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Abstract
International efforts to protect biodiversity date back to the 1970s. The effectiveness of Multilateral Environmental Agreements and regional legal instruments has been influenced by national implementation. In this process, subnational governance plays a crucial role. Although policy implementation has been extensively investigated, its subnational dimension has been somewhat neglected, particularly in peripheral areas such as the Outermost Regions of Europe. These remote territories are critical areas in the global fight against biodiversity loss since their ecosystems' richness makes them biodiversity hotspots. The article applies the knowledge cumulated in policy research to the implementation of biodiversity policy in two of these territories – Reunion Island (France) and the Canary Islands (Spain) – and analyzes policy implementation in the context of multi-level governance. The article questions whether and to what extent decentralization benefits biodiversity policies and highlights salient trade-offs: local empowerment versus fragmentation of competences; responsiveness versus subnational discretion; and accountability versus policy capture.

AbstractWhile scholars have investigated how media frame human mobility and securitize irregular border crossings, little research has been dedicated to how European Union (EU) actors are portrayed in media coverage of migration across the Mediterranean. By integrating framing into narrative analysis through the Narrative Policy Framework, our article fills this gap. Specifically, we provide a content analysis of Italian, Maltese, and Spanish newspapers and identify the key narratives underlying the portrayal of specific EU actors. We show that, overall, lack of EU solidarity is the prevalent issue in Italian, Maltese, and Spanish newspapers alike, followed by the alleged inefficiency of EU actors. Accordingly, the EU and its key actors are regularly narrated as either villains, responsible for the crisis and deserting member states in need of solidarity, or as weaklings unable to take effective action. These narratives appear remarkably consistent across countries, over time, and newspapers with different ideological orientation.

AbstractPolitical scientists have crafted intricate taxonomies to classify nations beyond liberal democracy, positioning these societies along an authoritarian continuum. Despite the pivotal role of journalists in accelerating political dynamics, there exists a lack of comparative research on media governance in these regimes. Consequently, this study scrutinizes the media governance ecosystems in Vietnam and Singapore. Vietnam is a one-party authoritarian state, whereas Singapore represents a hybrid political system. However, both countries exhibit a stable and uninterrupted rule by the respective ruling party. Our research uncovers the nuances of Singapore's media regulation, which embeds trusted stakeholders with financial interests in key press roles to reinforce the implicit political norms. Conversely, Vietnam employs a more direct, coercive, and state-centric approach. Media actors in both nations occasionally test the boundaries of acceptable discourses, with each government's responses being shaped by specific contexts and broader history. Reforms in Vietnam, embracing privatization and commercialization, mirror Singapore's integration of capitalism, public ownership, and commercial interests when governing media. These findings highlight diverse yet effective authoritarian media governance strategies, unique features, and commonalities in both systems. Overall, media structures in these Southeast Asian countries have undergone profound evolutions towards more sophisticated regulatory tools to manage societal and political transformations.

PurposeESG (Environment, Social, Governance) has taken on increased importance in recent years for all stakeholders, with the S dimension now taking on a stronger focus in the real estate space. This paper proposes a new metric to be used in the S space to assess improvements in aspects such as gender equality and cultural diversity in real estate. It adds to the S metrics currently available to see the more effective delivery of the S dimension into real estate investment decision-making.Design/methodology/approachA new S metric in ESG is proposed and validated. Using this metric, examples regarding gender equality and cultural diversity are assessed among leading real estate players in Australia. This S metric is assessed over a number of time periods to demonstrate the improvements in gender equality and cultural diversity in these major real estate players.FindingsThis new S metric is seen to be highly effective and robust in capturing the changes in various aspects of the S dimension in ESG in the real estate space today; particularly concerning gender equality and cultural diversity. It is clearly able to demonstrate the significant changes in increased participation of women at the more senior leadership levels by leading players in the real estate space.Practical implicationsWith ESG becoming a critical issue in the real estate sector, issues involved in the S space will take on increased significance going forward. This is critical, as the elements of the S dimension such as gender equality and cultural diversity are important aspects for an effectively functioning real estate industry. The S metric developed in this paper can be used for benchmarking purposes over time, as well as between real estate players, between sub-sections within a real estate organisation, and comparing against other industry sectors. It is also relevant in all organisations, and is not just limited to the real estate sector. Additional metrics in the S space are an important development to further empirically assess the effective delivery of the S dimension of ESG in the real estate sector and more broadly.Originality/valueThis paper specifically proposes this new S metric in ESG in the real estate industry. This is a key issue for the real estate industry going forward at all levels, as it will facilitate a more diverse real estate industry and more effective real estate investment decision-making. This S metric is applicable in all organisational sectors where the S dimension of ESG is important.

In the complex world of international negotiations, nation-states often navigate a spectrum of political relationships, from alliances and partnerships to competition and rivalry. Despite their diverse backgrounds and interests, the BRICS countries collectively constitute a significant proportion of global greenhouse gas emissions. Drawing upon the principles of neoliberal institutionalism, this study delves into the origins of the BRICS cooperation mechanism and its impact on climate cooperation among its member states. Our analysis traces the climate policies of BRICS nations since the inception of the UNFCCC in 1992, taking into consideration factors such as their level of economic development, environmental vulnerability, and the broader international political context. We argue that these three factors primarily shape the dynamics of alliance and partnership within BRICS regarding climate governance, although underlying competition may also influence collaborative efforts. This study aims to stimulate further theoretical discourse on the formation of political alliances within the context of global climate governance.

