An Analysis of the Joint Board or County Model as the Structural Basis for Effective Australian Local Governance

Australian policy‐makers continue to rely on municipal amalgamation as the main engine of structural reform in local government, despite strong evidence that it diminishes participation and representation without improving service efficiency. Several promising, but neglected alternative models of structural reform have been developed, including ad hoc resource sharing models, Regional Organisations of Councils, virtual local government, and agency models. In an encouraging response to the recent policy of enforced council amalgamations in NSW, the Shires Association of NSW (2004) has recently proposed a ‘Joint Board model’ of local governance and invited comment on this model. This article takes up this challenge and seeks to place the Joint Board model in conceptual context and evaluate its characteristics and simulated cost savings.     

我国目前贫富差距问题略论

中国在社会现代化进程中已经出现了贫富差距问题,且呈扩大趋势。目前,贫富差距表现出扩大化、阶层化、群体化、两极化、政治化的特点。贫富差距的扩大对经济发展、社会秩序、社会稳定构成了极大危害,必须引起高度重视。贫富差距扩大不是改革的结果,而是改革不到位的结果。坚定不移地深化改革,推进社会现代化进程,是解决贫富差距问题的根本途径。     

台湾现行文官制度存在的问题及改革建议

本从宪政架构、人事机构、人事制度三个方面，分析了台湾现行官制度存在的问题，并提出政府管理企业化、协调各机关关系、完善法制建设等改革建议。     

在结构性改革中优化公共服务

本文提出了一个公共服务的基本分析框架 ,其包括四个层次 :公共服务的范围、公共服务的提供、公共服务的运行机制与公共服务制度激励。我国当前重点强调在我国结构改革过程中保证公共服务的效率和公平。在结构调整中保证低收入人群最基本的公共服务的可获得性 ,保证最基本的公共服务水平 ,是维护社会基本正义、凝聚力和稳定的重要保障     

寻租约束下的行政效率及其对我国行政改革的启示

本文通过经济学模型分析考察寻租行为对行政效率的负面影响。研究发现,不论是外部寻租行为还是政府部门的内部寻租行为,均会造成行政效率低下、社会产出效率下降、社会效用总量受损;但是,选择一个较大的政府规模虽然会影响全社会产出效率,却不一定引起社会效用损失,因此,我国的行政改革并不需要从压缩行政规模入手,而应当努力遏制寻租,坚持走渐进的行政改革道路。     

Effects of Budgetary Constraints on HR Reforms in Central Public Administrations and the Importance of Institutional Context

A standard criticism toward New Public Management has been its focus on efficiency and cost saving. As a consequence, other important reform objective aspects and administrative values such as quality, fairness, engagement, trust, and sustainability would be neglected. In the field of HRM, this again would result in many (un-)intentional reform effects, such as more demotivation, less engagement, and less trust of the workforce in leadership. Unfortunately, many of these claims have not been tested empirically.Especially in the field of HRM, there is very little comparative evidence on how costs are being cut on a grand scale in different institutional contexts, Human Resource Management policies, with regard to different HR instruments and how these cuts impact on Human Resource Management.This study investigates the current HR reforms in central public administration in 32 OECD countries. Using recent OECD data (OECD Data Set, 2015), the study analyses the impact of budgetary constraints with regard to 40 HR issues and HR instruments. These issues were grouped into different HR bundles. The analysis reveals a strong correlation between budgetary constraints and cost-cutting measures. As a consequence, HRM as such is changing dramatically in some countries. Whereas the past reform trends in most OECD countries were characterized by a move away from the classical bureaucratic model, the present focus is on the implementation of ad hoc reforms in order to save resources. Neither is there a common trend toward one alternative high-work performance model nor a reformed universal “bureaucracy-lite mode.” Overall, data show that HR management is not seen as a strategic factor in the reform process in many countries. In fact, most countries have focused on cost reductions and downsizing and not on responsible restructuring.     

城市生活垃圾堆肥处理技术发展方向探讨

结合多年来在生活垃圾管理特别是堆肥厂的日常运行管理方面的经验,总结了目前我国生活垃圾堆肥处理技术应用现状和堆肥厂实际运行过程中存在的问题,并对今后堆肥技术的发展提出几点看法.综合评价垃圾堆肥技术、给予垃圾堆肥技术正确定位、选择合理堆肥工艺、充分发挥垃圾堆肥的优势、提高堆肥质量和开拓堆肥产品市场是今后垃圾堆肥技术发展的关键因素.     

国际组织对公共养老保险改革的影响

本文采用文献法和历史分析法,研究了国际组织在不同阶段对各国公共养老保险改革施加影响的途径和方式,尤其是国际组织在我国养老保险"统账结合"制度的建立与发展过程中发挥的作用。在此基础上,提出了针对我国养老保险制度改革的政策建议。     

Redistribution and recognition: land reforms in Kerala and the limits of culturalism

The most important achievements of the Communist governments in Kerala, India were the implementation of the land reforms and the legislation of the Agricultural Workers' Act. Using ethnographic and archival research based on these events and the processes through which they became a reality, this paper will question some of the fundamental assumptions of the influential Subaltern Studies project and postcolonial theory like the positing of governmentality and passive revolution as the general characteristics of ‘Third World’ societies' experience with modernity. It will argue that, more importantly, their culturalist framework, with its gross ignorance of class and material concerns, is hardly adequate to understand the fusing of the aspirations of recognition and redistribution or the material and cultural that characterizes the struggles by the peasantry and agrarian labor, and their synthesis by the Communist Party. Despite their professed aim of inaugurating a democratic project with the peasant as citizen, Subaltern Studies and postcolonial theory, unlike the Communist movement, do not envisage any material transformation of the agrarian classes that will actualize this objective.     

NPM Reforms in Napoleonic Countries: A Comparative Study of Management Accounting Innovations in Greek and Italian Municipalities

This is a comparative study of the rationale and effects of management accounting innovations in Greek and Italian municipalities, as part of the NPM reform in the public sector. This article aims to understand the extent of adoption of accounting innovations in Greek and Italian municipalities, and the factors affecting the specific techniques in use. The study reports on a survey based on medium-sized and large Italian and Greek municipalities, targeted at public municipalities’ accountants, the users of accounting techniques. The study identifies the intended purposes of NPM reform and, particularly, management accounting innovations, analyzes a set of factors that affect the implementation of management accounting technologies, and discusses determinants and features of such innovation on a comparative perspective.