Showing papers in "The Asian Journal of Public Administration in 2002"
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss New Public Management and Governance as alternatives to the more conventional ideas of administration in the public sector, and assess these alternatives as means of providing effective and accountable management in government.
Abstract: The traditional model of the public sector has been under attack from a number of different directions. The alternatives to the traditional model are usually discussed under the single rubric of “managerialism ”, but there are actually several alternatives being addressed. Using a set of variables, this article discusses New Public Management and Governance as alternatives to the more conventional ideas of administration in the public sector. These alternatives, and the conventional model, are assessed as means of providing effective and accountable management in government.
54 citations
TL;DR: This article reviewed the history of public sector reforms in Sri Lanka and examined Sri Lanka's recent experiments with NPM, focusing on their level of understanding of NPM and the extent of implementation, impact on the relationship between bureaucrats and politicians, and related issues for Sri Lanka.
Abstract: This article reviews the history of public sector reforms in Sri Lanka and examines Sri Lanka’s recent experiments with NPM. Interviews with ministers, former ministers and senior bureaucrats focused on their level of understanding of NPM, the extent of implementation, the impact on the relationship between bureaucrats and politicians, and related issues for Sri Lanka. The evidence shows that some elements of NPM are already apparent in Sri Lanka and further elements are likely to be adopted. These reforms will demand new skills and attitudes on the part of both bureaucrats and politicians. New initiatives to improve transparency in public sector management need to be developed and implemented, but it is questionable whether the necessary political commitment exists for such reforms.
42 citations
TL;DR: The authors examines the bewildering array of reforms of the Malaysian public sector launched since the 1980s under the heading of Excellent Work Culture and argues that these reforms should be seen as a specific Malaysian neoliberal problematic of government seeking to recast norms of bureaucratic self-conduct so as to make way for an ethos of responsiveness informed by Malaysian values.
Abstract: This article examines the bewildering array of reforms of the Malaysian public sector launched since the 1980s under the heading of Excellent Work Culture. Taking as the point of departure Michel Foucault’s analytics of government and ethics, it is argued that these reforms should be seen as a specific Malaysian neoliberal problematic of government seeking to recast norms of bureaucratic self-conduct so as to make way for an ethos of responsiveness informed by Malaysian values.
19 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the agenda-setting process for the regulation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Hong Kong, the first such policy in 150 years of colonial rule, was studied.
Abstract: This article is a study of the agenda-setting process for the regulation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Hong Kong, the first such policy in 150 years of colonial rule. Kingdon’s streams model is used as the tool of analysis. Data were collected from interviews with key individuals involved in the policy-making process. It is suggested that the political changes in the transitional period, in particular the democratisation of the Legislative Council (LegCo) and the growing influence of the Basic Law, made the Hong Kong government less autonomous in its policy-making and thus made the emergence of this new policy possible. Policy entrepreneurs were found among TCM practitioners, western-trained doctors, and government officials. A characteristic of the policy on TCM is the extent of support it received not only from its benefactors, that is, the TCM practitioners, but also from the Chinese government, the LegCo, and even some leading western-trained doctors.
8 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine the partnership arrangement between the state and the voluntary sector in the implementation or welfare programs in Singapore, as an alternative to a conventional welfare state, where the state exercises regulatory and management control over voluntary welfare organisations to ensure public accountability in the standards of care delivered.
Abstract: The article examines the partnership arrangement between the state and the voluntary sector in the implementation or welfare programmes in Singapore, as an alternative to a conventional welfare state. Under it, the voluntary sector undertakes the major responsibility for the management and delivery of welfare services on a day-to-day basis through a wide range of voluntary welfare organisations. It also is an important source of funding for welfare programmes For its part, the state provides funding for such programmes directly from the budget, and manages and allocates a significant portion of the funding raised by voluntary means. Furthermore, it supplies other resource inputs and assistance necessary for welfare services, such as training, premises, and exemption from certain charges and taxes. In return for being a facilitator and provider, the state exercises regulatory and management control over voluntary welfare organisations to ensure public accountability in the standards of care delivered. The ...
8 citations
TL;DR: Although the SAR government claimed during the colonial days that it followed the free-market approach in managing the Macao economy, historical evidence shows that it played an active and important role in the city's economic development as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Although the Macao government claimed during the colonial days that it followed the free-market approach in managing the Macao economy, historical evidence shows that it played an active and important role in the city’s economic development A wide range of intervention strategies (including industrial regulation, immigration and labour policies, partnerships with businesses, and diplomatic ties with European countries) were employed by the government to stimulate and shape Macao’s economic growth, especially in the gambling and tourism sector After Macao’s reunification with China in 1999, the SAR government was faced with the challenges of economic restructuring and China’s WTO accession In response, it has stepped up its intervention, including using fiscal policies, strategic industrial liberalisation, and public investment in upgrading economic infrastructure and human capital, to steer the Macao economy towards the next stage of development
7 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the Hong Kong Police Force embarked on a project to revise the vision statement of the organisation and the competency-based performance management system (PMS) at the individual level.
