Lay Juries, Professional Arbitrators, and the Arbitrator Selection Hypothesis

Do civil juries follow the broad dictates of the law? For example,do those plaintiffs who suffer greater damages receive greaterawards? Are juries consistent? Do juries empty deep pockets?In many states automobile accidents are first tried by a professionalarbitrator and then by a jury if one of the litigants is dissatisfiedwith the outcome. How do the decisions made by professionalarbitrators compare to the decisions made by juries? This articleseeks to answer these questions by first developing a modelof arbitrator selection and then undertaking an empirical studyof 380 automobile accident cases that went through both an arbitrationand a jury trial.     

"Our Usable Past": A Historical Contextual Approach to Administrative Values

In responding to Professor Lynn's criticism that the field of public administration has been insufficiently attentive to law, this article offers an alternative perspective on the source of administrative legitimacy. Leonard White understood that public administration is shaped by its broader context. It does not assert its own values but, in an effort to maintain legitimacy, reflects the political and cultural values of its environment. In White's time, the extraordinary challenges that the state faced, and its subsequent transformation, demanded a management capacity that previously had not existed. While the role of law as a formal means of control is generally accepted, it must take its place with management and other administrative values in the exercise of legal discretionary behavior. Asserting law, or any other single administrative value, as dominant undercuts other values that act as sources of legitimacy.     

How Do Public Organizations Learn? Bridging Cultural and Structural Perspectives

How do public organizations learn? The organizational learning literature suggests distinct cultural and structural routes to learning. However, such categorizations oversimplify. Leaders seeking to foster learning should recognize that most relevant organizational variables combine structural and cultural aspects, which are mutually dependent on one another. The strongest influences are the existence of work groups that are purpose driven and incorporate the views of all members, including dissenting views. Such learning forums can be fostered through formal requirements, but they need appropriate cultural characteristics to succeed. Mission orientation, decision authority, information systems, and resource adequacy are also positively related to improved organizational learning.     

La gouvernance des sociétés d‘État au gouvernement fédéral: un bilan

Sommaire: Les sociétiés d'État ont pu s'inspirer des efforts entrepris récemment par les entreprises du secteur privé dans le but de renforcer leur gouvernance. Toutefois, ces deux secteurs présentent des différences importantes, qui sont examinées dans le présent article. En comparaison des entreprises priviées, les sociétés d'État doivent appliquer un processus de reddition de comptes plus complexe comportant un nombre beaucoup plus important de centres de décisions et de consultation. Des praticiens et des groupes de réflexion ont produit récemment d'importants documents sur la gouvernance des entreprises publiques, qui proposent des idées et recommandations sur la façon de renforcer la régie des sociétés d'État. Cet article fait état de ces travaux. En 1996, le gouvernement du Canada a produit des Lignes directrices sur la régie des sociétés d'État et autres entreprises.Nous examinons en détail le contenu de ces orientations et la réponse des sociétés d'État à leur égard. Nous avons envoyéà tous les présidents et premiers dirigeants des sociétés d'État fédérales un questionnaire sur les récents changements apportés à leur mode de régie. Le sondage a révélé qu'un bon nombre de sociétés d'État ont apporte des changements importants qui sont exposés dans l'étude. Quelques‐uns de ces changements sont tout aussi ambiticux et profonds que les transformations apportées à la régie des sociétés privées. Enfin, l'auteur conclut son article en formulant diverses observations et suggestions sur la façon de renforcer la gouvernance des sociétés d'État. Abstract: Governance has recently become a priority in federal Crown corporations. Crown corporations have been able to borrow from recent private‐sector efforts to strengthen their governance practices. Still, there are important differences between the two sectors and this article reports on them. Crown corporations have to deal with a more complex accountability process and with many more decision‐making and consultation centres than do private firms. There have been a number of important documents on corporate governance in public enterprises produced recently by practitioners and think‐tanks that provide insights and recommendations on how to strengthen governance in Crown corporations. The Government of Canada issued in 1996 guidelines, “Corporate Governance in Crown Corporations and Other Public Enterprises.” This article reports in some detail on the contents of these guidelines and how Crown corporations have responded to them. A questionnaire was sent to all the chairs and president‐csos of federal Crown corporations asking them to report on recent changes in their governance approach. The survey revealed that there are a number of Crown corporations that have introduced important changes to their governance practices. This article reports on these changes. Some of the changes are as ambitious and as sweeping as any corporate governance changes introduced by private firms. The article concludes with a number of observations and suggestions on how to strengthen further corporate governance in federal Crown corporations.