powerful tool within a safe classroom environment for teaching students about the process and challenges of public budgeting. This article examines two free web-based simulations that can be quickly incorporated into an introductory public administration course. It further addresses differences in using the simulations as role-thinking or role-playing exercises. Observations from students and the instructor provide insight into the advantages and disadvantages of isolated role-thinking versus collaborative role-playing. The procedures included can be adapted for any online budgeting simulation without requiring the instructor to create a great deal of content on their own.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 23-38
Author(s):  
Daniel Hummel

A small but growing area of public administration scholarship appreciates the influence of religious values on various aspects of government. This appreciation parallels a growing interest in comparative public administration and indigenized forms of government which recognizes the role of culture in different approaches to government. This article is at the crossroads of these two trends while also considering a very salient region, the Islamic world. The Islamic world is uniquely religious, which makes this discussion even more relevant, as the nations that represent them strive towards legitimacy and stability. The history and core values of Islam need to be considered as they pertain to systems of government that are widely accepted by the people. In essence, this is being done in many countries across the Islamic world, providing fertile grounds for public administration research from a comparative perspective. This paper explores these possibilities for future research on this topic.


2019 ◽  
pp. 169
Author(s):  
Nadiia Maksimentseva

Laws and regulations backing and governing public administration in subsoil use and protection in Ukraine is gradually gaining priority and importance given incoming energy security and resource self-sufficiency risks alerts for the State as one of the warrants for political and economic independence and guarantees for the people of Ukraine to enjoy and plenipotentiary implement its propitiatory rights set forth in the Constitution of Ukraine with regard to natural resources and benefits that constitute the genuine wealth of the nation. The article is written with the application of inductive reasoning and performance of various research methods, such as case studies, phenomenological study with some focus on nature and source of laws and administrative functions, grounded theory study; also a deep comparative analysis of domestic and overseas legal patterns is carried out. The article is devoted to the research of problems with regard to public administration in the field of subsoil use and protection in Ukraine. The author emphasizes that determination of public administration in the field of subsoil use and protection is a form of public managerial activities of public administration authorities (state authorities, local self-government bodies, self-governing public organizations with the respective competence). It is suggested that these activities are aimed at implementation of the policies in the field of geological exploration of mineral resources, mineral extraction, construction of underground and terrestrial facilities not related to the extraction of minerals, subsoil and environmental protection and they are based on the principles of interaction between subject and object of public administration, discretion, mutual responsibility, self-governance and decentralization when public services are provided. Also, the article presents many judicial practice of the European Court of Human Rights and Citizen, the Supreme Court in the field of public administration in the field of subsoil use and protection. In concluding notes amendments to Subsoil Code of Ukraine, methodology for calculating the initial selling price for the sale of special permit, selection procedures for open special permit tender bid winners and responsibility for subsoil use abandonment costs are suggested by the author.


2019 ◽  
Vol 66 ◽  
pp. 260-275
Author(s):  
Victor V.  Aksyuchits

In the article the author studies the formation process of Russian intelligentsia analyzing its «birth marks», such as nihilism, estrangement from native soil, West orientation, infatuation with radical political ideas, Russophobia. The author examines the causes of political radicalization of Russian intelligentsia that grew swiftly at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries and played an important role in the Russian revolution of 1917.


Public Voices ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lyn Holley ◽  
Rebecca K Lutte

This paper briefly summarizes evidence for the influence of popular films on public perception of government and on public policy.  Two films examined through the lens of public administration, and the lessons they teach about public administration, are exposed.  One film, Ghostbusters conveys a strongly negative image, and the other, A Thousand Heroes a strongly positive message.  Only Ghostbusters was and remains popular and profitable.  Public information efforts by government and the public administration community have been limited or reactive.  The authors argue for the increased support for public information initiatives such as those of the Public Employees Roundtable (PER) and  the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA).


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