The effect of digital government on corporate total factor productivity.

This study examines the influence of digital government initiatives on corporate total factor productivity (TFP). Employing a difference-in-differences (DID) methodology and analyzing data from publicly listed companies spanning the period 2010 to 2020, we investigate the impact of digital governance on corporate TFP. Our findings reveal a noteworthy positive effect, with an average TFP increase of 5%. Further exploration through heterogeneity analysis indicates that this impact is particularly pronounced in regions with robust network infrastructure, increased marketization, and decreased economic uncertainty, particularly among privately-owned enterprises. Moreover, we identify key mechanisms through which digital governance fosters this enhancement in TFP, including the facilitation of technological innovation, efficient allocation of high-skilled labor, and improved investment efficiency. Our research underscores the significant role of digital government initiatives in bolstering corporate TFP and contributes to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying this relationship.

Sociopolitical context and COVID-19 fatality rates in OECD countries: a configurational approach.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of crisis response can be influenced by various structural, cultural, and functional aspects within a social system. This study uses a configurational approach to identify combinations of sociopolitical conditions that lead to a high case fatality rate (CFR) of COVID-19 in OECD countries. METHODS: A Fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) is conducted on a sample of 38 OECD countries. The outcome to be explained is high COVID-19 CFR. The five potentially causal conditions are level of democracy, state capacity, trust in government, health expenditure per capita, and the median age of population. A comprehensive QCA robustness test protocol is applied, which includes sensitivity ranges, fit-oriented robustness, and case-oriented robustness tests. RESULTS: None of the causal conditions in both the presence and negation form were found to be necessary for high or low levels of COVID-19 CFR. Two different combinations of sociopolitical conditions were usually sufficient for the occurrence of a high CFR of COVID-19 in OECD countries. Low state capacity and low trust in government are part of both recipes. The entire solution formula covers 84 percent of the outcome.  Some countries have been identified as contradictory cases. The explanations for their COVID-19 CFR require more in-depth case studies. CONCLUSIONS: From a governance perspective, the weakness of government in effectively implementing policies, and the citizens' lack of confidence in their government, combined with other structural conditions, serve as barriers to mounting an effective response to COVID-19. These findings can support the idea that the effects of social determinants of COVID-19 outcomes are interconnected and reinforcing.

Government innovation subsidies, green technology innovation and carbon intensity of industrial firms.

Government innovation subsidies play an important role as a policy to incentivize green transformation of enterprises, but whether government innovation subsidies can reduce the carbon intensity of industrial enterprises is still unclear, the exploration of the impact pathway needs to be further developed. This study takes government innovation subsidies as the entry point. It takes Chinese industrial listed companies as the research object from 2007 to 2021, explores the internal mechanism of government innovation subsidies on carbon intensity of industrial enterprises, analyzes the heterogeneity of the impact of government innovation subsidies on the carbon intensity of government innovation subsidies, and finally compares the differences arising from the governance effects of the policies of government innovation subsidies and government non-innovation subsidies. The results of the study show that: 1. Government innovation subsidies are beneficial for improving the energy utilization efficiency of enterprises and significantly reducing carbon intensity, unit government innovation subsidies can reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of industrial enterprises by 11.069 tons per 10,000 yuan of output value; 2. Government innovation subsidies can effectively incentivize industrial enterprises to carry out green technological innovations, and improve the quantity and quality of green technological innovation; 3. Government innovation subsidies can reduce carbon intensity of industrial enterprises by incentivizing the green technological innovations of enterprises to "increase the quantity and improve the quality". In fact, carbon intensity of industrial enterprises could be significantly reduced by incentivizing green technological innovation. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the greater the pressure of environmental tax and the higher the degree of market competition, the stronger is the effect of government innovation subsidies in reducing carbon intensity. The inclusion of government non-innovation subsidies in the control study shows that government innovation subsidies with innovation orientation motivate industrial enterprises to reduce carbon emissions significantly more than those subsidies without innovation orientation. In conclusion, this study provides a practical reference for the promotion of green technological innovation in enterprises to "increase the quantity and improve the quality" and reduce carbon intensity, as well as a revelation for the adoption of differentiated policies for different enterprises.

Strengthening the effectiveness of community health system: Assessing the factors that enhance or constrain the delivery of health services within communities in Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION: Sub-optimal community health service delivery (CHSD) has been a challenge constraining community health systems (CHS) globally, especially in developing countries such as Nigeria. This paper examined the key factors that either enhance or constrain CHSD in Nigeria at the individual, community/facility and governmental levels while recommending evidence-based solutions for sustaining and improving CHSD within the framework of CHS. METHODS: Data were collected through a qualitative study undertaken in three states (Anambra, Akwa-Ibom and Kano) in Nigeria. Respondents were formal/informal health providers, community leaders and representatives of civil society organizations all purposively sampled. There were 90 in-depth interviews and 12 focus group discussions, which were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically using codes to identify key themes. RESULTS: Factors constraining community health service delivery at the individual level were poor health-seeking behaviour, preference for quacks and male dominance of service delivery; at the community/facility level were superstitious/cultural beliefs and poor attitude of facility workers; at the governmental level were inadequate financial support, embezzlement of funds and inadequate social amenities. Conversely, the enabling factors at the individual level were community members' participation and the compassionate attitude of informal providers. At the community and facility levels, the factors that enhanced service delivery were synergy between formal and informal providers and support from community-based organizations and structures. At the governmental level, the enhancing factors were the government's support of community-based formal/informal providers and a clear line of communication. CONCLUSIONS: Community health service delivery through a functional community-health system can improve overall health systems strengthening and lead to improved community health. Policy-makers should integrate community health service delivery in all program implementation and ultimately work with the community health system as a veritable platform for effective community health service delivery.

