This article analyzes the use and limitations of nonmonetary contract incentives in managing third-party accountability in human services. In-depth case studies of residential care homes for the elderly and integrated family service centers, two contrasting contracting contexts, were conducted in Hong Kong. These two programs vary in service programmability and service interdependency. In-depth interviews with 17 managers of 48 Residential Care Homes for the Elderly (RCHEs) and 20 managers of 10 Integrated Family Service Centers (IFSCs) were conducted. Interviews with the managers show that when service programmability was high and service interdependency was low, nonmonetary contract incentives such as opportunities for self-actualization professionally or reputation were effective in improving service quality from nonprofit and for-profit contractors. When service programmability was low and service interdependency was high, despite that only nonprofit organizations were contracted, many frontline service managers reported that professional accountability was undermined by ambiguous service scope, performance emphasis on case turnover, risk shift from public service units and a lack of formal accountability relationships between service units in the service network. The findings shed light on the limitations of nonmonetary contract incentives.

Village administration in Indonesia has changed its scope and operation with the integration of digital technology into public services at various levels. These conditions prompt questions about the successful digital transformation of public administration services. Digital transformation encompasses not only technological aspects but also socio-cultural factors. This paper reports the study related to implementing ICT-based applications in village administration policy in Indonesia. The study involved 315 village officials from 167 villages in 16 sub-districts within Toba district, North Sumatera province. A village administration software prototype was developed and introduced to the villages’ officials during the study. This study aims to gain insights from the officials’ response regarding digital technology-supported village administration. The research revealed that many village officials must gain the necessary knowledge and skills to conduct administrative tasks digitally, as they still rely on traditional, non-digitized methods. Recommendations include increased support and assistance from the Regency Government to help villages understand and implement digital administration and capacity-building activities to familiarize village officials with ICT advancements. The study also found that digital transformation in village administration remains challenging, with digitization and digitalization processes often overlooked. Addressing these challenges requires additional training and improved infrastructure availability. Finally, we propose a conceptual model of digital transformation for public administration at village level as generic components for digital implementation of village administration.

The article provides evidence on the effect of local public governance on the impact of public investment on local and regional economic growth, using spatial and regional logic. The research uses the spatial Durbin model and produces a panel data set that was conducted on 63 provinces of Vietnam from 2006 to 2022. Based on the interaction between public governance and public investment, the main findings indicate that their interaction plays an important role in adjusting the effects of public investment and public governance on economic growth not only in the locality but also spillover to neighboring localities in both the short and long terms. It suggests that local public governance not only hampers the impact of local public investment on local economic growth but also has spillover effects on the growth of neighboring provinces or regions in Vietnam. Additionally, the results of detailed analysis of PCI component indicators show that many aspects of local public governance are hindering local economic growth but contributing to promoting neighboring localities economic growth. Or, it has no effect the locality but promote or hinder the regional economic growth. The findings in this study implies that authorities of localities need to be cautious when using resources to improve the various aspects of public governance when designing strategies to enhance the quality of local public governance. It also suggests that this spillover effect is a crucial factor in advocating for more redistributive fiscal policies and regional governance policies aimed at reducing economic disparities caused by territorial boundaries. Therefore, authorities should prioritize regional cooperation strategies in their decisions regarding public governance and public capital allocation.

This article delves into an examination and analysis of leadership models within local government institutions in Indonesia, employing the conceptual framework of new institutionalism. We contend that informal local institutions within communities not only influence the behavior and identity of leaders as actors but, within the context of decentralization, have also undergone a process of reinstitutionalization regarding roles and functions, employing distinct patterns of appropriation. Employing an interpretive approach, this article focuses on phenomena within the management of local governance in the West Nusa Tenggara province. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, literature studies on local history, and online news searches. Through a case study of local governance in West Nusa Tenggara province, particularly Lombok, the article reveals that the Tuan Guru, an informal local institution in Lombok society, has experienced reinstitutionalization through vertical and horizontal appropriation. The conclusion drawn is that decentralization has created opportunities for informal institutions to re-establish their roles within formal governance through appropriation patterns.

This research uses both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies to examine the complex factors affecting community resilience in various settings. In this case, the research explores how social cohesion, governance effectiveness, adaptability, community involvement, and the specified difficulties influence resilience results by using the five pillars of resilience as variables. Descriptive and inferential statistics are used to test hypotheses on the relationships between social cohesion, governance effectiveness, adaptive capacity, and community resilience variables. Qualitative data provides further insights into the quantitative results by providing broader views and experiences of the community. The study shows how social capital is important in increasing community capacity, stressing the importance of social relations and trust in developing community solutions to disasters. Another major factor that stands out is the governance factor that ensures that decisions are made, and actions taken in line with the community’s best interest in improving its ability to prepare for and respond to disasters. Adaptive capacity is seen as a key component of resilience and this paper emphasizes the importance of communities to come up with measures that can be adjusted to the changing circumstances. In summary, this study enriches theoretical understanding and offers practical applications of the processes that can enhance community resilience based on the principles of social inclusion, sound governance, and context-specific solutions.

This study investigates the influence of Environmental, Social, and Governance Disclosures (ESGD) on the profitability of firms, using a sample of 385 publicly listed companies on the Thai Stock Exchange. Data from 2018 to 2022 is sourced from the Bloomberg database, focusing on ESGD scores as indicators of companies’ ESG commitments. The study utilizes a structural equation model to examine the relationships between independent variables; ESGD, Earnings Per Share (EPS), Debt to Assets ratio (DA), Return on Investment Capital (ROIC), Total Assets (TA), and dependent variables Tobin’s Q (TBQ) and Return on Assets (ROA). The analysis reveals a positive relationship between ESGD and TBQ, but not with ROA. Further exploration is conducted to determine if different ESGD levels (high, medium, low) yield consistent effects on TBQ. The findings indicate discrepancies: high and medium ESGD levels are associated with a negative impact on TBQ when EPS increased, whereas low ESGD levels correlate with an increase in TBQ with rising EPS. This nuanced approach challenges the conventional uniform treatment of ESGD in previous research and provides a deeper understanding of how varying commitments to ESG practices affect a firm’s market valuation and profitability. These insights are crucial for firm management, highlighting the importance of ESGD in relation to other financial variables and their effects on market value. This study offers a new perspective on ESGD’s impact, emphasizing the need for differentiated strategies based on ESG commitment levels.