TY - JOUR A1 - Ansmann, Moritz A1 - Seyfried, Markus T1 - Isomorphism and organizational performance BT - evidence from quality management in higher education JF - Quality assurance in education N2 - Purpose Quality management has become an integral part of management reforms in public sector organizations. Drawing on a new institutionalist perspective, this study aims to investigate the relation of management reforms and organizational performance in the context of higher education. Design/methodology/approach The authors analyse the interaction between isomorphic conformity in quality management adoption, organizational learning and quality improvement and, in so doing, address the central theoretical question of what effects isomorphic conformity has on organizational performance. Empirically, the study draws on survey data from quality managers at public higher education institutions in Germany. Methodically, it applies confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. Findings The results suggest that mimetic isomorphism is surprisingly compatible with processes of organizational learning, and thus, does not inevitably compromise organizational development. Originality/value By presenting these findings, the authors contribute to the controversial theoretical debate concerning the effects of isomorphism and to the ongoing discussion regarding the organizational impact of quality management in higher education. KW - Quality management KW - Quality assurance KW - Higher education KW - Structural KW - equation modelling KW - New institutionalism Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1108/QAE-07-2021-0114 SN - 0968-4883 SN - 1758-7662 VL - 30 IS - 1 SP - 135 EP - 149 PB - Emerald Group Publishing Limited CY - Bingley ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Apergi, Maria A1 - Zimmermann, Eva A1 - Weko, Silvia A1 - Lilliestam, Johan T1 - Is renewable energy technology trade more or less conflictive than other trade? JF - Energy policy N2 - Renewable energy changes the geopolitics of energy: whereas access to fossil fuel resources were key in the past, control over technology and industry will be key in the future. Consequently, different scholars have predicted that a growing focus on renewables will increase or decrease conflict in the energy sector, with no consensus on which is most likely. Here, we investigate the degree of conflict in renewable energy technology (RET) trade by analyzing data on 7041 trade conflicts 1995–2020, guided by two sets of theory-driven hypotheses. We show that RET trade is associated with more, longer, and more intense trade conflicts than other trade conflicts for 1995–2016. This supports the neorealist, geo-economic view of countries being willing to risk conflict to increase their share of a market rather than avoiding conflicts to increase the overall market size. It also contradicts the view that renewables will reduce conflict: at least in the past and regarding trade, it has increased rather than decreased conflict. For 2017–2020, this trend is reversed and RET trade became significantly less conflictive than other trade. Our findings imply that improved conflict-resolution institutions for RET are needed. We also suggest establishing specific institutions to govern trade in immature technologies. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113538 SN - 0301-4215 SN - 1873-6777 VL - 177 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Baccini, Leonardo A1 - Heinzel, Mirko A1 - Koenig-Archibugi, Mathias T1 - The social construction of global health priorities BT - an empirical analysis of contagion in bilateral health aid JF - International studies quarterly N2 - Donors of development assistance for health typically provide funding for a range of disease focus areas, such as maternal health and child health, malaria, HIV/AIDS, and other infectious diseases. But funding for each disease category does not match closely its contribution to the disability and loss of life it causes and the cost-effectiveness of interventions. We argue that peer influences in the social construction of global health priorities contribute to explaining this misalignment. Aid policy-makers are embedded in a social environment encompassing other donors, health experts, advocacy groups, and international officials. This social environment influences the conceptual and normative frameworks of decision-makers, which in turn affect their funding priorities. Aid policy-makers are especially likely to emulate decisions on funding priorities taken by peers with whom they are most closely involved in the context of expert and advocacy networks. We draw on novel data on donor connectivity through health IGOs and health INGOs and assess the argument by applying spatial regression models to health aid disbursed globally between 1990 and 2017. The analysis provides strong empirical support for our argument that the involvement in overlapping expert and advocacy networks shapes funding priorities regarding disease categories and recipient countries in health aid. Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/isq/sqab092 SN - 0020-8833 SN - 1468-2478 VL - 66 IS - 1 PB - Oxford University Press CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Beisheim, Marianne A1 - Liese, Andrea Margit T1 - Summing up : key findings and avenues for future research Y1 - 2014 SN - 978-1-137-35925-0 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bergström, Tomas A1 - Franzke, Jochen A1 - Kuhlmann, Sabine A1 - Wayenberg, Ellen T1 - Future Outlook and Scenarios JF - The Future of Local Self-Government : European Trends in Autonomy, Innovations and Central-Local Relations N2 - Where is local self-government heading in the future? Among trends identified is firstly an intensification of multilevel, intermunicipal, and cross-border governance. In the future even more of cooperation and coordination among different political and administrative levels will be required. Territorial boundaries have become increasingly incongruent with functional public activities. Secondly, the innovative potential of introducing markets as templates for organisational reform has reached its end. Future reforms will most likely try to adapt market reforms to local public contexts, or even reverse the development. Finally, a tightening of state steering and an increased dependence on state funding to uphold local services is expected. Waves of amalgamations might slow down this process but they will not make financial problems disappear completely. KW - Local self-government KW - Governance KW - Organisational reform KW - Dependence KW - Amalgamations KW - Financial problems Y1 - 2021 SN - 978-3-030-56058-4 SN - 978-3-030-56059-1 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56059-1_20 SP - 227 EP - 286 PB - Springer CY - Cham ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bergström, Tomas A1 - Kuhlmann, Sabine A1 - Laffin, Martin A1 - Wayenberg, Ellen T1 - Special issue on comparative intergovernmental relations and the pandemic BT - how European devolved governments responded to a public health crisis JF - Local government studies N2 - This introduction and the special issue are a contribution to comparative intergovernmental studies and public administration. This introduction provides an analytical overview of the intergovernmental relations policy responses to the Covid-19 pandemic across ten European countries, focussing on the early waves of the disease. These policy responses are analysed in terms of three types of IGR process: (1) a predominantly multi-layered policy process involving limited conflict, (2) a centralised policy process as the central government attempts to suppress conflict and (3) a conflicted policy process where such attempts are contested and tend to contribute to poor policy outcomes. The conclusion, then, reviews the difficulties and trade-offs involved in attaining a balanced multi-layered, intergovernmental process. KW - intergovernmental relations KW - pandemic comparative KW - government comparative KW - public policy Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/03003930.2022.2039636 SN - 0300-3930 SN - 1743-9388 VL - 48 IS - 2 SP - 179 EP - 190 PB - Taylor & Francis CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bersalli, Germán A1 - Tröndle, Tim A1 - Heckmann, Leon A1 - Lilliestam, Johan T1 - Economic crises as critical junctures for policy and structural changes towards decarbonization BT - the cases of Spain and Germany JF - Climate policy N2 - Crises may act as tipping points for decarbonization pathways by triggering structural economic change or offering windows of opportunity for policy change. We investigate both types of effects of the global financial and COVID-19 crises on decarbonization in Spain and Germany through a quantitative Kaya-decomposition analysis of CO2 emissions and through a qualitative review of climate and energy policy changes. We show that the global financial crisis resulted in a critical juncture for Spanish CO2 emissions due to the combined effects of the deep economic recession and crisis-induced structural change, resulting in reductions in carbon and energy intensities and shifts in the economic structure. However, the crisis also resulted in a rollback of renewable energy policy, halting progress in the transition to green electricity. The impacts were less pronounced in Germany, where pre-existing decarbonization and policy trends continued after the crisis. Recovery packages had modest effects, primarily due to their temporary nature and the limited share of climate-related spending. The direct short-term impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on CO2 emissions were more substantial in Spain than in Germany. The policy responses in both countries sought to align short-term economic recovery with the long-term climate change goals of decarbonization, but it is too soon to observe their lasting effects. Our findings show that crises can affect structural change and support decarbonization but suggest that such effects depend on pre-existing trends, the severity of the crisis and political manoeuvring during the crisis. KW - COVID-19 KW - climate policy KW - decarbonization KW - structural change KW - economic crisis KW - green recovery Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2024.2301750 