Digital governance and carbon emission reduction: Evidence from "National Pilot Policy of Information Benefiting the People" in China.

Promoting digital governance is crucial for the Chinese government's governance reform. This study utilizes panel data covering 280 cities in China to examine the influence of government digital governance on reducing carbon emissions. The "National Pilot Policy of Information Benefiting the People," implemented in 2014, serves as the quasi-natural experiment for the analysis. The study employs the difference-in-difference (DID) methodology to indicate that improving the government's digital capacity contributes to reducing carbon emissions, which is robust to several robustness tests. Government digital governance facilitates the reduction of carbon emissions primarily via three mechanisms: developing green finance, gathering green talents, and promoting green technology innovation. Enhanced digital governance by the government exerts a more pronounced effect on reducing carbon emissions in cities in the eastern region, smaller municipalities, and resource-dependent municipalities. Additionally, current policies have notably decreased carbon emissions in the pilot cities, though a lag exists in the policy spillover effect affecting neighboring cities. This study investigates the influence of government digital governance on reducing carbon emissions through the lens of digital transformation. It offers valuable empirical insights for enhancing the governance capabilities of the Chinese government in the new era and facilitating the achievement of carbon reduction targets in urban areas.

Impact of corporate environmental uncertainty on environmental, social, and governance performance: The role of government, investors, and geopolitical risk.

Corporations face multifaceted environmental uncertainties (EU) in today's dynamic global economic environment. Such uncertainties profoundly affect corporate operations and pose significant challenges to their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. Therefore, using data from Chinese A-share listed corporations from 2009 to 2021, we empirically analyze the impact of the EU on ESG performance. The results demonstrate that the EU significantly negatively impacts ESG performance, indicating that corporations frequently find it difficult to implement and maintain high-standard ESG policies and practices effectively. Additionally, they reveal that the EU inhibits the improvement of ESG performance by increasing corporate financing constraints (KZ). Lastly, this study explores the role of government subsidies (GOV), investor attention (IA), and geopolitical risks (GPR) as moderating variables. We discover that GOV can mitigate the negative impact of the EU on KZ because they provide additional resources that help corporations maintain their ESG in uncertain environments. Furthermore, IA can reduce the adverse impact of KZ on ESG. Positive moderating effects result from ESG issues; the capital they provide effectively reduces corporate KZ, thus enabling corporations to maintain good ESG performance despite operating in highly uncertain environments. However, due to the increased asymmetry of information in economic markets caused by geopolitical tensions, GPR exacerbates the negative impact of the EU on ESG performance, thus leading to an increase in KZ. These findings offer new perspectives on understanding how these moderating effects affect corporate ESG strategies.

The relationship between good governance, social support, and perceived discrimination with mental health through the mediation role of quality of life: a cross-sectional path analysis in Iran.

BACKGROUND: Recognizing the established link between social determinants of health, such as social support, good governance, and perceived discrimination, and individual mental health, this study aims to delve deeper into the specific relationships within the Iranian adult population. It seeks to elucidate the potential mediating role of quality of life in the association between mental health disorders (MHDs) and these social factors. METHODS: This cross-sectional study employed path analysis to investigate the relationships between social determinants of health and MHDs among 725 Iranian adults in Tabriz, Northwest Iran. Data collection occurred between March and September 2022, utilizing a multi-stage and cluster sampling approach. Good governance, social support, perceived discrimination, MHDs, and quality of life were assessed using valid questionnaires. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS-24 and Lisrel-8 software, with a significance level set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: This study found that nearly 70.0% of the participants reported experiencing mental health problems. The path analysis showed that good governance had a significant indirect and negative effect on MHDs via quality of life (ß = -0.05; P < 0.05). Major racial discrimination had a positive relationship in the direct and indirect paths (ß = 0.24; P < 0.01). While, social support was a directly and indirectly significant predictor of decreased MHDs (ß = -0.17, p < 0.01). Furthermore, quality of life had a negative relationship on the indirect path with MHDs (ß = -0.24, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals a significant burden of mental health issues among Iranian adults. It highlights the crucial role of social factors like good governance, social support, and perceived discrimination in shaping mental health through their impact on quality of life. Consequently, addressing these factors through improved governance, strengthened social support systems, and active efforts to reduce discrimination is essential for promoting mental well-being.

