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This literature review provides an in-depth exploration of local governance in Thailand, illuminating its evolution and critical role in public administration, service provision, and local representation. Historically, Thailand’s local governance, marked by a centralized approach, has undergone transitions aimed at decentralizing power to foster democracy and enhance service delivery. However, there exists a gap in comprehensive studies focusing on the intricacies and challenges within local structures. This review, therefore, seeks to bridge this knowledge gap, theorizing that the effectiveness of local governance is intertwined with political stability, participatory governance, transparency, and harmonious inter-governmental relations. The study unveils significant challenges faced by local governance, including corruption, political interference, limited financial autonomy, and capacity constraints, which are reflective of deeper structural and institutional inadequacies. These challenges impact the representation of local interests and compromise development initiatives and service quality. This work brings forth new insights into the impact of historical contexts, structural dynamics, and political landscapes on local governance structures, contributing to a nuanced understanding of the prevailing issues in a transforming democratic scenario. To fortify local governance, the paper proposes a series of reforms focusing on enhancing accountability, transparency, public participation, and inter-governmental coordination, alongside recommendations to diminish political interference, combat corruption, and bolster financial autonomy and capacity. Implementing these reforms will lead to a more inclusive, transparent, and accountable local governance system, serving as a catalyst for sustainable development and democratic consolidation. This synthesis serves as a guide for future research and policy formulation, aiming at refining local governance frameworks not only in Thailand but also in analogous contexts globally.

This paper investigates whether philanthropic giving decisions and amount of charitable giving are related to firms' political connections and ownership type. To this end, Chinese firms listed on either the Shenzhen or Shanghai stock exchange between 2004 and 2011 are examined, where government interference in the business sector is prevalent, state ownership structure is dominant, and corporate political connections prevail. Our analyses show (1) a significant and positive relationship between political connections and the likelihood and extent of firm contributions; (2) a significant and negative relationship between state ownership and extent of firm contributions; and (3) a stronger relationship between political connections and corporate philanthropy in non-state-owned firms. These findings with regard to the relationship between corporate giving, political connections, and ownership type have important implications for understanding corporate giving behavior in China and in emerging markets in general.

Prior research suggests that ownership structure is associated to corporate social responsibility (CSR) in developed countries. This article examines whether and how ownership structure affects CSR in emerging markets using Chinese firms' social responsibility ranking. Our empirical evidences show that for non-state-owned firms, corporate ownership dispersion is positively associated to CSR. However, for state-owned firms, whose controlling shareholder is the state, this relation is reversed. We attribute the reversed relationship to political interferences and further test this hypothesis by demonstrating that regional economic development is negatively related to CSR for state-owned firms due to decreased political interference in more developed areas. This study is the first to directly examine the relationship between the dispersion of corporate ownership and CSR in emerging markets, and our results depict that it is important to consider ownership type in assessing CSR in emerging market where state ownership is still prevalent such as China. The results also reveal that firm size, profitability, employee power, leverage, and growth opportunity affect CSR in China.

PurposeThe study aims to show how the public interest has been argued to justify the political interference in the accounting of financial entities as a tool to face a critical financial situation in a country. And to offer a different perspective of the publicness notion that focuses on the field of financial accounting for private entities.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws on legal and political arguments referred to the public interest that consider the balancing approach, and so goes beyond the traditional agency framework, to explain politicians' influence on financial reporting. The behavior of the newly elected Spanish government, which issued accounting impairment rules for banks is described, and the accounting practices of a highly politically connected financial entity—Bankia—are used to illustrate the consequences of that intervention.FindingsThe paper evidences that the government intervention, which implied non-compliance with IFRS, was in line with its economic goals, led to the financial sector bailout and avoided the rescue of the country. This is what we call “breaking rules to achieve the public interest”, which is also consistent with a big-bath behavior to justify the bailout and legitimate the decision to breach IFRS. The silence of enforcers is consistent with the balancing approach that suggests compliance costs from a breach of rules are perceived less relevant after a high-level decision.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a country-specific study based on a single case study that limits the generalizability of the findings.Originality/valueThis research provides a new angle to consider the political motivations to intervene in accounting in the private sector, as well as the enforcers' motivations to allow it. From an interdisciplinary perspective, it shows how politicians have argued the “public interest” to use (and abuse) to intervene in accounting rules, as well as to influence the accounting practice of a highly politically connected bank. It also highlights the potential long-term unintended consequences of these actions.

This study examines the complexities of school governance in Tanzanian public secondary schools within the framework of education decentralisation reforms. These reforms, intended to boost local autonomy and improve educational outcomes, have restructured governance but also introduced challenges, especially regarding power distribution and stakeholder roles in decision-making. Using critical educational policy analysis, the research uncovers power struggles, conflicts of interest and the influence of financial and social capital on governance. It uncovers power dynamics among central authorities, local governments, school governing boards (SGBs), administrators and communities. Data were gathered from 32 participants across 10 schools in Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro through interviews, document analysis and focus groups. The participants included Regional and District Education Officers, SGB members, Ward Education Officers, heads of school and subject teachers. Findings reveal that, despite decentralisation's promise of increased local involvement, existing inequalities and central control persist, particularly in the politicised appointment of SGB members. Political interference often limits the decision-making power of SGBs, reducing their autonomy. The study concludes that for decentralisation to enhance school governance effectively, transparency of SGB appointments, decision-making autonomy and their protection from political interference must be prioritised. The findings suggest the need for policy reforms to enhance transparency in appointment procedures, stakeholders' participation in school governance and increased local autonomy. This research highlights critical governance challenges in Tanzanian public secondary schools under decentralisation reforms, revealing persistent inequalities and political interference in decision-making. By emphasising the need for transparent appointment procedures and greater autonomy for school governing boards, the study provides actionable insights for policymakers to enhance local participation and accountability in school governance. Its findings have significant implications for improving education policy and fostering equitable governance structures.