SN - 1469-3062 SN - 1752-7457 VL - 24 IS - 3 SP - 410 EP - 427 PB - Taylor & Francis CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bersalli, Germán A1 - Tröndle, Tim A1 - Lilliestam, Johan T1 - Most industrialised countries have peaked carbon dioxide emissions during economic crises through strengthened structural change JF - Communications earth & environment N2 - As the climate targets tighten and countries are impacted by several crises, understanding how and under which conditions carbon dioxide emissions peak and start declining is gaining importance. We assess the timing of emissions peaks in all major emitters (1965–2019) and the extent to which past economic crises have impacted structural drivers of emissions contributing to emission peaks. We show that in 26 of 28 countries that have peaked emissions, the peak occurred just before or during a recession through the combined effect of lower economic growth (1.5 median percentage points per year) and decreasing energy and/or carbon intensity (0.7) during and after the crisis. In peak-and-decline countries, crises have typically magnified pre-existing improvements in structural change. In non-peaking countries, economic growth was less affected, and structural change effects were weaker or increased emissions. Crises do not automatically trigger peaks but may strengthen ongoing decarbonisation trends through several mechanisms. KW - climate-change mitigation KW - economics KW - environmental economics KW - environmental studies Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00687-8 SN - 2662-4435 VL - 4 IS - 1 SP - 44 EP - 44 PB - Springer Nature CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bindenagel Šehović, Annamarie T1 - Towards a new definition of health security BT - a three-part rationale for the twenty-first century JF - Global public health : an international journal for research, policy and practice N2 - In recent years the framings of global health security have shifted while the structures governing global health have largely remained the same. One feature of the emerging re-ordering is the unresolved allocation of accountability between state and non-state actors. This brings to critical challenges to global health security to the fore. The first is that the consensus on the seeming shift from state to human security framing with regard to the global human right to health (security) risks losing its salience. Second, this conceptual challenge is mirrored on the operational level: if states and non-state actors do not assume responsibility for health security, who or what can guarantee health security? In order to address global health security against the backdrop of these twenty-first Century challenges, this article proceeds in three parts. First, it analyses the shortcomings of the current state-based World Health Organization (WHO) definition of health security. Second, taking into account the rising pressures posed to global health security and the inadequacy both of state-based and of ad hoc non-state responses, it proposes a new framing. Third, the article offers initial insights into the operational application of beyond state responses to (health) security challenges. KW - health security KW - citizenship KW - borders KW - state security KW - responsibility Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2019.1634119 SN - 1744-1692 SN - 1744-1706 VL - 15 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group CY - Abingdon, Oxfordshire ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Borgnäs, Kajsa T1 - Indicators as ‘circular argumentation constructs’? BT - an input–output analysis of the variable structure of five environmental sustainability country rankings JF - Environment, Development and Sustainability N2 - This paper is concerned with the normative underpinnings of popular sustainability indicators and country rankings. Attempts to quantify national sustainability in the form of composite indicators and rankings have increased rapidly over past decades. However, questions regarding validity and interpretability remain. This article combines theoretical and statistical tools to explore how input variables in five popular sustainability indicators can be related to different theoretical paradigms: weak and strong sustainability. It is shown that differences in theoretical interpretations affect input variable selection, which in turn affects indicator output. This points towards the risk of indicators becoming a sort of ‘circular argumentation construct’. The article argues that sustainability indicators and country rankings must be treated as theoretical just as much as statistical instruments. It is proposed that making underlying normative assumptions explicit, and making input variable selection more clear in a theoretical sense, can enhance indicator validity and usability for policy makers and researchers alike. KW - Sustainability indicators KW - Rankings KW - Weak and strong sustainability KW - Measurement theory KW - Circular argumentation Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-016-9764-0 SN - 1387-585X SN - 1573-2975 VL - 19 SP - 769 EP - 790 PB - Springer CY - Dordrecht ER -