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Article
Publication date: 9 March 2012

Mary Lee Rhodes, Lucia Biondi, Ricardo Gomes, Ana I. Melo, Frank Ohemeng, Gemma Perez‐Lopez, Andrea Rossi and Wayhu Sutiyono

This paper seeks to extend the analysis of performance management regimes by Bouckaert and Halligan to other countries in order to contribute to the developing theory of forms and…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to extend the analysis of performance management regimes by Bouckaert and Halligan to other countries in order to contribute to the developing theory of forms and challenges in public sector performance management.

Design/methodology/approach

The state of performance management and the context in which it has evolved is assessed in seven different countries using dimensions drawn from Bouckaert and Halligan's work along with elements from earlier work by Pollitt and Bouckaert. These are summarized in a table and comparisons made to generate additional insights into the factors that influence the shape and speed of public management evolution.

Findings

The paper finds that the Bouckaert and Halligan framework for analyzing public sector performance management is useful, albeit with some modifications. Specifically, it finds that administrative culture is a key factor influencing the speed of reform and that the attitude of elites (politicians and civil servants, in most cases) is also a vital piece of the puzzle that was not included in Bouckaert and Halligan, but did appear in the earlier framework of Pollitt and Bouckaert. It also finds evidence that economic and political crises occurring together accelerate the introduction of integrated performance management systems, but that trust in government does not appear to be a significant factor. Finally, the paper observes that, absent political crisis/commitment, governments will prioritise “external” performance measures such as customer service, participation and transparency objectives over “internal” performance measures such as financial, staff management and whole of government reporting.

Originality/value

The countries studied provide a rare insight into lesser‐known performance management regimes and the use of the Bouckaert and Halligan framework allows for comparisons to earlier (and future) research. The findings will be of interest to scholars in public administration reform and performance management.

Details

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol. 61 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 November 2014

José Luis Zafra‐Gómez, Antonio M. López‐Hernández, Ana María Plata Díaz and Gemma Pérez López

Financial stress features frequently as an explanatory factor in research into decisions concerning the contracting out, or decentralisation, of local public services, though…

Abstract

Purpose

Financial stress features frequently as an explanatory factor in research into decisions concerning the contracting out, or decentralisation, of local public services, though existing empirical studies are not unanimous in their conclusions. The understanding of how financial crises influence these processes could be enhanced by the use of a dynamic methodology that takes into account the following three aspects: the duration of the financial stress, the effectiveness of the action taken and the time‐lag between the crisis and the response. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This study introduces three important innovations in the methodology employed to study financial stress: the consideration of the duration of a financial stress episode as a key factor in promoting changes in the provision of public services; the effectiveness of the measures taken; and time‐lag, which takes into account the extended time horizon over which the local authority may implement business‐like and organisational changes.

Findings

To date, the techniques used to measure the effects of changes in service delivery methods implemented to alleviate financial stress, have not reflected the true nature of the phenomenon. The results obtained when the new approach proposed in this paper was used to examine Spanish local government responses to financial stress during the period 1999‐2007 confirm that the methodology is well‐judged and effective.

Originality/value

This study reveals that local authorities facing financial stress of two, three or four years’ duration present percentages of decentralisation and contracting‐out that are significantly higher than is the case for local authorities that implement the same processes in response to crises of one year. These findings confirm the need to carry out studies that include the duration of financial crises as a determinant factor in change processes.

Resumen

El estrés financiero como factor explicativo es una característica recurrente en la investigación sobre la privatización/descentralización de los servicios públicos locales, aunque los estudios empíricos previos no son unánimes en sus conclusiones. Nuestro conocimiento de la influencia de las crisis financieras en estos procesos se podría mejorar mediante el uso de una metodología dinámica que tenga en cuenta los tres aspectos siguientes: la duración de la tensión financiera, el tiempo que transcurre entre la crisis y la respuesta hecha, y la eficacia de esta acción. Al aplicar esta nueva metodología, se demuestra que, hasta la fecha, los métodos utilizados para medir los efectos de los cambios en las formas de prestación de servicios, como un medio de aliviar la tensión financiera, no han reflejado la verdadera naturaleza del fenómeno. Los resultados obtenidos con esta nueva propuesta confirman que la metodología aplicada es la correcta y efectiva en los gobiernos locales españoles para el período 1999‐2007.

Details

Academia Revista Latinoamericana de Administración, vol. 27 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1012-8255

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 29 June 2021

Gemma Ubasart-González and Analía Mara Minteguiaga

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relation between estate transformations produced during the governments of the Citizen Revolution (CR) in Ecuador (2007-2017) and…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relation between estate transformations produced during the governments of the Citizen Revolution (CR) in Ecuador (2007-2017) and welfare regime transformations.

