Innovation provides opportunities to all countries,as advancement in technology and globalization of economic markets encourage global competition and increase the role of governments in gaining a strategic competitiv...Innovation provides opportunities to all countries,as advancement in technology and globalization of economic markets encourage global competition and increase the role of governments in gaining a strategic competitive advantage while boosting economic growth and productivity.According to the OECD,innovation can make a difference in addressing developmental challenges and providing catalyst for countries to accelerate business processes and practices that improve public service efficiency.The public sector plays a significant role in modern economies and innovation is a necessary condition for improving government services to the public and creating a competitive economy.Israel is known as the“start-up nation”,but innovation policies and strategies relating to the public sector are less developed than those of business innovation due to lack of innovation culture,digital divide,and bureaucracy.The research examines innovation in the public sector in Israel compared to other OECD countries.It is argued that despite the enormous influence of high-tech and start-ups on the economy and gross of national product,the flourishing technology sector has not contributed to other sectors of the economy and the performance of the public service lags behind the private sector in terms of innovation and efficiency.The research concludes that implementing Israel’s success in business innovation into the public sector requires long-run strategic investments and public policies to increase the supply and quality of human capital and infrastructure.The goal should be to narrow digital divide with other developed countries and advance the technological capabilities and productivity of the public service.展开更多
Introduction: The use of foods containing high levels of sugar is increasing all the time. This is a risk factor for increased incidence of type 2 diabetes. There are few studies that have investigated the availabilit...Introduction: The use of foods containing high levels of sugar is increasing all the time. This is a risk factor for increased incidence of type 2 diabetes. There are few studies that have investigated the availability of low-sugar müsli products in grocery stores. Purpose: The study aims to identify which types of müsli contain high respectively low levels of sugar, and which brands are involved. Methods: The material consists of both qualitative interviews and observations from five grocery stores: City Gross, Hemköp, Ica Maxi, Stora Coop and Willy’s in Helsingborg, Sweden. The qualitative interviews had a semi-structured character and were recorded. The interviews took approx. 20 minutes and a textual analysis was conducted of the results. Data from observation was analyzed based on brand, nutritional composition and flavors, and also, where low sugar products were placed on store shelves. Results: The grocery stores provided together brands from AXA, Coop, Finax, Frebaco, Garant, ICA, Risenta, Saltå Kvarn och Urtekram, in total 24 müsli products. Of these products, 19 were high in sugar. The observation reveals that müsli products with high sugar content (17 - 29 g per 100 g müsli) are more prominently displayed than those with low sugar content. From the interviews with the store managers, it became clear that it would be valuable to highlight healthy müsli products on the shelves. However, central bureaucracy puts obstacles to such measures. Discussion: The study emphasizes the need for increased visibility of low-sugar products and proposes solutions such as negotiating with responsible person at the head office in Stockholm. Several reviews have shown that if the grocery store raises the prices of unhealthy food, the consumer is willing to purchase healthier müsli and other products. Conclusion: This study shows the need for grocery stores to upgrade healthy müsli products along with advertising to be able to influence customer’s shopping habits. Also, further research is needed how type 2 diabetes is affected by high intakes of food products with high sugar content.展开更多
This article introduces the “communications liaison”(titang guan)——an official category little acknowledged in past scholarship on the late imperial Chinese state.Communications liaisons stationed at garrisons and...This article introduces the “communications liaison”(titang guan)——an official category little acknowledged in past scholarship on the late imperial Chinese state.Communications liaisons stationed at garrisons and administrative seats compiled intelligence and news reports for supervising officials in distant locations.In Beijing,capital liaisons compiled documents into court gazettes and supervised the distribution of documents,seals of office,and imperial gifts to the provinces.Besides these responsibilities,capital liaisons acquired reputations for following personal and patronage agendas that undermined the integrity of the bureaucratic state.Longstanding financial and administrative in consistencies within the Qing bureaucracy induced liaisons to misbehave.Still,characterizations of liaison malfeasance transformed over the course of the dynasty due to institutional developments including the implementation of new communications systems,the standardization of provincial administrations,and the expansion of office sales.Whereas liaisons in the early and mid-Qing periods were parties to political exchanges among the bureaucratic elite,by the dynasty's waning years,liaisons provided services for the larger population of bureaucratic personnel.The liaisons' transfbnnation from spies into postmen,as seen through the eyes of official critics,offers an opportunity to evaluate the impact of major changes in the Qing bureaucracy upon some of its least known officeholders.展开更多
The field of Early China studies is sometimes faulted for being arcane.But here for once is a book that addresses an issue of obvious relevance to our world:the roots of Chinese bureaucracy.Li Feng plumbs the bronze i...The field of Early China studies is sometimes faulted for being arcane.But here for once is a book that addresses an issue of obvious relevance to our world:the roots of Chinese bureaucracy.Li Feng plumbs the bronze inscriptions of the Western Zhou period for information on govemment officeholders and their activities,and he presents a complex and largely plausible reconstruction of the operation of the royal administration.展开更多