AbstractA plethora of government‐ and non‐government actors are involved in the labour market integration of highly skilled refugees, forming a complex "system" that is difficult to navigate for integration actors and refugees. Based on interviews with 32 labour market integration actors in Sweden, this article examines multi‐level governance gaps in the wake of the simultaneous centralization and decentralization of labour market preparation services. It examines various "steps" in the labour market integration process to gain a more holistic perspective of "the system", and identifies governance gaps in each step. The article finds that the devolution of services has opened up participatory spaces for non‐government actors, but narrowly defined mandates and short‐term funding mechanisms hamper cooperation within and between territorial levels of policy implementation.

AbstractWhile the relationship between ESG disclosures and firm risk has been researched substantially, the results remain inconclusive, and contradictory, as of 2023. Through meta‐analysis, we investigate the effect of ESG disclosures measured by studies using E, S, G, or ESG disclosure on firm risk measured as total, systematic, or idiosyncratic risk with a sample of 76 papers published between 1991 and 2023. To the best of our knowledge, this is the pioneering attempt to investigate the impact of ESG disclosure on firm risk by adopting a meta‐analytical procedure to assess the significance of estimated mean effect size followed by meta‐regression analysis to test the effect of potential moderators. E, S, and G disclosures were found to be inversely related to firm risk as proposed by stakeholder and legitimacy theories. Further, the relationship between ESG disclosures and firm risk was found to be more pronounced for idiosyncratic risk rather than systematic risk. Results confirmed that firm size and female participation significantly moderated the relation between ESG disclosures and the level of firm risk. However, R&D, financial flexibility, disclosure index, and ROA had an insignificant but negative impact on the relationship. Our findings provide solace to managers and policymakers who may increasingly invest in ESG activities without worrying as ESG investing results in reducing firm risk. In addition, to manage risk, portfolio managers may include more stocks of environmentally as well as socially responsible firms in their portfolios. Future studies may suggest new moderators in the field of ESG disclosures and firm risk, thereby broadening the theoretical realm. Subsequent studies should examine the influence of specific environmental concerns such as carbon emissions, as well as social concerns such as gender equality and employee compensation, on stock returns. It contributes to the prevailing debate on ESG disclosures and firm risk nexus as well as attempts to shed light on pertinence of moderators affecting the relationship.

This article analyses how regional actors and national authorities shape and transform 'the region' from a geographical place into an object of governance for organising and delivering older person care. Drawing on an extensive ethnographic research project in the Netherlands, our findings show that these actors in interaction constitute the region through three practices: consistently creating urgency to foreground regional problems and solutions; renegotiating regulatory policies to facilitate regional care provision; and reconstructing care infrastructures to materialise regional care provision. Actors use and obtain power from co-existing and interacting institutional arrangements to develop new regional care arrangements. This evokes new interdependencies that reconfigure existing governance arrangements. Studying governance objects in-the-making reveals the required iterations, reconsiderations, and adjustments as processes within a given (ambiguous) institutional context, and which lead to institutional change. As regional organisation policies are increasingly scrutinised, this article provides an interesting and important contribution to this field.

During contemporary political disruptions, this study comprehensively examines transformative dynamics in public administration in Indonesia. We delve into the complex interplay of agile governance, a responsive and adaptive governance model navigating political uncertainties, and the transformative forces of digital transformation, orchestrating a symphony of technological advancements reshaping the very fabric of governance. Furthermore, the study investigates inclusive decision-making, elucidating the collaborative engagement between citizens and policymakers in shaping governance strategies. The research then centers on the culmination of these dynamics, emphasizing citizen satisfaction as a pivotal metric for assessing the success of governance initiatives. Operating as a moderator, political stability guides the overall effectiveness of governance practices. Following a stratified sampling technique, data were collected from 490 followers of Indonesian public sector social networking sites from July 2023 to November 2023. The findings reveal that agile governance, digital transformation, and inclusive decision-making positively contribute to citizen satisfaction with public services, with political stability moderating these relationships, providing empirical insights into the dynamics of contemporary public administration. The scholarly significance lies in providing empirical insights into the specific context of Indonesia, contributing to the broader discourse on effective governance strategies in the face of political disruptions.

The paper intended to evaluate the extent of corporate disclosure compliance and its effect on the financial performance of Bangladeshi pharmaceutical companies listed on the DSE during a twelve-year period, from 2007 to 2020. The study explored the affinity between the Corporate Governance Disclosure Index (CGDI) and firm financial performance employing econometric techniques, such as fixed effect and random effect models. The study calculated the disclosure scores as a percentage of a given firm's overall score to the probable score it could achieve. The CGDI of the sample companies showed a positive and substantial effect on company performance as an accounting measure ROA and an insignificant effect as a market measure Tobin's Q. The study also revealed that sample firms followed the BSEC guidelines partially. These findings have implications for companies that fail to comply with the full disclosure principle, which holds that a company must disclose all material information in its financial statements in order to touch the reader's comprehension of those statements. In addition, these results imply that the code of CG requires a thorough examination to make essential modifications.