Design/methodology/approach

The CR’s project registers an array of specificities that make it a relevant case study to understand it. Among them, it articulated the transformation of the development model with a comprehensive state reform: emphasized both the modernization of the state and the productive structure, and the creation of the basic pillars of a welfare state. The ambitious project materialized in an ambivalent manner, revealing accomplishments and limitations.

Findings

The recovery of resources for the state, the efficient organization of resources, decentralization and deconcentration processes, public administration transformations and policy de-corporatization processes accompanied and even propelled important achievements in the social sphere in terms of decommodification, stratification, commodification and defamiliarization. Ecuador’s starting point, as a small and impoverished country with pubic and communal goods and services dismantled through neoliberal reforms, was quite precarious. But, progress was made. Beyond the identified limitations, its accomplishments must be highlighted because they are novel in comparison to other progressive government experiences, especially in the context of Central Andean countries.

Originality/value

This article vindicates the need to link state transformation processes to welfare regime transformations, as well as the academic literature that informs both fields. The description of what took place in Ecuador in the field of social welfare during the ten years of the CR continues to confirm the theoretical potential of the concept of welfare regime with the necessary translations and appropriations that allow for the analysis of countries in the region. It enables an approach to a more theoretically and methodologically elusive object that is at the same time tremendously potent in analytical terms and in its contributions to social transformations. An object that alludes to areas gravely affected during neoliberal hegemony, linked to public institutionality, state capacity and state autonomy. This is why everything that affects the state and the management of public goods and services must be incorporated into the analysis.

Details

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 42 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-333X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 August 2021

Gemma Rogers

This paper aims to consider the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown restrictions.

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to consider the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown restrictions.

Design/methodology/approach

This commentary reflects on the issues raised by Morris et al., and in the wider literature.

Findings

Although there have been some benefits to lockdown for people with intellectual disabilities, mainly they have experienced isolation, increased mental health and well-being challenges, difficulty in accessing services, support and adequate adapted information.

Originality/value

This commentary argues that it is important to continue to capture the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities now and over time to assess the long-term consequences of the pandemic and to design services which are respondent to their needs.

Details

Tizard Learning Disability Review, vol. 26 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-5474

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 10 April 2020

Eliane Bucher, Christian Fieseler, Christoph Lutz and Gemma Newlands

Independent actors operating through peer-to-peer sharing economy platforms co-create service experiences, such as shared car-rides or home-stays. Emotional labor among both

Abstract

Independent actors operating through peer-to-peer sharing economy platforms co-create service experiences, such as shared car-rides or home-stays. Emotional labor among both parties, manifested in the mutual enactment of socially desirable behavior, is essential in ensuring that these experiences are successful. However, little is known about emotional labor practices and about how sharing economy platforms enforce emotional labor practices among independent actors, such as guests, hosts, drivers, or passengers. To address this research gap, we follow a mixed methods approach. We combine survey research among Airbnb and Uber users with content analysis of seven leading sharing economy platforms. The findings show that (1) users perform emotional labor despite not seeing is as necessarily desirable and (2) platforms actively encourage the performance of emotional labor practices even in the absence of direct formal control. Emotional labor practices are encouraged through (hard) design features such as mutual ratings, reward systems, and gamification, as well as through more subtle (soft) normative framing of desirable practices via platform and app guidelines, tips, community sites, or blogs. Taken together, these findings expand our understanding of the limitations of peer-to-peer sharing platforms, where control over the service experience and quality can only be enforced indirectly.

Details

Theorizing the Sharing Economy: Variety and Trajectories of New Forms of Organizing
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78756-180-9

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 31 May 2016

José-Antonio Corral-Marfil and Gemma Cànoves-Valiente

The proceedings of the 17 editions of the conference of the Spanish Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism constitute a valuable archival resource within the research on…

Abstract

The proceedings of the 17 editions of the conference of the Spanish Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism constitute a valuable archival resource within the research on Spanish tourism. But so far their contents have not been analyzed. The aim of this chapter is to examine the research that has been presented at its conference by means of a bibliometric analysis of the proceedings of 17 editions. The study focuses on the origin of the research (countries, regions, institutions, and authors), as well as its characteristics in terms of themes dealt with, geographical areas researched, methodologies, disciplinary areas, and attitudes toward tourism. Implications for the evolution of the research are discussed in terms of knowledge contributions and the shaping of major tourism research traditions.

