Francis Amagoh

Public sector reform in Kazakhstan: issues and perspectives

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate public sector reform (PSR) initiatives in Kazakhstan, and how such reform efforts have helped the government to be more responsive to the needs and demands of the citizens.Design/methodology/approach – The paper examined four key PSR initiatives: decentralization, Civil Service reform, e‐governance, and civil society in improving governance in post‐Soviet Kazakhstan.Findings – In light of Kazakhstan governments efforts to reform the public sector, the study finds that substantial progress has been made in improving its service delivery systems and enhancing good governance.Research limitations/implications – The study is an investigation of four out of several PSR initiatives aimed at improving good governance.Originality/value – The study provides insights into how aspects of PSR can be fundamentally useful in promoting good governance.

Application of QFD in product development of a glass manufacturing company in Kazakhstan

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how quality function deployment can be used to improve the quality of tinted glass produced by a glass manufacturing company in Kazakhstan.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected using a combination of Delphi method, unstructured, and semi‐structured survey. Principal component and Pareto analysis were used to identify the ranking of customer wants needed to improve the acceptability of the product in the market.Findings – The paper suggests that satisfying all customer needs require the deployment of all the technology and resources available to the company. It illustrates the possible courses of action company management can take based on prevailing market conditions.Research limitations/implications – The research shows the specific requirements of customers for tinted glass used in industrial settings. From supply chain perspective, downstream customer opinions were used to identify the desired product attributes.Practical implications – ...

New Public Management and Health Reform in Kazakhstan

Faced with limited resources, governments around the world are struggling to devise the most effective means to deliver basic health services. This is especially true for transitional countries, such as Kazakhstan, which gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The country has embarked on a framework known as Kazakhstan 2030, which aims among other things, to improve the living standards of all Kazakhs by the year 2030. A number of reform agendas have been underway in the health sector. This article provides a brief history of Kazakhstans healthcare reform efforts, and analyzes its most recent comprehensive healthcare reform, the National Program of Health Care Reform and Development for 2005–2010, within the context of new public management (NPM). The article juxtaposes aspects of the National Program of Health Care Reform and Development for 2005–2010 within the following elements of NPM: decentralization, competition, efficiency and quality, and civil society and partnerships.

Improving the credibility and effectiveness of non-governmental organizations

As a part of the third-sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are faced with issues of trust and accountability. Questions are increasingly being raised about how to make NGOs more accountable for the funds they receive and how to enhance their effectiveness and performance. This article examines the issues of trust and credibility of NGOs. The article identifies a number of factors that would help improve NGOs’ credibility, effectiveness and performance. Implications for third-sector organizations are discussed.

Determinants of e-government diffusion in Nigeria An examination of theoretical models

While Nigeria began its e-government initiatives in the early 2000s, the country is still in the early stages of e-government development, with very low e-government diffusion among its population. Through the administration of survey questionnaires, this paper first identifies the benefits of e-government, and then examines factors of e-government diffusion in Nigeria via three theoretical models of innovation diffusion (Technology Acceptance Model, Diffusion of Innovation theory, and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology). Results of the study suggest that the anticipated benefits of e-government in Nigeria are similar to those found in other studies in the e-government literature. Prominent factors of e-government diffusion found in the study capture the dimensions of the three theories. However, due to the unique nature of the Nigerian context, two factors (trust in government and reliable electricity supply) of e-government diffusion identified in the study are not within the dimensions of the theoretical models. The paper suggests that the Nigerian government should address the factors identified in the study (such as reliable electricity supply, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, relative advantage, etc.) in order to facilitate e-government diffusion in the country. The study therefore provides a basis within which policy makers should aim to improve the deployment and diffusion of e-government in Nigeria.

Process analysis and capacity utilization in a dental clinic in Kazakhstan

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the service delivery system of a dental clinic in Kazakhstan to maximize the clinic’s efficiency. , – The study uses process analysis to determine the capacity utilization and areas of bottlenecks in the dental clinic’s system. , – The analysis shows that the most severe bottleneck is identified in step 16 of the 20-step patient flow process. The system efficiency is approximately 62 per cent. , – The study will help similar health-care organizations identify areas of bottlenecks in their operational system. This would allow management to deploy optimal resources that would improve systems’ performance. , – The paper provides a framework for health-care managers to identify how to reduce patient throughput time and increase patient satisfaction.