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1 – 10 of over 42000Beatriz Cuadrado-Ballesteros, Ana-María Ríos and María-Dolores Guillamón
Literature about transparency in public-sector organizations has been attracting the attention of scholars for the last two decades. This study reviews the existing literature…
Abstract
Purpose
Literature about transparency in public-sector organizations has been attracting the attention of scholars for the last two decades. This study reviews the existing literature with the intention of creating a description of the state of the art, categorized by geographical areas, levels of government, topics, and methodologies.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors have developed a structured literature review following a rigorous protocol. The initial search was launched on 25 April 2022 on Scopus and Web of Science, resulting in 3,217 articles. After removing duplicates and studies that did not meet all the inclusion criteria specified in the review protocol, the final sample includes 956 articles from 1991 to 2021.
Findings
The analyses show a considerable increase in studies since 2005, especially in the last two years, when 30% of the publications have been produced. Most of the studies analyze the national/central level of government. Many authors compare different countries, while other scholars focus on specific countries, overall, the USA and the UK. The local level of government has also been widely studied, especially in the Spanish and Chinese contexts. The most frequently used methodologies are quantitative and empirical techniques, and the most common topics are those associated with accountability.
Originality/value
This study uses a huge sample (956 articles over the period 1991–2021), which has never been used before, to examine the literature on transparency. The structured literature review facilitates the identification of gaps that can be filled by future studies. These include analyzing transparency in specific geographical areas like Africa, Asia, and Latin America, studying transparency at different levels of government, especially at the regional and federal levels, and providing comparative studies and case study collections.
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Tyler R. Morgan, Robert Glenn Richey Jr and Alexander E. Ellinger
The purpose of this paper is to create an instrument for conducting future supply chain transparency research by developing and validating a measure of supplier transparency…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to create an instrument for conducting future supply chain transparency research by developing and validating a measure of supplier transparency. Specifically, the research develops a two-dimensional measure of supplier transparency that builds on previous studies that independently examine visibility and traceability in supply chain management (SCM)/logistics.
Design/methodology/approach
The scale development process is carried out over three stages (item generation, scale purification, scale validation). Survey methods are used with two separate data collection phases involving a total of 358 managers from multiple and diverse industries.
Findings
The new supplier transparency measure is a concise, two-dimensional scale that has the potential for significant usage in the development and testing of SCM theory.
Research limitations/implications
This study implemented a purposefully general sampling procedure. However, different industries may have additional, specific constraints regarding what it means to be a transparent supplier. Additional opportunities for future research include applying the new supplier transparency measure to examine supply chain frameworks, regulatory compliance, supply chain relationships and the implementation of information technology.
Practical implications
Firms are under increasing pressure to be transparent about partner sourcing, resource utilization and other transactional issues related to the products and processes in their supply chains. The new measure may be utilized to address these issues as well as the interaction between supply chain operations and stakeholders by facilitating a quantitative assessment of supplier transparency.
Originality/value
Drawing on the established constructs of supply chain visibility and traceability, a measure of supplier transparency is developed, supported by a review of the literature, input from subject matter experts and interviews with supply chain managers. Suggestions are made for future validation of supplier transparency within established supply chain frameworks.
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Mohd. Nishat Faisal, Lamay Bin Sabir and Khurram Jahangir Sharif
This study has two major objectives. First, comprehensively review the literature on transparency in supply chain management. Second, based on a critical analysis of literature…
Abstract
Purpose
This study has two major objectives. First, comprehensively review the literature on transparency in supply chain management. Second, based on a critical analysis of literature, identify the attributes and sub-attributes of supply chain transparency and develop a numerical measure to quantify transparency in supply chains.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted using the PRISMA approach. Utilizing SCOPUS database past eighteen-year papers search resulted in 249 papers to understand major developments in the domain of supply chain transparency. Subsequently, graph theoretic approach is applied to quantify transparency in supply chain and the proposed index is evaluated for case supply chains from pharma and dairy sectors.
Findings
It can be concluded from SLR that supply chain transparency research has evolved from merely tracking and tracing of the product towards sustainable development of the whole value chain. The research identifies four major attributes and their sub-attributes that influence transparency in supply chains, which are used to develop transparency index. The proposed index for two sectors helps to understand areas that need immediate attention to improve transparency in the case supply chains.