Details

Tourism Research Paradigms: Critical and Emergent Knowledges
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78350-929-4

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 October 2018

Gemma Caballé Fabra

The “condohotel” is a type of condominium, which is most commonly used in tourist buildings, such as hotels, where investors can buy a private room/unit and offer it to a hotel…

Abstract

Purpose

The “condohotel” is a type of condominium, which is most commonly used in tourist buildings, such as hotels, where investors can buy a private room/unit and offer it to a hotel company, which manages the “condohotel” and offers the units to guests through an accommodation contract. According to the Spanish regions called autonomous communities that provide a special legal framework for “condohotels”, room owners are also permitted to use their units for a specific period. However, residential use is prohibited. In exchange, the hotel company pays a part of its profit to those owners. This paper aims to analyse how the “condohotel” regime works in Spain and what the main weaknesses are that explain its limited success, despite the importance of the real estate and tourist sectors and the popularity of the condominium regime in this country.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the complex concept of “condohotel” is explained. The role of the participating parties is examined along with the supplementary legal regimes that are applied to identify the reasons why it has had a limited success and how its regulation could be improved.

Findings

This paper identifies the changes that are needed to address the relative failure of this regime in Spain, as “condohotels” can be an attractive type of alternative accommodation for someone interested in hotel services or for retired people who want to stay some months of the year in the beautiful and sunny Spain with all the amenities of a hotel or for those who need to live in a place for a few months for work reasons.

Research limitations/implications

This paper identifies different contracts to cede private units to hotel company. However, further research is necessary to identify which contract is the best option or if it could be a mixture of them.

Originality/value

The “condohotels” facilitate becoming an owner of a hotel room or unit of another tourist establishment under the condominium regime. However, the unit can only be used for tourist purposes. Despite this limitation, “condohotels” might potentially be used not only as a second residence or a tourist solution but also as a temporal housing solution or as an investment to obtain some extra income. Thus, it is worthwhile improving the legal framework and offering more legal certainty to the parties that intervene in this regime.

Details

Journal of Property, Planning and Environmental Law, vol. 10 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-1450

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 October 2014

Inmaculada Diaz Soria, Asunción Blanco-Romero and Gemma Canoves I. Valiente

– The purpose of this paper is to focus on territorial dynamics generated by five music festivals in the Emporda region (Spain) and its tourism sector.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to focus on territorial dynamics generated by five music festivals in the Emporda region (Spain) and its tourism sector.

Design/methodology/approach

Using qualitative methodology, 10 qualified informants were interviewed. Their answers were coded and analysed.

Findings

Territorial features favour the organisation of festivals. Promoters wish to offer some added value using local products. Festivals broadcast local identity to the world. Festivals’ features as tourist products explain how they are perceived as innovative.

Practical implications

These existing products are being further developed to meet cultural tourism requirements. This strategy is justified by the search for innovation in a fiercely global competitive context.

Originality/value

Current paper focuses on a present product and analyses its transformation: how a territory uses an old strategy in a new way generating future opportunities for tourism sector and local economies.

Details

International Journal of Event and Festival Management, vol. 5 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1758-2954

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 5 August 2011

Volume 14 of Sociological Studies of Children and Youth (SSCY) is comprised of empirical research and theoretical papers within three areas, namely children's well-being, children…

Abstract

Volume 14 of Sociological Studies of Children and Youth (SSCY) is comprised of empirical research and theoretical papers within three areas, namely children's well-being, children and youth peer cultures, and the rights of children and youth. In this volume, the term “children” is used inclusively to encompass those from infancy through the transition to adulthood. These empirical studies include children's voices and experiences from four continents and a range of methodological and theoretical orientations. Additionally, a clear connection to social policy is made in many of these studies. Altogether, these studies highlight how structure and culture both limit and enable the life chances of children, how children interpret and construct their social relations and environments, and finally, how children view themselves as well as how others view the rights of children.

Details

The Well-Being, Peer Cultures and Rights of Children
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78052-075-9

Book part
Publication date: 8 February 2021

Luca Zamparini and Ila Maltese

The relationship between transport and tourism is very complex to analyze due to mutual causality. Nonetheless, it is worthwhile investigating it, especially paying attention to

Abstract

The relationship between transport and tourism is very complex to analyze due to mutual causality. Nonetheless, it is worthwhile investigating it, especially paying attention to sustainable mobility, due to the need to minimize the externalities of transport, which can otherwise reduce the attractiveness of a tourism destination. To this aim, after a brief overview of different analytical frameworks, this chapter focuses on transport at destination and sustainable mobility options, such as local public transport (PT) and active modes (walking and cycling). In particular, it provides some insights from the literature about both tourists’ mobility patterns — by taking into account both psychological aspects of tourism experience and the localization of the amenities — and specific modal choices, more focused on the impact of transport on the environment. It then concludes by presenting short summaries of each chapter of the book, in order to provide an overview of the investigated topics, which are dealing with both geographical (islands, coastal areas, natural areas) and management/administration (technical solutions, PT provision, transport demand) issues.

Details

Sustainable Transport and Tourism Destinations
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83909-128-5

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