scholarly journals Service Delivery, State Legitimacy and Conflict in Arab Countries: Exploring the Key Linkages Using a Social Policy Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 481
Author(s):  
Rana Jawad ◽  
Oliver Walton ◽  
Walid Merouani
Keyword(s):  
Social Policy ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Mena Region ◽  
Policy Perspective ◽  
Development Indicators ◽  
State Legitimacy ◽  
Citizen Perceptions ◽  
The Relationship

This paper addresses the question of how service delivery (SD) affects state legitimacy (SL) and conflict (C) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, drawing particularly on frameworks that move beyond a state-centric approach. Focusing on the majority-Arab countries of MENA, the paper aims to: (1) offer a preliminary explanation of the distinctiveness of this region in light of some of the main findings of the introductory paper by the lead guest editor Timo Kivimäki and (2) explore the potential of a social policy perspective in explaining the relationship between SD, SL and C. This is achieved by combining research insights acquired through extensive qualitative social policy research in the MENA region with a re-reading of the existing literature on SD, SL and C. To support a comprehensive re-examination of the issues at hand, the paper also draws on the 5th Wave of the Arab Barometer micro-level survey (ABS) on Arab citizen perceptions of socio-economic conditions in their countries and macro-level social welfare expenditure data from the World Bank World Development Indicators (WDI). By bringing insights from the social policy literature on the MENA region into conversation with broader research on the relationship between SD, SL and C, we identify several distinctive features of service delivery in the MENA context and examine their implications for state legitimacy and conflict.

Social Policy

Sociology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mara Yerkes
Keyword(s):  
Social Policy ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Academic Discipline ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Welfare States ◽  
Social Policies ◽  
Welfare Provision ◽  
Social Risks ◽  
Wide Range

Social policy exists as an academic discipline but also refers to the practice of policymaking and administration (including service delivery). As an academic discipline, social policy is distinct in its empirical focus on welfare provision but overlaps with other social science fields such as sociology, political science, and public administration. From a narrow standpoint, social policy refers to policies and practices created to address the needs of individuals, i.e., to provide welfare. From a broader standpoint, social policy can be used to motivate individual behavior; is inherently related to the creation of social inequalities across class, gender, race, and sexualities; and is closely tied to capital. Social policy encompasses a wide range of policies, including activation, care, education, families, health care, pensions/aging, poverty/social assistance, and unemployment. Social policy practice refers to the administration of social policies and service delivery. Welfare provision is not limited to government—markets, employers, nongovernmental organizations, churches, and informal networks all play a role in welfare provision, although this varies across countries. The focus, however, particularly in social policy research, is often on government policies and the provision of services. In particular, social policy is often discussed in relation to the welfare state because social policies represent the public or collective management of social risks, an essential function of welfare states. In recent years, social policy research has become increasingly comparative, with a focus on cross-national analyses of systems, policies, and service provision. I would like to thank Hannelore van Hoffen, my research assistant, for all her efforts in helping to compile a list of social policy references to be considered for this article.

Charting the Mode for Community Participation in Service Delivery

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olayemi Bakre ◽  
Nirmala Dorasamy
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
Community Participation ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Community Inclusion ◽  
Community Needs ◽  
Local Municipalities ◽  
Process Failure ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
The Relationship

Poor service delivery has always been considered a legacy of the apartheid era. However, 25 years into democracy, many local municipalities are still battling with service delivery backlogs. These backlogs are often attributed to, for example, dysfunctional ward committees, corruption amongst councillors, exclusion of community members in the planning process, failure to prioritise community needs, and institutional capacity issues. These challenges have undermined municipalities’ provision of quality service delivery and have precipitated service delivery protests. This article argues that community participation, which has been identified as a factor that can mitigate the aforementioned challenges, can be pivotal in the provision of effective and efficient services by municipalities. The relationship between community inclusion and service delivery outcomes is not simplistic, but depend upon a combination of proactive and highly skilled leaders and a cooperative and supportive populace. In this article, we identify the modes for successful participation and also the consequences of community exclusion through textual analysis of pertinent sources. We argue that such participation can only be successful and sustainable if it is reinforced by support from local government in the form of community training and capacity development workshops to exchange and instil new ideas as well as by resource allocation.

