Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Reassessing the contents and context of governance in Asia: recognizing achievements

Reassessing the contents and context of governance in Asia: recognizing achievements Good governance has been declared as the key target of most Asian governments, but it appears to be an unattainable objective. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potentials for establishing governance across Asian countries. Drawing upon the literature and experience of Asian countries, the study argues that governance represents an unclear state that is rooted more in perception than reality. An extensive review of the indicators of governance reveals the anomaly and unorganized efforts to measure it, and points to the need for recognizing accomplishments in areas that are not directly or indirectly covered in the existing schemes of assessment.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on a broad review of the literature on governance and political systems in Asian countries. Existing arrangements for assessing governance are critically reviewed to point out the risks in a perception-dependent approach. Secondary sources and insight obtained from relevant research constitute the data analyzed in the paper.FindingsThe paper finds that the target of good governance cannot be fully achieved due to the significant diversity across Asian countries as well as varied perceptions held by assessors. Stakeholders have different perceptions about the requirements and ideal of governance and existing tools for measuring governance are inadequate. Most importantly, assessment frameworks do not recognize contextual dimensions that are relevant to Asian countries. Furthermore, it is important to recognize efforts that are aimed at improving conditions instead of working toward an absolute outcome of governance. Recognition of small successes will contribute to the improvement of circumstances rather than ranking countries on the basis of a limited number of perception-based indicators and listing them on international indices.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper does not draw upon primary sources of information and is limited to an assessment of existing arrangements.Practical implicationsThe paper will help draw attention to the limitations of existing arrangements of assessing countries and ranking them for the quality of governance. It will also encourage researchers to think about alternative tools for assessing governance and recognizing progress in Asian countries.Social implicationsThe paper will encourage governments to identify obstacles to good governance and adopt policies to overcome them.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the literature presenting a critical view for encouraging alternative approach to governance, incorporating perceptions of diverse stakeholders and highlights the need to recognize progress, however limited, in all areas. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Asian Education and Development Studies Emerald Publishing

Reassessing the contents and context of governance in Asia: recognizing achievements

Download PDF
11 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/emerald-publishing/reassessing-the-contents-and-context-of-governance-in-asia-recognizing-Ocfcryrvr1
Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
© Emerald Publishing Limited
ISSN
2046-3162
DOI
10.1108/aeds-02-2019-0031
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Good governance has been declared as the key target of most Asian governments, but it appears to be an unattainable objective. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potentials for establishing governance across Asian countries. Drawing upon the literature and experience of Asian countries, the study argues that governance represents an unclear state that is rooted more in perception than reality. An extensive review of the indicators of governance reveals the anomaly and unorganized efforts to measure it, and points to the need for recognizing accomplishments in areas that are not directly or indirectly covered in the existing schemes of assessment.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on a broad review of the literature on governance and political systems in Asian countries. Existing arrangements for assessing governance are critically reviewed to point out the risks in a perception-dependent approach. Secondary sources and insight obtained from relevant research constitute the data analyzed in the paper.FindingsThe paper finds that the target of good governance cannot be fully achieved due to the significant diversity across Asian countries as well as varied perceptions held by assessors. Stakeholders have different perceptions about the requirements and ideal of governance and existing tools for measuring governance are inadequate. Most importantly, assessment frameworks do not recognize contextual dimensions that are relevant to Asian countries. Furthermore, it is important to recognize efforts that are aimed at improving conditions instead of working toward an absolute outcome of governance. Recognition of small successes will contribute to the improvement of circumstances rather than ranking countries on the basis of a limited number of perception-based indicators and listing them on international indices.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper does not draw upon primary sources of information and is limited to an assessment of existing arrangements.Practical implicationsThe paper will help draw attention to the limitations of existing arrangements of assessing countries and ranking them for the quality of governance. It will also encourage researchers to think about alternative tools for assessing governance and recognizing progress in Asian countries.Social implicationsThe paper will encourage governments to identify obstacles to good governance and adopt policies to overcome them.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the literature presenting a critical view for encouraging alternative approach to governance, incorporating perceptions of diverse stakeholders and highlights the need to recognize progress, however limited, in all areas.

Journal

Asian Education and Development Studies – Emerald Publishing

Published: Sep 18, 2019

Keywords: Indicators; Asia; Governance; Improvements

References

  • Does public participation matter? Inclusive growth in East Asia
    Chou, B.K.P.; Huque, A.S.
  • Good enough governance revisited
    Grindle, M.L.
  • The challenge of assessing governance in Asian states: Hong Kong in the worldwide governance indicators ranking
    Huque, A.S.; Jongruck, P.
  • Governance as theory: five propositions
    Stoker, G.
  • The worldwide governance indicators