The media plays a crucial role in democratic societies by promoting transparency and holding power to account. However, the media's ability to function independently has come under scrutiny with increasing concerns about government and political influence on editorial content. This study, through the lens of media capture theory, investigates the relationship between government interests, ownership influence and media independence in Ghana, offering insights into their implications for democratic accountability and corruption mitigation. Using a mixed-methods approach with data collected through surveys and interviews and analyzed thematically, the findings reveal a substantial government interest in the media, primarily aimed at covering corrupt activities. The study reveals that media owners' political affiliations significantly influence editorial decisions, with journalists working in politically affiliated media feeling pressured to align their reporting with the owner's interests. Despite the importance of media independence, challenges such as financial constraints and threats persist. The study concludes that the interconnections between government interests, ownership influence and editorial independence significantly undermine the media's role as a democratic watchdog. Further, this study recommends interventions such as establishing clear policies to delineate editorial decisions from ownership influence, strengthening regulatory frameworks to curb government overreach, and supporting independent media through sustainable funding mechanisms.

Are cyber-enabled information warfare (IW) campaigns uniquely threatening when compared with traditional influence operations undertaken by state actors? Or is the recent “hacking” of Western democracies simply old wine in new—but fundamentally similar—bottles? This article draws on classical theories of democratic functionality from the political science and communications studies fields to deconstruct the aims and effects of cyber-enabled IW. I describe democracies as information systems wherein the moderating functions of democratic discourse and policy deliberation rely on robust mechanisms for asserting the credibility, origination, and quality of information. Whereas the institutions of democracy are often compromised in ways that force failures of the system’s moderating dynamics, influence operations in the digital age act to subvert the traditional mechanisms of democratic functionality in new ways. Sophisticated digital age information operations create a multifaceted attribution challenge to the target state that amounts to unprecedented uncertainty about the nature and scope of the threat. However, the promise of cyber-enabled IW capabilities emerges more from the rewiring of modern democratic information environments around new media platforms than it does from the cyber conflict faculties of state actors. Rather, cyber operations act as an adjunct modifier of IW abilities that allow belligerent governments to secure new sources of private information, to divert attention from other pillars of IW campaigns, to compromise the capabilities of domestic counterintelligence assets and to tacitly coerce important members of society.

Governments around the world establish state-owned enterprises (SoEs) to drive revenue generation and promote socioeconomic development. In South Africa, SoEs face significant challenges in balancing service delivery mandates, economic objectives, and compliance with public procurement legislation. This highlights the critical role of effective procurement practices in fostering transparency, fairness, and efficiency. This investigation focused on procurement practices at Eskom Holdings Ltd (Eskom) and the Airports Company South Africa Ltd (ACSA), two key SoEs in South Africa. The study aimed to analyse and identify procurement processes that could enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness in both organisations. A purposive sampling strategy was employed to select fifteen participants from strategic business areas within Eskom and ACSA. The research used thematic analysis, a qualitative approach, to uncover critical insights. Findings revealed that although Eskom and ACSA both prioritise transparency, fairness, and compliance, Eskom places greater emphasis on cost competitiveness, sometimes at the expense of strict adherence to procurement legislation. Moreover, political interference emerged as a major factor undermining decision-making processes, reducing transparency and operational efficiency across both entities. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by synthesising current research, addressing gaps, and providing actionable recommendations for improving procurement practices at Eskom and ACSA to better align with governance principles and legislative requirements.

The power afforded to the administrative state is heavily reliant on public trust and the perception of evidence-based agency decision-making. Organizational reputation is key to preserving regulatory power. However, recent investigations reveal that existing scientific integrity policies may not be sufficient to preserve the credibility of many federal agencies. In fact, a significant number of career scientists across various entities – including the FDA – have observed unreported incidents of political interference. While political influence exerted by the executive branch to set policy goals and determine agency priorities can be beneficial, political pressures must not undermine public trust in scientific agencies. Recently, public perception regarding the FDA’s COVID-19 response threatened to weaken the agency’s longstanding reputation as the gold standard of review. The COVID-19 pandemic publicized vulnerabilities that exist across agencies, as well as those that are unique to the FDA. The FDA’s evolution as an increasingly public health-focused agency that must function in the landscape of politicized science exposes the agency to a greater risk of political interference. After all, the FDA’s involvement in public health requires increased participation in non-ideal, value-based decision-making. Throughout its history, the FDA has managed to maintain its reputation through its firm responses to scandal. The COVID-19 pandemic provides a platform for the FDA to – once again – look introspectively and institute safeguards addressing vulnerabilities that plagued the agency’s pandemic response. This Article examines the FDA’s early COVID-19 response to propose reforms that promote meaningful transparency, public accountability, and scientific integrity.

Impact investing is gaining substantial traction globally and in sub-Saharan Africa. In contrast to conventional investors, impact investors not only seek financial returns, but also measurable, positive social and environmental impact. A growing number of impact investments have been observed in the region in recent years, particularly in water purification infrastructure. This study sought to identify the primary barriers and opportunities that impact investors face in this sector. Semi-structured personal interviews were conducted with 20 experts in the South African impact-investment value chain and water provision system. Participants identified more barriers than opportunities and were mainly concerned about the lack of lifecycle support, the possibility of political interference and low financial return expectations. Interviewees did, however, acknowledge the potential influence that these investments have on local communities and economies. Experts were of the opinion that the best opportunities are found in decentralised water purification infrastructure, especially where it involves innovation at a convergence of sectors. As the public funding gap in South Africa is likely to grow in future, innovative deal structures and government support will become even more important.