Suchergebnisse

A constitutional referendum on secession from Indonesia was held in East Timor in 1999, with a pro-independence vote triggering widespread violence by the Indonesian army and pro-union militia. Montenegro underwent a similar process in 2006, also opting for independence but with much smoother results. This article will suggest that the deliberative democratic principle of reciprocity can help deliver referendum law based on justifications that can be accepted by all parties concerned. In particular, it proposes that reciprocity can be operationalised in referendum law if the participants in the negotiations that formulate the laws accept fair terms of social cooperation (FTSCs) and resolve disagreements using economy of moral disagreement (EMD). Respectively, these mean parties to negotiations should be willing to justify their position in mutually acceptable terms and if consensus is impossible, agreements should minimise their rejection of other parties' views. This argument will be made using the negotiations that created East Timor and Montenegro's referendum laws as case studies.

This article considers ways in which the implementation of children's rights can be measured in law, policy and practice. It identifies best practice and lessons to be learnt when undertaking the process of auditing the implementation of children's rights. It draws on the author's experience of four different research projects whose task was to measure the extent to which children's rights were being protected and promoted. The article highlights the value of rights‐based research, which attempts to operationalise children's rights by measuring their practical implementation with regard to international standards including the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). It sets out the lessons to be learnt from such research, including how to develop appropriate and effective benchmarks, how to maximise existing standards to this end, and how to apply them in line with the general principles of the CRC.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how local government bodies in Nepal are empowered to play their constitutional roles and engage in activities to deliver public services at the doorsteps of the people effectively. The focus is on the institutionalisation of federalism, its implications for local governance, and capacity development of local authorities.Design/methodology/approachIdeas of decentralisation, governance and public management have been used to interpret findings based on qualitative research methods by key informant interviews, focus group discussions and personal observations conducted in five selected municipalities in Nepal.FindingsThe process of operationalising the power of local government bodies is more conventional and hierarchic. At the same time, the formulation and implementation of inclusive plans and budgeting are confined with certain formalities that do not necessarily allow citizens the space for voices. Federal government grants constrain fiscal jurisdiction and control over resource mobilisation. The mere preparation and administration of local government legislation and relevant by-laws have weakened the capacity of local government bodies.Originality/valueFrom interpretation of first-hand data, this paper has identified the pitfalls of the federalisation process, the constraints deter the devolution of power to local bodies as well as the transformation of local governments into autonomous institutions in Nepal.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore how local government bodies in Nepal are empowered to play their constitutional roles and engage in activities to deliver public services at the doorsteps of the people effectively. The focus is on the institutionalisation of federalism, its implications for local governance, and capacity development of local authorities.Design/methodology/approach - Ideas of decentralisation, governance and public management have been used to interpret findings based on qualitative research methods by key informant interviews, focus group discussions and personal observations conducted in five selected municipalities in Nepal.Findings - The process of operationalising the power of local government bodies is more conventional and hierarchic. At the same time, the formulation and implementation of inclusive plans and budgeting are confined with certain formalities that do not necessarily allow citizens the space for voices. Federal government grants constrain fiscal jurisdiction and control over resource mobilisation. The mere preparation and administration of local government legislation and relevant by-laws have weakened the capacity of local government bodies.Originality/value - From interpretation of first-hand data, this paper has identified the pitfalls of the federalisation process, the constraints deter the devolution of power to local bodies as well as the transformation of local governments into autonomous institutions in Nepal.

PurposeCritical realism is an increasingly popular "lens" through which complex events, entities and phenomena can be studied. Yet detailed operationalisations of critical realism are at present relatively scarce. This study's objective here is built on existing debates by developing an open systems model of reality, a basis for designing appropriate, internally consistent methodologies.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use a qualitative case study examining changing practices for client contact management in professional services firms during restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 crisis to show how the model can be operationalised across all stages of a research study.FindingsThis study contributes to the literature on qualitative applications of critical realism by providing a detailed example of how the research paradigm influenced choices at every stage of the case study process.Originality/valueMore importantly, this model of reality as an open system provides a tool for other researchers to use in their own operationalisation of critical realism in a variety of different settings.

The urge to limit the environmental impacts of human activities within the safe operating space of planetary boundaries to save the Earth is scientifically and politically agreed upon. Based on the Paris agreement, Science-Based Targets (SBTs) are set as Environmental Impact (EI) targets for companies to help them operate within the planetary boundaries. This research aims to develop a dynamic decision support tool for decision making on strategic directions of product families that satisfy not only their profit targets but also their environmental impact targets (SBTs). The proposed methodology applies a suggested framework to assess the Future-oriented Environmental Impact of product families, including a technology prediction model (logistic model) to capture market changes and the consequences of market changes on the EIs of product families. The proposed methodology also includes a Total Profit model and optimisation model (genetic algorithm) to allocate SBTs to product families. Moreover, the application of two suggested matrices, including relative Future-oriented Environmental Impact – Total Profit matrix and the Environmental Impact Reduction Requirement ratio – Total Profit matrix, offers strategic directions to product families towards operationalising SBTs.