Attitudes toward immigrants and immigration policy in Asia and the Pacific: a quantitative assessment of current theoretical models beyond western countries

This article empirically assesses the validity of current theoretical models of attitudes toward immigrants and immigration policy in the Asia-Pacific region. This paper takes representative data from the World Values Survey and implements a multilevel model to test five of the main theories in the literature: the human capital theory, the social capital theory, the political orientation theory, the contact/group threat theory and the economic competition theory. The results from the analysis lend credence to the important effects of human capital, social capital and political-ideological variables on respondents’ attitudes toward immigrants and immigration policy. However, the results provide mixed and weak evidence for the contact/group threat theory and the role of economic determinants. Importantly, economic determinants tend to be more powerful in shaping people's attitudes toward immigration policy than shaping attitudes toward immigrants as people. Altogether, this article sheds new light on the validity of current theoretical models based on western countries for other areas of the world. Finally, the results from the paper also support the usefulness of non-economic, as opposed to purely economic, models in the understanding of individuals’ attitudes toward immigrants and immigration policy in the Asia-Pacific region.     

Beyond government? The appeal of public‐private partnerships

Abstract: For the most part, the considerable literature devoted to new public management and its subset, alternative service delivery, is enthusiastic about this dramatic shift in the role of government. The metaphor of governments steering and the private sector rowing is an appealing one that has captured the imagination of many public officials and private‐sector actors. Literature addressing this phenomenon tends to focus on defining the characteristics of various forms of government/private‐sector partnerships rather than on assessing the implications and results of actual examples. This paper attempts to complement the existing literature by examining six cases of public‐private partnerships, of both high and low profile ‐ the Confederation Bridge; the Charleswood Bridge; canarie ; rcmp /Disney; Highway 407; and Chrysler/University of Windsor. The higher profile (and more costly) ventures have placed heavy emphasis on confidentiality, which raises concerns about traditional public‐sector values such as accountability, democracy and neutrality. The conclusions of the article are mixed, but at the very least, they suggest the need for caution, vigilance and scepticism. Sommaire: Pour la plupart, c'est avec beaucoup d'enthousiasme que les nombreaux auteurs d'ouvrages sur la Nouvelle gestion publique et sur son sous‐élément, la Prestation de services de rechange, envisagent cette modification fondamentale du rôle des gouvernements. Le gouvernement au gouvernail et le secteur privé aux avirons, voilà une métaphore qui a fait de nombreux adeptes parmi les hauts fonctionnaires comme chez les intervenants du secteur privé. Plutôt que d'évaluer les répercussions et les résultats d'exemples réels, les ouvrages sur ce sujet ont tendance à focaliser sur la définition des caractéristiques de divers types de partenariats entre le gouvernement et le secteur privé. Dans cet article, nous visons à complémenter ces ouvrages en analysant six partenariats public‐privé entrepris par divers paliers de gouvernement au cours des années 1990. La gamme des cas choisis est assez hétéroclite, certains étant très connus, d'autres moins: les ponts Confédération et Charleswood, CANARIE, GRC/Disney, l'Autoroute 407 et Chrysler/Université de Windsor. Les projets plus connus (et plus coûteux) ont fortement souligné leur caractère confidentiel, ce qui a mis en cause les valeurs traditionnelles du secteur public, telles l'imputabilité, la démocratic et la neutralité. Selon les conclusions de l'article, qui sont variées, il conviendrait pour le moins de procéder avec prudence, vigilance et scepticisme.     

CHALLENGES OF THE NEXT TWENTY YEARS: FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR TRAINING*

Abstract: This paper looks at the ever-increasing pace of change in modern society, and its impact on public:services. Challenges to the training and staff development function to help public services adjust to these changes in the period into the twenty-first century are discussed. Providing means to stimulate senior officials to reflect on their work in a context broader than that of the everyday job, and ensuring a flexible, open relationship between those officials and specialised human resource professionals, are seen as essential requirements.