Jean-Patrick Villeneuve

Organizational barriers to transparency: a typology and analysis of organizational behaviour tending to prevent or restrict access to information

Transparency in the activities of government and public service agencies has become a democratic sine qua non, legislated by access to information laws in many countries. While these laws have increased the amount of information available to the public, it is evident that numerous public organizations still try to conceal information, although no public or private interest of any importance justifies such behaviour. This article will develop a typology of these forms of behaviour which will allow for a better understanding of the origins of such dynamics and pave the way for a better evaluation of the point of equilibrium between administrative privilege and transparency.

Transparency of Transparency: The pro-active disclosure of the rules governing Access to Information as a gauge of organisational cultural transformation. The case of the Swiss transparency regime

Abstract Transparency has become a fundamental aspect of organisational life in the public sector. In this context, the spread of Access to Information legislations has been central. This trend has been studied from a number of angles, from the theoretical implications to the inputs and outputs of transparency. This contribution looks at an underdeveloped aspect that is the proactive Transparency of Transparency; the open and unobstructed communication of the processes aimed at generating this transparency. This study looks at the Transparency of Transparency of Swiss Federal websites relating to the rules and regulations framing the 2006 Access to Information Law. This study was first completed in 2008 and replicated in 2011. The study shows that the objective of the law, mainly to create a cultural transformation from secrecy to transparency as an organisational norm, has not been realised. It also questions and positions the Transparency of Transparency as one of the key elements in the managerial cycle of transparency.

Who’s fault is it? An analysis of the press coverage of football betting scandals in France and the United Kingdom

Abstract Sport betting is a lucrative business for bookmakers, for the lucky (or wise) punters, but also for governments and for sport. While not new or even recent, the deviances linked to sport betting, primarily match-fixing, have gained increased media exposure in the past decade. This exploratory study is a qualitative content analysis of the press coverage of sport betting-related deviances in football in two countries (UK and France), using in each case two leading national publications over a period of five years. Data analysis indicates a mounting coverage of sport betting scandals, with teams, players and criminals increasingly framed as culprits, while authorities and federations primarily assume a positive role. As for the origin of sport betting deviances, French newspapers tend to blame the system (in an abstract way); British newspapers, in contrast, focus more on individual weaknesses, notably greed. This article contributed to the growing body of literature on the importance of these deviances and on the way they are perceived by sport organizations, legislators and the public at large.

Structuring the Transparency Deficits of ICT-enabled Production and Use of Governmental Information

This paper investigates and tries to structure endogenous causes of the inappropriate creation, storage and management of public records (upstream dynamics of transparency). The research is a still on-going exploratory analysis of so-far under-researched upstream transparency deficiencies. Recent transparency scandals in the US and Canada demonstrate access provisions need to be complemented with rules, regulations and cultures linked to the entire documentary process; from creation to access. The cases selected reveal challenges linked to digital communication and information, thus pointing to a lack of culture, regulation or simply uncertainty in light of public administrations increased use of ICT tools.

Lifestyle Risks ∙ Acknowledging and Addressing the Issue of Match Fixing: The Case of Sport Organisations

This section discusses the regulation of “lifestyle risks”, a term that can apply to both substances and behaviours. Lifestyle risks take place along the line of “abstinence – consumption – abuse – addiction”. This can concern substances such as food, alcohol or drugs, as well as behaviours such as gambling or sports. The section also addresses the question of the appropriate point of equilibrium between free choice and state intervention (regulation), as well as the question of when risks can be considered to be acceptable or tolerable. In line with the interdisciplinary scope of the journal, the section aims at updating readers on both the regulatory and the scientific developments in the field. It analyses legislative initiatives and judicial decisions and at the same time it provides insight into recent empirical studies on lifestyle risks.