Organisational Climate (OC) has been an important topic of research in Organisational Development. There are several frameworks and approaches to study OC. One such framework focuses on the effect of OC on motivation....Organisational Climate (OC) has been an important topic of research in Organisational Development. There are several frameworks and approaches to study OC. One such framework focuses on the effect of OC on motivation. Although studying OC from viewpoint of motivetion is an important one, there is very limited research in Indian public health system on assessing OC from the view point of motivation. The present study uses a comprehensive framework that focuses on assessing OC from the view point of motivation in a government district hospital. The overall objective of the study was to assess the OC of a District Hospital (DH) from the view point of motivation. A total of 66 staff (all from the same district hospital) participated in the study that included 12 Class I doctor specialists;14 Class II doctors and 40 Class III staff The data was collected using a validated instrument called Motivational Analysis of Climate (MAO-C). The instrument included six needs or motives and twelve dimensions of organisational climate that were ranked by individuals according to their perception. Based on the ranks, final scores were calculated that reflected the dominant climate (highest score for a particular motive) and backup climates (second highest score for a particular motive). Also a combination of the two motives, dominant and back up motives or climates indicated a particular OC. According to the study, the dominant climate in the organisation was that for Dependency motive while the backup climate for the organisation was for Control motive. According to the literature, both Dependency and Control motives are dysfunctional climates. A high dependency motive indicates that the overall organisational climate is characterized by no initiatives by the people and the employees always look for approval from their seniors;assistance of others in developing oneself;a need to check with others who are more knowledgeable. Similarly high score for control motive indicates that order is maintained in organisation;indicates display of personal power;a desire to stay informed and an urge to monitor events and to take corrective action when needed. When the two motives are combined, the study indicates a dependency-control climate profile which means that the organisational practices are similar to government offices, where subordinates have no say in decision making and they have to follow the established rules of the organisation. Such organisations have clearly laid communication channels controlled from higher authority indicating typical characteristics of a beaurocratic organisation.展开更多
This article introduces four of the latest,high-quality papers published in China’s top journals.The first article is an in-depth discussion of"government as a platform"contributing to an emerging and timel...This article introduces four of the latest,high-quality papers published in China’s top journals.The first article is an in-depth discussion of"government as a platform"contributing to an emerging and timely discussion of digital government in the public management literature.By employing the theory of"loose coupling"from organizational institutionalism,the second study introduces a new theoretical concept,that is,a"security zone for achievement"to synthesize the seemingly contradictory propositions derived from credit claiming and blame avoidance,based on a city’s trajectory in a Smart City project.The third paper proposes a theoretical alternative,prioritizing the Party committee’s assigned tasks,to supplement the existing explanations of local governance in China as applied to water treatment in provincial China.Such a mechanism is different from the campaign-style governance model because the Party committee plays a key role in providing substantial institutional incentives.The final paper conceptualizes institutional frictions in the Chinese context and explains different spending patterns across functional expenditures at the provincial level,suggesting a local leader’s tenure may influence target selections for punctuated expenditures.The paper concludes with a brief summary.展开更多
Leon Trotsky's contribution to the Marxist position in philosophy and his role in the Russian Revolution of October 1917 had been politically maneuvered,tampered with,fabricated and covered by a muck heap of Stali...Leon Trotsky's contribution to the Marxist position in philosophy and his role in the Russian Revolution of October 1917 had been politically maneuvered,tampered with,fabricated and covered by a muck heap of Stalinist slander.By Stalinism,I am referring to the narrative which was born from the bureaucratic degeneration of the Soviet Union,after the failure of working class to consolidate and capture state power in Hungary,Germany,Italy and other western countries which was materially in an advanced position than early 20th Century Russia.It was also the political ideology which was born as a result of civil far,famine,pandemic and the invasion of the newly formed Russian worker's state by more than fifteen foreign countries with colonial objectives.Trotsky's role in creating the Red Army,which was a different to that of a standing army and supporters of Trotsky in the Left Opposition were not only vilified and charged with false accusations but violently purged.In this paper I have highlighted how Stalinism marked a revolution against the revolution of 1917 and how Trotsky continuously struggled against the bureaucratic despotism over the working class in post 1917 Russia.展开更多
Studies about Catch-22 have been numerous,but the study of the novel’s narrative device is scarcely found.Thus,the narrative device of Catch-22 is analyzed in terms of focalization,one of Gernard Genette's narrat...Studies about Catch-22 have been numerous,but the study of the novel’s narrative device is scarcely found.Thus,the narrative device of Catch-22 is analyzed in terms of focalization,one of Gernard Genette's narrative theories.The analysis exposes the hypocrisy and meaninglessness of the bureaucratic behaviors and policies and simultaneously emphasizes bureaucracy’s devastative and corrosive effect on people.展开更多