The Impact of Competitive Quasi-Market on Service Delivery in Benue State University, Makurdi Nigeria

GIS Business ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 85-98
Author(s):  
Idoko Peter
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Secondary Source ◽  
State University ◽  
Ordinary Least Square ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

This research the impact of competitive quasi market on service delivery in Benue State University, Makurdi Nigeria. Both primary and secondary source of data and information were used for the study and questionnaire was used to extract information from the purposively selected respondents. The population for this study is one hundred and seventy three (173) administrative staff of Benue State University selected at random. The statistical tools employed was the classical ordinary least square (OLS) and the probability value of the estimates was used to tests hypotheses of the study. The result of the study indicates that a positive relationship exist between Competitive quasi marketing in Benue State University, Makurdi Nigeria (CQM) and Transparency in the service delivery (TRSP) and the relationship is statistically significant (p<0.05). Competitive quasi marketing (CQM) has a negative effect on Observe Competence in Benue State University, Makurdi Nigeria (OBCP) and the relationship is not statistically significant (p>0.05). Competitive quasi marketing (CQM) has a positive effect on Innovation in Benue State University, Makurdi Nigeria (INVO) and the relationship is statistically significant (p<0.05) and in line with a priori expectation. This means that a unit increases in Competitive quasi marketing (CQM) will result to a corresponding increase in innovation in Benue State University, Makurdi Nigeria (INVO) by a margin of 22.5%. It was concluded that government monopoly in the provision of certain types of services has greatly affected the quality of service experience in the institution. It was recommended among others that the stakeholders in the market has to be transparent so that the system will be productive to serve the society effectively

STAGES IN SOCIAL POLICY DEVELOPMENT

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 265-272
Author(s):  
Venelin Terziev ◽  
Preslava Dimitrova
Keyword(s):  
Social Policy ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
National Society ◽  
Complex Approach ◽  
The Social ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

The social policy of a country is a set of specific activities aimed at regulating the social relations between different in their social status subjects. This approach to clarifying social policy is also called functional and essentially addresses social policy as an activity to regulate the relationship of equality or inequality in society. It provides an opportunity to look for inequalities in the economic positions of individuals in relation to ownership, labor and working conditions, distribution of income and consumption, social security and health, to look for the sources of these inequalities and their social justification or undue application.The modern state takes on social functions that seek to regulate imbalances, to protect weak social positions and prevent the disintegration of the social system. It regulates the processes in society by harmonizing interests and opposing marginalization. Every modern country develops social activities that reflect the specifics of a particular society, correspond to its economic, political and cultural status. They are the result of political decisions aimed at directing and regulating the process of adaptation of the national society to the transformations of the market environment. Social policy is at the heart of the development and governance of each country. Despite the fact that too many factors and problems affect it, it largely determines the physical and mental state of the population as well as the relationships and interrelationships between people. On the other hand, social policy allows for a more global study and solving of vital social problems of civil society. On the basis of the programs and actions of political parties and state bodies, the guidelines for the development of society are outlined. Social policy should be seen as an activity to regulate the relationship of equality or inequality between different individuals and social groups in society. Its importance is determined by the possibility of establishing on the basis of the complex approach: the economic positions of the different social groups and individuals, by determining the differences between them in terms of income, consumption, working conditions, health, etc .; to explain the causes of inequality; to look for concrete and specific measures to overcome the emerging social disparities.

Legitimacy

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
The State ◽  
State Sovereignty ◽  
International Courts ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
State Legitimacy ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Supranational Institutions

This collection brings together scholars of jurisprudence and political theory to probe the question of ‘legitimacy’. It offers discussions that interrogate the nature of legitimacy, how legitimacy is intertwined with notions of statehood, and how legitimacy reaches beyond the state into supranational institutions and international law. Chapter I considers benefit-based, merit-based, and will-based theories of state legitimacy. Chapter II examines the relationship between expertise and legitimate political authority. Chapter III attempts to make sense of John Rawls’s account of legitimacy in his later work. Chapter IV observes that state sovereignty persists, since no alternative is available, and that the success of the assortment of international organizations that challenge state sovereignty depends on their ability to attract loyalty. Chapter V argues that, to be complete, an account of a state’s legitimacy must evaluate not only its powers and its institutions, but also its officials. Chapter VI covers the rule of law and state legitimacy. Chapter VII considers the legitimation of the nation state in a post-national world. Chapter VIII contends that legitimacy beyond the state should be understood as a subject-conferred attribute of specific norms that generates no more than a duty to respect those norms. Chapter IX is a reply to critics of attempts to ground the legitimacy of suprastate institutions in constitutionalism. Chapter X examines Joseph Raz’s perfectionist liberalism. Chapter XI attempts to bring some order to debates about the legitimacy of international courts.

