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Full-text available at SSRN. See link in this record. ; Over the past decade, governments at various levels across China have begun to introduce new measures to promote corporate social responsibility (企业社会责任) (CSR) as an explicit policy objective. The multifaceted and dynamic nature of CSR represents an ideal context in which to explore the potential for new relationships between the state, the business community, and civil society organizations in China. This paper applies collaborative governance theories of government engagement with businesses, citizen and industry groups, and other actors to examine the role of the state in promoting CSR in China. Adopting a comparative approach, this paper observes that CSR policies are largely state-driven and focused on enforcement of existing laws and regulations, although there is some evidence of cross-sectoral collaboration around the development and dissemination of CSR initiatives. These findings raise important questions about the meaning and viability of collaborative governance in China and the intersections of CSR and the law.

Effective Corporate Governance is seen as a key factor in achieving economic performance. This article aims to define key performance indicators (KPIs) of Corporate Governance (CG). Defined indicators in a clear, understandable and measurable way reflect the performance of CG. To meet the objectives of the article, a literature search was performed. Approaches of international organizations (IFAC, DVFA, EABIS and UNCTAD) to measure the performance of CG were analysed. In addition, a questionnaire survey was carried out. The purpose of the questionnaire survey was to describe the current situation and approach of companies to the issue of CG. Based on a synthesis of the knowledge 14 KPIs divided into six areas are proposed: Strategy; Effectiveness of CG; Corruption & anti-competitive behaviour; Involvement in politics & payments to public officials and institutions; Relations with stakeholders; and Compliance.

Public procurement serves as the means by which public goods and services are acquired through contracts with private firms, as well as a means by which governments promote policies such as socioeconomic diversity. In the U.S., diversity goals are pursued through preferences for contract awards by public agencies to businesses owned by members of disadvantaged groups, such as Native Americans, women, and disabled veterans. In this paper we argue that the extent to which these policies are realized depends substantially on implementation--specifically, on agency contracting capacity. Given current deficiencies in federal agency contracting capacity, diversity governance is largely missing. Rather, agencies use minority-based preferences in order to reduce their workload, thereby awarding contracts for convenience rather than to redress disadvantage and discrimination. We demonstrate that, when agencies use these expedient measures to sidestep the intent of public policy, they risk diverting contracts from deserving to undeserving firms. Unless agencies increase their contacting capacity, diversity governance in this important area of public administration will remain impoverished.

This study presents evidence about relations between national cultural dimensions, socioeconomic development and governance quality. Relations between Hofstede's dimensions, Schwartz cultural values, Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) and UNPD Human Development Index (HDI) were analysed by using correlations, multiple regression analysis, moderator and mediator analyses as well as path analyses. Correlation results showed that WGI, indulgence, harmony, affective and intellectual autonomy and egalitarianism were positively and power distance, embeddedness, and hierarchy negatively related to HDI. Regression analyses and moderation analyses showed that WGI moderated the relations between HDI and indulgence, embeddedness, intellectual autonomy and affective autonomy. In path models using structural equation modelling techniques, the effects of power distance and individualism on HDI were fully mediated by WGI whereas indulgence vs. restraint and long-term orientation had significant paths only to WGI. The effect of Schwarz's embeddedness dimension on HDI was partly mediated by WGI. In both models, WGI was strongly related to HDI. These results emphasize the importance of the quality of governance in socioeconomic development. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

In this article, we propose a new approach to an old question: How does development affect religion-state relations? We argue that because development increases states' ability to effectively formulate and implement policy, it will be associated with greater state regulation of religion. This stands in contrast to predominant theories that examine development's negative impact on individual religiosity while largely overlooking the impact that development may have on state institutions. We test our theory using data drawn from over 160 countries, and demonstrate that the effect of economic development on state regulation of religion is consistently positive, substantively significant, and robust to alternative measurements and the inclusion of a broad range of controls. Statistical analysis also demonstrates that the correlation between development and state regulation of religion is primarily a result of economic development's impact on state capacity, rather than social dislocation or improved coordination by religious communities. Incorporating state capacity recasts the study of religious regulation—and suggests that economic growth is unlikely to take religion off the political agenda.