Originality/value
This paper attempts to understand the development of transparency research in supply chain using the PRISMA approach for SLR. In addition, development of mathematical model to quantify supply chain transparency is a novel attempt that would help benchmark best practices in the industry. Further, transparency index would help to understand specific areas that need attention to improve transparency in supply chains.
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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the variables for the non-existence of transparency information in red meat supply chains operating in Gulf cooperation council (GCC…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the variables for the non-existence of transparency information in red meat supply chains operating in Gulf cooperation council (GCC) countries. The study provides a synthesis and proposes a hierarchy-based model among the identified inhibitors of transparency with their respective importance.
Design/methodology/approach
The synthesis and prioritization of inhibitors are done on the basis of an extensive literature review as well as consultation with academicians and meat supply chain professionals. Using semi-structured interviews and Fuzzy-Interpretive Structure Modeling (F-ISM) approach, the research presents a structured model of the identified inhibitors.
Findings
The research has two major contributions, first, it presents variables that can be considered as inhibitors for transparency in a supply chain. Second, utilizing the F-ISM model it shows that there exists a group of inhibitors having a high control power and low reliance and are of strategic importance. These variables require utmost attention to make implementation of transparency initiatives to be successful.
Practical implications
At a time when management of red meat supply chain is crucial for the food security in the GCC region, these findings will be immensely helpful for the government and industry professionals in developing suitable policies to regulate the red meat supply chains. The study would be particularly relevant when the upstream side is in a developing nation and the need is to avoid any health hazards resulting from the consumption of contagious meat and jeopardize the whole supply chain.
Social implications
Cases of discarding plausible contagious meat into sea or abandoning it in open to create environment hazards can be minimized if transparency is implemented in meat supply chain by considering the variables and their relationships discussed in the research.
Originality/value
Key issues related to transparency in a food supply chain are discussed and interconnectedness of critical factors for the red meat supply chain are delineated.
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Mike Thelwall and Kayvan Kousha
Technology is sometimes used to support assessments of academic research in the form of automatically generated bibliometrics for reviewers to consult during their evaluations or…
Abstract
Purpose
Technology is sometimes used to support assessments of academic research in the form of automatically generated bibliometrics for reviewers to consult during their evaluations or by replacing some or all human judgements. With artificial intelligence (AI), there is increasing scope to use technology to assist research assessment processes in new ways. Since transparency and fairness are widely considered important for research assessment and AI introduces new issues, this review investigates their implications.
Design/methodology/approach
This article reviews and briefly summarises transparency and fairness concerns in general terms and through the issues that they raise for various types of Technology Assisted Research Assessment (TARA).
Findings
Whilst TARA can have varying levels of problems with both transparency and bias, in most contexts it is unclear whether it worsens the transparency and bias problems that are inherent in peer review.
Originality/value
This is the first analysis that focuses on algorithmic bias and transparency issues for technology assisted research assessment.
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Jiangang Du, Danhui Li, Yuxuan Zhao and Mengya Yang
The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of transparency on consumers' judgment and decision-making.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of transparency on consumers' judgment and decision-making.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses an experimental research design in which participants' negative emotions dynamically change driven by group emotional interactions when they are experiencing a group complaint.
Findings
The experimental results show that compared with opaque products, transparent products make consumers rely more on emotions to make judgments and decisions (Experiment 1). It is precise because transparency increases the influence of emotion on consumers' judgment and decision-making that positive emotion makes consumers' evaluation and willingness to pay higher, while negative emotion makes consumers' evaluation and willingness to pay lower (Experiments 2 and 3). Transparency will also affect consumers' subsequent judgment and decision-making methods, so they are more inclined to choose the option with the dominant emotional dimension (Experiment 4).
Originality/value
Previous studies mainly focus on the impact of transparent packaging on consumers and discuss the impact of transparent packaging on consumer product evaluation and consumption quantity. This study proves that product-related transparent elements can also affect consumers' decision-making methods, making them more dependent on emotions to make decisions, enriching the research on the influencing factors of consumer decision-making methods.