Toward better pandemic governance and preparedness: South Korea's whole-of-nation approach to COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: The profound impact of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has led to an increased demand for sustainable pandemic governance practices. This study explored emerging hybrid governance practices that provide robust evidence on how to address the complex challenges of pandemics effectively. South Korea, which was severely affected by COVID-19, has implemented a novel governance approach using a whole-of-nation (WoN) model. This hybrid pandemic governance approach, which integrates both whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches, has enabled synergistic and cohesive multi-sectoral coordination among all stakeholders (public authorities, private enterprises, and civil society) to address multifaceted challenges collectively and strengthen their resilience capacity. This study investigated South Korea's WoN practices and their embedded context and identified key governance enablers facilitating this approach. METHODS: This study employed a case study design based on an extensive analysis of policy and program documents, drawing on South Korea's publicly available data from January 1, 2020 to March 30, 2023. It assessed six system-level collaborative pandemic governance practices and key enablers, all of which were intended to fortify the country's pandemic response. RESULTS: The primary areas of the country's WoN governance practices for COVID-19 control were (i) whole-of-government policy-making and response, (ii) COVID-19 testing system, (iii) digital surveillance of COVID-19, (iv) COVID-19 triage and treatment system, (v) domestic vaccine production, and (vi) community engagement. Key governance enablers for implementing the WoN model were establishing a legal foundation, ensuring decisive and strong governance and leadership, increasing public investment, applying a whole-of-health approach with augmented investment in public health, enhancing crisis communication, and mobilizing local leaders and civil society organizations in the national public health response. CONCLUSIONS: In exploring innovative approaches to pandemic governance for increased efficacy, responsiveness, and impact, the WoN approach emerged as highly relevant. This example of emerging practice allows policy-makers to re-evaluate their governance strategies and initiatives to improve multi-agency partnerships across the country in their pandemic-preparedness planning.

Driving effect of digital government policy on synergy in corporate pollution reduction, carbon reduction, and green expansion.

This study constructs an index on synergy of corporate carbon reduction, pollution reduction, and green expansion (PCG), and uses a difference in difference model to test the impact of digital government (DGO) on PCG. Results show that DGO significantly promotes PCG, and compared to companies without DGO, DGO can lead to a 2.4% increase in PCG. And, DGO may promote PCG by increasing environmental information disclosure, environmental subsidies and environmental regulations. In the heterogeneity, DGO has a higher promoting effect on PCG in eastern enterprises, heavily polluting industries, and state-owned enterprises. Furthermore, digital financial support, media supervision, and public participation will promote the positive effect of DGO on PCG. This study aims to provide implications for promoting PCG and empirical reference for promoting DGO.

On the role of government spending, trade openness and terms of trade in Iran's agricultural growth.

Agriculture is recognized as the driving force of economic growth, especially in developing economies. It plays a crucial role in Iran's economy especially during economic sanctions as it is a source of income for rural people, food security, job creation, and foreign exchange earnings. The present study investigates the impact of government spending, trade openness, and terms of trade on agricultural growth in Iran using annual data for the period 1978-2021 by application of the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag model (NARDL). The results confirmed asymmetry in the impact of all three variables of interest on agricultural growth. In other words, the superiority of the nonlinear specification in explaining the relationships between variables was confirmed. To be specific, a positive and negative shock to government spending affects sector growth by 0.18 and -0.05 percent, respectively in the long run. The same finding was found for trade openness with 0.22 and -0.11 impact coefficients for positive and negative shocks, respectively. Moreover, we could not find significant impact for terms of trade.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of government workers on zoonotic parasites in pet animals: a study in Central Gondar Zone, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Parasitic zoonoses are infections transmitted between vertebrate animals and humans, posing serious public health risks and significant economic consequences. The study aimed at assessing government workers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding zoonotic parasites of pet animals in Ethiopia's central Gondar zone. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in selected towns of Central Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia from January 2022 to August 2022. Four hundred randomly selected government employees participated in the study. Data were collected through semi-structured questionnaire administered by face-to-face interview. The chi-squared (χ2) was calculated for association and p-value less than 0.05 was considered as significant. RESULTS: A 57.25% of respondents were males and 42.75% were females. Most of the respondents, 67.5%, had completed college/university education. About 60% of the respondents had 'high knowledge', 57.25% had 'positive attitude', and 73% had 'good practice' regarding pet animals as a source of zoonotic parasites. The chi-square analysis revealed a significant discrepancy (p < 0.05) between knowledge with sex, educational level, and position in the house. The attitude level was significantly associated (p < 0.05) with educational level, religious view, and service year. Significant association was also observed (p < 0.05) between practice level of the respondents and educational level and marital status. The study also showed a significant association between knowledge and attitude (χ2 = 40.4, p ≤ 0.001), knowledge and practice (χ2 = 34.9, p ≤ 0.001), and attitude and practice (χ2 = 12.76, p = 0.013) of the respondents. CONCLUSION: Although our results revealed that more than half of the participants had good knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding zoonotic parasites of pet animals, enhanced routine hygienic practices and regular awareness creation programs are recommended to bridge existing gaps.

AI and biosecurity: The need for governance.

Governments should evaluate advanced models and if needed impose safety measures.

New government must prioritise veterinary legislative reform.

Now that the General Election is over, and a new government is in place, BVA is continuing its campaigning efforts to maintain momentum towards reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act.