Managers'characteristics have been identified to have an influence on how they perceive innovation.This study examines the role of top managers'experience and how it influences their propensity to innovate.It ...Managers'characteristics have been identified to have an influence on how they perceive innovation.This study examines the role of top managers'experience and how it influences their propensity to innovate.It employs a logit model to analyze data from the World Bank's Enterprise Surveys,primarily from small-and medium-sized enterprises in Russia.We justify the positive effect of managers'years of experience as an influential factor of enterprises'innovativeness in developing countries.The results show that top managers'years of experience directly affect innovation.展开更多
文摘Innovation provides opportunities to all countries,as advancement in technology and globalization of economic markets encourage global competition and increase the role of governments in gaining a strategic competitive advantage while boosting economic growth and productivity.According to the OECD,innovation can make a difference in addressing developmental challenges and providing catalyst for countries to accelerate business processes and practices that improve public service efficiency.The public sector plays a significant role in modern economies and innovation is a necessary condition for improving government services to the public and creating a competitive economy.Israel is known as the“start-up nation”,but innovation policies and strategies relating to the public sector are less developed than those of business innovation due to lack of innovation culture,digital divide,and bureaucracy.The research examines innovation in the public sector in Israel compared to other OECD countries.It is argued that despite the enormous influence of high-tech and start-ups on the economy and gross of national product,the flourishing technology sector has not contributed to other sectors of the economy and the performance of the public service lags behind the private sector in terms of innovation and efficiency.The research concludes that implementing Israel’s success in business innovation into the public sector requires long-run strategic investments and public policies to increase the supply and quality of human capital and infrastructure.The goal should be to narrow digital divide with other developed countries and advance the technological capabilities and productivity of the public service.
文摘Introduction: The use of foods containing high levels of sugar is increasing all the time. This is a risk factor for increased incidence of type 2 diabetes. There are few studies that have investigated the availability of low-sugar müsli products in grocery stores. Purpose: The study aims to identify which types of müsli contain high respectively low levels of sugar, and which brands are involved. Methods: The material consists of both qualitative interviews and observations from five grocery stores: City Gross, Hemköp, Ica Maxi, Stora Coop and Willy’s in Helsingborg, Sweden. The qualitative interviews had a semi-structured character and were recorded. The interviews took approx. 20 minutes and a textual analysis was conducted of the results. Data from observation was analyzed based on brand, nutritional composition and flavors, and also, where low sugar products were placed on store shelves. Results: The grocery stores provided together brands from AXA, Coop, Finax, Frebaco, Garant, ICA, Risenta, Saltå Kvarn och Urtekram, in total 24 müsli products. Of these products, 19 were high in sugar. The observation reveals that müsli products with high sugar content (17 - 29 g per 100 g müsli) are more prominently displayed than those with low sugar content. From the interviews with the store managers, it became clear that it would be valuable to highlight healthy müsli products on the shelves. However, central bureaucracy puts obstacles to such measures. Discussion: The study emphasizes the need for increased visibility of low-sugar products and proposes solutions such as negotiating with responsible person at the head office in Stockholm. Several reviews have shown that if the grocery store raises the prices of unhealthy food, the consumer is willing to purchase healthier müsli and other products. Conclusion: This study shows the need for grocery stores to upgrade healthy müsli products along with advertising to be able to influence customer’s shopping habits. Also, further research is needed how type 2 diabetes is affected by high intakes of food products with high sugar content.
文摘This article introduces the “communications liaison”(titang guan)——an official category little acknowledged in past scholarship on the late imperial Chinese state.Communications liaisons stationed at garrisons and administrative seats compiled intelligence and news reports for supervising officials in distant locations.In Beijing,capital liaisons compiled documents into court gazettes and supervised the distribution of documents,seals of office,and imperial gifts to the provinces.Besides these responsibilities,capital liaisons acquired reputations for following personal and patronage agendas that undermined the integrity of the bureaucratic state.Longstanding financial and administrative in consistencies within the Qing bureaucracy induced liaisons to misbehave.Still,characterizations of liaison malfeasance transformed over the course of the dynasty due to institutional developments including the implementation of new communications systems,the standardization of provincial administrations,and the expansion of office sales.Whereas liaisons in the early and mid-Qing periods were parties to political exchanges among the bureaucratic elite,by the dynasty's waning years,liaisons provided services for the larger population of bureaucratic personnel.The liaisons' transfbnnation from spies into postmen,as seen through the eyes of official critics,offers an opportunity to evaluate the impact of major changes in the Qing bureaucracy upon some of its least known officeholders.