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According to popular belief, transparency is a versatile tool for the governance of organizations: it is supposed to help in mitigating problems such as corruption, economic…
Abstract
According to popular belief, transparency is a versatile tool for the governance of organizations: it is supposed to help in mitigating problems such as corruption, economic deficiencies, and a lack of legitimacy. However, is it a truly effective panacea, as it has been envisioned by its advocates? Empirical research gives reason to doubt, indicating that there is a wide gap between the idealized expectations of transparency and its practical merits. Organizations face severe difficulties when they try to implement such measures, especially because their daily activities often deviate significantly from societal expectations. Putting a combination of Erving Goffman’s frontstage/backstage theory and Niklas Luhmann’s sociological systems theory to use, this chapter conceptualizes organizations as social entities constantly engaged in boundary-maintenance, which not only comprises – in Luhmannian terms – “operative closure” (the autonomy of a system from direct influence of its environment) but also boundaries of visibility. It is thus not at all surprising that organizations regularly try to circumvent the implementation of transparency and develop new practices of secrecy. This chapter outlines an integrative conceptualization that enables researchers to reject mundane visions of how transparency ought to improve organizations, and suggests new pathways for empirical research.
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Gong-Bing Bi, Wenjing Ye and Yang Xu
Existing literature demonstrates the important role of information transparency in enterprise development and market surveillance. However, little empirical research has examined…
Abstract
Purpose
Existing literature demonstrates the important role of information transparency in enterprise development and market surveillance. However, little empirical research has examined the information transparency effect in supply chain management. This study aims to fill this gap by exploring the significant role of information transparency on supply chain financing and its mechanism, taking trade credit as the starting point.
Design/methodology/approach
From the data set comprising 3,880 Chinese firms with A-shares listed on the Shenzhen and Shanghai Stock Exchanges from 2011 to 2020, we obtain the basic picture of information transparency and trade credit. Panel fixed effects regression is used to test the hypotheses concerning the antecedents to trade credit.
Findings
The empirical results show that: first, information transparency can significantly support corporate access to trade credit and is found to facilitate financing by mitigating perceived risk. Second, among companies with higher levels of financing constraints, weaker market power and more concentration of suppliers, information transparency promotes trade credit more markedly. Third, the outbreak of COVID-19 causes a substantial increase in uncertainty and risk in external circumstances and then the effect of information transparency is weakened. Fourth, the contribution to trade credit is likely to be stronger for disclosures containing management transparency elements compared to single financial transparency.
Originality/value
To the best of our knowledge, this study is one of the first to explore the positive role of information transparency to supply chain financing, which to a certain extent makes up for the lack of information transparency research in the supply chain. It provides new ideas for enterprises to obtain trade credit financing and promote the improvement of supervision departments’ disclosure policies.
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Hawa Ahmad, Sitti Hasinah Abul Hassan and Suhaiza Ismail
This paper aims to examine the level of transparency of the electronic procurement (e-procurement) system in Malaysia.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the level of transparency of the electronic procurement (e-procurement) system in Malaysia.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the content analysis method, 23 transparency disclosure items from the Website Attribute Evaluation System (WAES) checklist were used to evaluate the transparency level of the e-procurement system. The data gathered from the WAES were analysed using frequency and percentage based on the various categories of transparency.
Findings
The study reveals that the e-procurement system disclosed 17 out of the 23 WAES transparency disclosure items, which represents a transparency disclosure level of 73.91%. Of the five categories of disclosure, i.e. ownership, contact information, organizational information, citizen consequences and freshness, the detailed results show that the items are fully disclosed for only two categories, and for three categories, i.e. ownership, contact information and organizational information, the items are not fully disclosed.
Research limitations/implications
The findings of the present research offer a positive indication that the government is moving in the right direction, particularly in efforts to reduce the corruption level in procurement activities and to improve the accountability level of the government.
Originality/value
The present study is among the few studies that attempts to address a fundamental issue of transparency in the public procurement system that has an important relationship with the occurrence of corruption in procurement activities.
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Beatriz Cuadrado-Ballesteros and Marco Bisogno
This study investigates the transparency of budgets by examining its relationship with financial sustainability, which is a central area of research in the public-sector context.
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates the transparency of budgets by examining its relationship with financial sustainability, which is a central area of research in the public-sector context.
Design/methodology/approach
Referring to the public value framework, a large sample of 110 countries has been investigated, implementing econometric models where the dependent variable is the Open Budget Index (OBI), published by the International Budget Partnership (IBP), and the test variables are different indicators of financial sustainability.
Findings
The results that emerge from the analysis suggest that budget transparency could be positively associated with the financial sustainability of governments, beyond the traditional aims of enhancing citizens' trust and participation.
Originality/value
This research offers important insights for policy areas, suggesting that improving budget transparency could be beneficial for public administrations because of the positive association with financial sustainability.
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