scholarly journals Straddling between Different Worlds: Navigating Diverse Fieldwork Modes

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Iqra Anugrah
Keyword(s):  
Policy Research ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Fieldwork Experience ◽  
Dissertation Research ◽  
Early Career Researcher ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Gathering Data

ABSTRACT Fieldwork often is seen as a challenging and misunderstood intellectual enterprise. Long perceived as the domain of the few, fieldwork and immersion continue to be the chosen methodological techniques for many political scientists. Focusing on my own fieldwork experience in Indonesia since 2015 as an early-career researcher, I discuss and reflect on three types of activities: (1) policy research, (2) dissertation research, and (3) activist work. In particular, I highlight fieldwork serendipities, fieldwork logistics, and my experience in gathering data and interacting with various interlocutors. It is hoped that this self-reflection will help readers to better understand the relationship between researchers and their interlocutors and collaborators, demystify the fieldwork process, and better prepare political scientists who use fieldwork in their research.

scholarly journals Sustainable Entrepreneurship in the 2030 Horizon

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 909
Author(s):  
Fernando Crecente ◽  
María Sarabia ◽  
María Teresa del Val
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activity ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Sustainable Entrepreneurship ◽  
Development Indicators ◽  
Responsible Behavior ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
European Economies ◽  
The Relationship

(1) Background: this paper analyzes the relationship between entrepreneurship and sustainability following the worldwide reference of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework set by the United Nations. Nowadays, these SDGs are the inspiration for many types of entrepreneurship that combine value creation with conservation and social protection. (2) Methods: using the indicators provided by Eurostat in its section called “Sustainable development indicators”, we have developed a dataset of 21 variables applied to the European Union (EU27) for the period 2013–2017. (3) Results: the results hold that these SDGs have favored a climate of change in the European economies towards more responsible behavior on the part of society, institutions, and their business fabric, creating new sustainable entrepreneurship. (4) Conclusions: the promotion of the SDGs has contributed to increasing the rate of entrepreneurial activity in the period 2013–2017.

scholarly journals Multitasking NPOs: An Analysis of the Relationship Between Funding Intentions and Nonprofit Capacities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Stühlinger ◽  
Sophie E. Hersberger-Langloh
Keyword(s):  
Public Relations ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
Survey Data ◽  
Funding Source ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Funding Sources ◽  
Lock In ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractNonprofit organizations (NPOs) often find themselves under pressure to invest all of their available income in mission-related activities rather than in capacity building. We investigate one factor that can influence the decision to invest in such capacity-building tasks: funding sources pursued by an organization. Drawing on the benefits theory of nonprofit finance, we take these funding sources as predetermined by an organization’s mission and propose an extension of the theory by linking it to economic multitasking theory, which states that organizations prioritize tasks that offer greater and more measurable rewards. Through regression analyses of survey data from Swiss nonprofits, we analyze the extent to which funding sources sought affect the amount of effort invested in three areas of capacity building: public relations, impact focus, and resource attraction parameters. The results support the predictions of multitasking theory by showing that the effort invested in certain capacity-building tasks is affected considerably by seeking a specific funding source. The effects are stronger for resource attraction-related tasks than for tasks closer to the service delivery of NPOs. The results indicate that an organization’s mission affects not only the available funding sources but also the extent to which an organization invests in its capacities, which can lead to a ‘lock-in’ status for organizations.

Cyberspace at the Grassroots: E-Governance and Citizen/Stakeholder Perceptions at the Local Level in Bangladesh

2021 ◽  
pp. 245513332110340
Author(s):  
Habib Zafarullah ◽  
Jannatul Ferdous
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Information And Communications Technology ◽  
Least Developed Countries ◽  
Governance System ◽  
Citizen Perceptions

Bangladesh has experimented with e-governance since the early 2000s and currently ranks among the top 10 least developed countries. The deployment of e-governance at the local level has provided benefits to the rural people, with local councils increasingly using information and communications technology (ICT) to expand community-based delivery systems and augment rural service delivery. One-stop cyber centres provide a range of services that are user-friendly, cost-effective and less time-consuming. This study focuses on five sub-districts to inquire about the range of services provided by the e-service centres there. It has recorded citizen perceptions and the level of their satisfaction and the observations of service providers about the e-service mechanism. It also identifies key challenges in service delivery. Citizen satisfaction was measured using 12 indicators, while the service provider observations focused on social issues, governance, resource and technical issues. The study found several issues requiring attention to consolidate the e-governance system in the country.

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