Abu Elias Sarker

New public management in developing countries

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore and analyse the factors influencing the relative success and failure of new public management (NPM) initiatives in the developing world, with particular reference to Singapore and Bangladesh.Design/methodology/approach – Secondary materials have been extensively used, interpreted and reinterpreted to substantiate the arguments. The analysis has been confined to two countries. However, the experiences of NPM initiatives of other countries have also been analysed to strengthen the arguments.Findings – There are some critical factors such as the advanced level of economic development, the existence of a formal market economy, the rule of law, the advanced level of administrative infrastructure and state efficiency for the success of NPM‐oriented reforms. To a large extent, Singapore fulfills these conditions. Bangladesh is lagging behind these conditions, and has achieved very little in NPM initiatives. The findings also indicate that there is still a greater...

Patron-Client Politics and Its Implications for Good Governance in Bangladesh

Abstract Currently, good governance is a major concern of all politicians, administrators, academics, the international donor agencies and even common people. It is now increasingly being realized that without good governance, developing countries have little chance to progress. While its importance cannot be over-emphasized, many developing countries are facing difficulties in implementing the good governance agenda. Therefore, the factors constraining the good governance initiatives have to be carefully identified and analyzed. This paper identifies patron-client politics as a critical factor in the analysis of good governance initiatives in Bangladesh. In this paper, it is argued that patron-client politics is very much entrenched in Bangladesh and it has had a constraining effect on the institutionalization of good governance initiatives.

The illusion of decentralization: evidence from Bangladesh

Like many developing countries, Bangladesh has been experimenting with decentralization for a long period. However, despite numerous efforts undertaken over the years, decentralized governance remains elusive in Bangladesh. Drawing on historical and contemporary evidence, this paper analyzes the factors underlying the non‐functioning of decentralization in Bangladesh.

The New Mode of Public Governance and Public Accountability in Developing Countries: An Analysis with Particular Reference to Bangladesh

Abstract Public accountability is a fundamental element of good governance. All countries all over the world strive to ensure the accountability of public officials by adopting different kinds of mechanisms. Following the liberal democratic tradition, most countries in the world have relied on the legislative instruments, executive means, judicial and quasi-judicial processes, official rules, codes of conducts, official hierarchies, public hearings, interest groups, media scrutiny and so forth for ensuring public accountability. However, in recent years, the new mode of public governance has brought new dimensions to the discourse on public accountability. This new mode focuses largely on the market- and society-centered mechanisms. This article is an attempt to assess the effectiveness of these market- and society-centered mechanisms in ensuring public accountability in Bangladesh. The article has the following objectives: (a) to explore contemporary debates on the market- and society-centered mechanisms of public accountability; (b) to sketch the state of public accountability in Bangladesh; and (c) to analyze the effectiveness of the market- and society-centered mechanisms in view of the contemporary socio-economic and political dynamics of Bangladesh.

The Political Economy of Decentralized Governance: An Assessment of Rural Local Government Reforms in Bangladesh

Abstract Local government is being widely recognized in all developing countries as a vital institutional form for ensuring grass-root level democracy and participatory development. Bangladesh is no exception. This article reviews various experiments in local government reforms in Bangladesh and analyzes the relevant issues from a political economy perspective. Despite considerable efforts made over the years no effective and viable local government system has emerged in Bangladesh. Central control through local bureaucracy and the politicization of the management of local government affairs have been systematic phenomena.Abstract Local government is being widely recognized in all developing countries as a vital institutional form for ensuring grass-root level democracy and participatory development. Bangladesh is no exception. This article reviews various experiments in local government reforms in Bangladesh and analyzes the relevant issues from a political economy perspective. Despite considerable efforts made over the years no effective and viable local government system has emerged in Bangladesh. Central control through local bureaucracy and the politicization of the management of local government affairs have been systematic phenomena.

Public Enterprise Reform in Fiji Islands

Reforming the public sector has been on the agenda of nations throughout the world since the late 1970s. Fiji is no exception. It has embarked on reforming its commercial and industrial enterprises since the late 1980s. The government of Fiji has reformed most of its enterprises with an avowed objective of enhancing profitability, productivity, efficiency and accountability. This paper makes an attempt to share some of the experiences of public enterprise reform process in Fiji. It aims to analyze the background, process, contents and impact of the reform and examine the factors impeding the reform program. It highlights that (a) both internal and external factors were responsible for introducing reforms; (b) the reform efforts have not been able to produce desired results; (c) the structural inadequacies in institutions and organizations have created bottlenecks in the reform process; and (d) uncertainty in the political sphere has contributed further to policy shifts.

Managerial Innovations in the Egyptian Public Health Sector: An Empirical Investigation

The purpose of this article is to analyze the process of restructuring the Egyptian public health sector according to the new mode of governance principles and the concomitant dilemmas in the process. Based on an interpretative methodology, the findings of this research indicate that (a) despite some positive changes, serious doubts remain over the commercialization of basic public services; (b) confusions have emerged regarding the identity of public hospitals; (c) despite the introduction of the business management principles, the centralized hierarchical power of the state over the local governmental hospitals remains intact; (d) the new system has degraded the professional standards of medical practitioners and made them subservient to the whims of the financial management professionals; and (e) there have been some negative effects on equity.

The Changing Facets of Public Administration in the United Arab Emirates

ABSTRACT This article is an in-depth profile of the public administration system in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It specifically focuses on the relationship between the state, the market and civil society, the structure of the government and the civil service system and its functional areas. Reform initiatives undertaken in all these areas over the last decade have also been discussed. The findings reveal that the public administration system in the UAE has demonstrated considerable developments in facilitating the market forces, opening space for civil society and modernizing the civil service system.

An exploratory analysis of governance dynamics, institutional reforms and development: a comparative study of India and Bangladesh

ABSTRACT Governance has become a prominent issue over the last three decades or so in the intellectual and practical domains of public administration. Significant debates have proliferated about the significance, domains and types of governance and their implications for democracy and development, particularly in developing countries. Amidst the debates on the relationship between governance and development, political settlements analysis has become quite prominent that focuses on the implications of political settlement for reforming and enforcing institutions leading towards negative/positive economic development. This article aims to examine how the interlocked relationships among the members of the dominant power coalition in the governing system help reform the institutions, distribute privileges, maintain stability and affect economic development with particular reference to India and Bangladesh.