Abstract: The question of how employee performance can be improved has intrigued both academics and practitioners for many years. Management theorists have come a long way through trial-and-error from performance appraisal and performance management to a competency-based performance management system (PMS) in an attempt to better manage the performance of employees. Despite the popularity and prevalence of the competency-based PMS in recent years, it has neglected the essential “moral” issue in the subject matter and thereby resulted in a flawed system of performance management. This moral element is particularly important in the field of policing because of the extensive authority conferred on police officers. Only by incorporating organisational values into the competency-based PMS will employees truly “live” those values and ensure an appropriate alignment between the vision statement of the organisation and the PMS at the individual level. Accordingly, the Hong Kong Police Force embarked on a project to revise ...
6 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors suggest the following answer: institutionalisation involving the multiplication and enforcement of transparent rules of the global society game Needed are more economic, environmental and political rules, as well as stronger enforcement of these rules especially by judicial means.
Abstract: Globalisation is a major process of change involving the creation of one global market economy with the promise of higher outputs and larger incomes This process puts immense pressure on the environment of the earth with the risk of a severe degradation of nature It also creates dependencies among the nearly 200 states of the world Thus, a problem emerges: how to enhance state coordination, that is, how can governments cooperate to promote mutually beneficial outcomes without reneging? This article suggests the following answer, institutionalisation involving the multiplication and enforcement of transparent rules of the global society game Needed are more economic, environmental and political rules, as well as stronger enforcement of these rules especially by judicial means
4 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyzed the on-going tension and struggle involving an internet-based anti-bus television civic group, bus companies, and the Transport Department, and revealed an interesting civic movement conducted mostly in cyberspace among an educated and computer-literate group of middle-class citizens in Hong Kong.
Abstract: Multi-media advertising on buses in Hong Kong started in late 2000 This article analyses the on-going tension and struggle involving an internet-based anti-bus television civic group, bus companies, and the Transport Department. The case study sheds light on the power relations between the state and the market and between the state and civil society. The Transport Department’s close relationship with bus companies has probably hampered its regulatory role. Its inability to engage civic groups in charting policy directions weakens the latter’s “participation” role in interacting with the government and its “lobbying” role in checking capitalist activities within the business sector. The case study also reveals an interesting civic movement conducted mostly in cyberspace among an educated and computer-literate group of middle-class citizens in Hong Kong.
2 citations
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TL;DR: The tax reforms of recent years in India are based on Chelliah's recommendations of simple broad-based taxes with a moderate and limited number of rates, which has not only increased revenue collection but also accelerated economic growth as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The tax reforms of recent years in India are based on Chelliah’s recommendations of simple broad-based taxes with a moderate and limited number of rates. The reduction in direct tax rates in the economy has not only increased revenue collection but also accelerated economic growth. This article aims to investigate the effect of India’s tax policy on private capital formation. A time series analysis of data for the economy for the period 1950–51 to 1994–95 reveals that a one percent increase in the direct tax ratio has led to a reduction of 0.12 percent in the ratio of private capital formation to GDP. The article also examines whether there is any gain in opting for an expenditure tax to promote savings and capital formation in the economy. The major problem facing the Indian direct tax system is evasion of income taxes. The article concludes that an expenditure tax is a powerful tool to combat evasion
2 citations
TL;DR: This paper argued that the perception of unidirectional processes is based not on the privatisation cube itself but rather on the individualised interpretation of the concept of privatisation in the proposed model.
Abstract: This article is in response to the critique by Roger Wettenhall regarding the narrowness of conception and unidirectional processes of my proposed privatisation cube. The article attempts to highlight and elucidate the nature of generic types in a typology. It further proposes that the perception of unidirectional processes is based not on the privatisation cube itself but rather on the individualised interpretation of the concept of privatisation in the proposed model.
TL;DR: In this paper, water management initiatives regarding two catchments are compared, viz. the Rhine and the Pearl River, focusing on catchment characteristics, perceived issues, and relevant legal and administrative instruments.
Abstract: People cannot survive if they manage their water incorrectly. All over the world countries have undertaken management initiatives, both at the national and the international levels. In this article water management initiatives regarding two catchments are compared, viz. the Rhine and the Pearl River. Both catchments are roughly similar in size and in the number of inhabitants, though differences do exist. The analysis focuses on catchment characteristics, perceived issues, and relevant legal and administrative instruments. It also covers the question of the effectiveness of the initiatives to-date. In the conclusion, attention is paid to factors thai can contribute to a more integrated water resources management scheme.