文摘The field of Early China studies is sometimes faulted for being arcane.But here for once is a book that addresses an issue of obvious relevance to our world:the roots of Chinese bureaucracy.Li Feng plumbs the bronze inscriptions of the Western Zhou period for information on govemment officeholders and their activities,and he presents a complex and largely plausible reconstruction of the operation of the royal administration.
文摘Organisational Climate (OC) has been an important topic of research in Organisational Development. There are several frameworks and approaches to study OC. One such framework focuses on the effect of OC on motivation. Although studying OC from viewpoint of motivetion is an important one, there is very limited research in Indian public health system on assessing OC from the view point of motivation. The present study uses a comprehensive framework that focuses on assessing OC from the view point of motivation in a government district hospital. The overall objective of the study was to assess the OC of a District Hospital (DH) from the view point of motivation. A total of 66 staff (all from the same district hospital) participated in the study that included 12 Class I doctor specialists;14 Class II doctors and 40 Class III staff The data was collected using a validated instrument called Motivational Analysis of Climate (MAO-C). The instrument included six needs or motives and twelve dimensions of organisational climate that were ranked by individuals according to their perception. Based on the ranks, final scores were calculated that reflected the dominant climate (highest score for a particular motive) and backup climates (second highest score for a particular motive). Also a combination of the two motives, dominant and back up motives or climates indicated a particular OC. According to the study, the dominant climate in the organisation was that for Dependency motive while the backup climate for the organisation was for Control motive. According to the literature, both Dependency and Control motives are dysfunctional climates. A high dependency motive indicates that the overall organisational climate is characterized by no initiatives by the people and the employees always look for approval from their seniors;assistance of others in developing oneself;a need to check with others who are more knowledgeable. Similarly high score for control motive indicates that order is maintained in organisation;indicates display of personal power;a desire to stay informed and an urge to monitor events and to take corrective action when needed. When the two motives are combined, the study indicates a dependency-control climate profile which means that the organisational practices are similar to government offices, where subordinates have no say in decision making and they have to follow the established rules of the organisation. Such organisations have clearly laid communication channels controlled from higher authority indicating typical characteristics of a beaurocratic organisation.
文摘This article introduces four of the latest,high-quality papers published in China’s top journals.The first article is an in-depth discussion of"government as a platform"contributing to an emerging and timely discussion of digital government in the public management literature.By employing the theory of"loose coupling"from organizational institutionalism,the second study introduces a new theoretical concept,that is,a"security zone for achievement"to synthesize the seemingly contradictory propositions derived from credit claiming and blame avoidance,based on a city’s trajectory in a Smart City project.The third paper proposes a theoretical alternative,prioritizing the Party committee’s assigned tasks,to supplement the existing explanations of local governance in China as applied to water treatment in provincial China.Such a mechanism is different from the campaign-style governance model because the Party committee plays a key role in providing substantial institutional incentives.The final paper conceptualizes institutional frictions in the Chinese context and explains different spending patterns across functional expenditures at the provincial level,suggesting a local leader’s tenure may influence target selections for punctuated expenditures.The paper concludes with a brief summary.
文摘Leon Trotsky's contribution to the Marxist position in philosophy and his role in the Russian Revolution of October 1917 had been politically maneuvered,tampered with,fabricated and covered by a muck heap of Stalinist slander.By Stalinism,I am referring to the narrative which was born from the bureaucratic degeneration of the Soviet Union,after the failure of working class to consolidate and capture state power in Hungary,Germany,Italy and other western countries which was materially in an advanced position than early 20th Century Russia.It was also the political ideology which was born as a result of civil far,famine,pandemic and the invasion of the newly formed Russian worker's state by more than fifteen foreign countries with colonial objectives.Trotsky's role in creating the Red Army,which was a different to that of a standing army and supporters of Trotsky in the Left Opposition were not only vilified and charged with false accusations but violently purged.In this paper I have highlighted how Stalinism marked a revolution against the revolution of 1917 and how Trotsky continuously struggled against the bureaucratic despotism over the working class in post 1917 Russia.
文摘Studies about Catch-22 have been numerous,but the study of the novel’s narrative device is scarcely found.Thus,the narrative device of Catch-22 is analyzed in terms of focalization,one of Gernard Genette's narrative theories.The analysis exposes the hypocrisy and meaninglessness of the bureaucratic behaviors and policies and simultaneously emphasizes bureaucracy’s devastative and corrosive effect on people.
文摘Managers'characteristics have been identified to have an influence on how they perceive innovation.This study examines the role of top managers'experience and how it influences their propensity to innovate.It employs a logit model to analyze data from the World Bank's Enterprise Surveys,primarily from small-and medium-sized enterprises in Russia.We justify the positive effect of managers'years of experience as an influential factor of enterprises'innovativeness in developing countries.The results show that top managers'years of experience directly affect innovation.
