Renu Khator

Managing development in a global context

Managing Development in a Global Context: An Introduction PART ONE: THEORETICAL AND HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES History of Development and Development as History Globalization and Trans-nationalization of the State Poverty and Sustainable Livelihoods Marginalization and Exclusion Trade, Labour and Human Rights in a Global Context PART TWO: CONTEMPORARY PARADIGMS The Transition From Development Administration to New Public Management: An Interpretative Exploration PART THREE: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES Global Challenges and Managerial Culture Challenges for the Administrative Culture in a Globalized World Democracy, Governability and Governance Ethics of Development: Governance and Management in a Global Era PART FOUR: THE WAY AHEAD Some Reflections on the Wellbeing of Nations

The Challenges of Sustainable Development

Sustainable development is nothing new. Biological and historical evidence indicate that sustainability is built into the functioning of natural and man-made systems. Indeed, animals, plants, and humans have continually submitted to these rules by design, force, or by choice. Tribal communities still exhibit sustainability as a core principle in their daily lifestyles. What is new about the idea of sustainable development is its emergence as an explicit paradigm rather than a default system of adaptation or a last resort. The need for an explicit paradigm emerged from the loss of traditional livelihoods, once humans began to exercise their know-how to alter or control nature. As a consumption-intensive lifestyle began to overshadow the practice of sustainability, the need to find a paradigm that could reverse the course of events became necessary. In this chapter, we discuss the evolution of sustainable development as a paradigm, followed by a brief discussion of its various characteristics. We conclude by identifying the challenges we face in making sustainability a “way of life.”

The new paradigm: from development administration to sustainable development administration

In light of changing national and international conditions, the field of public administration is going through an exercise of refounding and reinventing. Globalization, technological advancements, and ecological concerns have diluted the importance of development administration. This study traces the demise of development administration and presents a new paradigm in the form of sustainable development administration. The author argues that the paradigm of sustainable development administration (SDA) is markedly different from the traditional paradigm of development administration (DA) in its emphasis, scope, treatment of politics, view of indigenous cultures, goals, operating mode, decision-making system, use of foreign aid, and performance accountability. The study concludes by declaring that SDA has the potential to emerge as a new field of study in public administration. The discipline of public administration is at a crossroads: the advent of the “global village” philosophy is challenging its paroch...

Environment as a political issue in developing countries: a study of environmental pollution in India—a viewpoint

This paper is an attempt to examine (1) whether environment has become a political issue in developing countries and (2) what effects does it have on the environmental policy outputs. It is realized that although environment as an issue appears on institutional agenda in a number of developing countries, it has failed to come on the social agenda. The issue has not achieved as much “politicization,” as it is needed to show significant positive outcomes of environmental policies in most developing countries. The study of environmental pollution issue in India indicates that lack of public involvement had resulted into symbolism in countrys environment policy.

The Transition from Development Administration to New Public Management: an Interpretative Exploration

The internationalization of the theory and practice of public administration is a phenomenon closely related to the creation and evolution of the modern world system. Its roots are found in the European colonial expansion into the New World and subsequently Asia and Africa. The overseas empires and administrative systems that evolved there corresponded to particular modalities of accumulation in different historical periods. In the earlier cases of seventeenth-century Spain and Portugal, the mold was mercantile, while in the cases of British, French, Dutch, or Belgian expansion in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, modern capitalism prevailed.

Water pollution policy in India

This analysis of the determinants of public policy in Less Developed Countries (LDCs) focuses on environmental policy in India. We find that the magnitude of the problem or market failure exerts the greatest influence in policy, while political and economic development are weaker and less consistent factors. This implies that problems must get worse before they get better, and that politicians are often suppliers of symbolic reassurance rather than tangible policy outputs. The findings are of interest to specialists in comparative public policy, Indian politics and political development.

Poverty and Sustainable Livelihoods

This chapter explores the issue of poverty and how conventional ways of managing development have not only failed to extricate the poor from their predicament, but have generally excluded them from development altogether. It also analyzes both the conditions of economic insecurity and the nature of the global economic regime that manages and nurtures such conditions. To approach these tasks in a systematic way, we will concentrate upon the relationships among poverty, livelihoods, and globalization.

Introduction: Managing Development in a Global Context

This book is largely an interpretative examination and analysis of the role of management and organization in human development. It will explore the historical record; the current global, regional, and national characteristics of present developmental and managerial dilemmas; and possible future scenarios. Of particular interest is the analysis of the relationship among mutual vulnerability, human insecurity, and de-development. In this sense, our work brings into question many of the prevailing linear and unidirectional understandings of development, management, politics, and globalization. One of our concerns is how to connect the copious amount of theoretical literature and the various practices in order to understand development as a long-range process involving continuity and change. We also examine the development-management challenges facing both the global South and its wealthy but equally vulnerable Western counterpart.

Democracy, Governability, and Governance

The term “government” has a long historical lineage, dating back to the origins of civilization. Etymologically it is derived from the Greek word kyvernites, meaning steersman, pilot, or rudder. The word also conveys the notion of power (as in kratos), and is also the root of the modern term “cybernetics.” In essence it means the structures of decision-making and the procedures by which such decisions are implemented (or not implemented). Aristotle (384–322 BC) in his Politics was concerned with what makes government virtuous or venal; in other words what is good government.

The Ethics of Development: Management in a Global Era

The term “ethics” comes from the Greek word ethos which means accepted customs and traditions of a society; later, in Roman times, the term was translated into Latin as mores, which is the root of the words morals and morality. Sometimes, these two terms, “ethics” and “morality” are used as virtual synonyms. However, they mean different things. Ethics refers to fundamental values and principles underlying human action; morality refers to the observance of socially acceptable and customary practices. Nowadays, the common use of these terms is cast in terms of what is good or evil, right and wrong, as well as the appropriate conduct of people in a society (Engel, 1990: 6)