The impact of general accounting office program evaluations on government

General Accounting Office (GAO) audit reports have an impact on government operations by encouraging growth in the size and scope of the state and by encouraging the Congress and executive agencies to attend to the auditor's dominant values of economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in government. Through its financial, management, and program audits, the GAO program evaluators seek to rationalize agency management and programs so that more resources are required. The GAO's program evaluation efforts also serve Congress by providing for oversight of public policy, a bludgeon to coax agencies into pursuing activities preferred by congressmen, and a tool for electoral activities. In the end, the evaluation auditors are doomed to frustration in achieving their ideals for effective democratic government. This is so because “practical business policy” is irrelevant to government operations and inconsistent with the core values of a democratic state.     

Auditing Nonphysician Providers' Visits through a Computer-Assisted System

Abstract

The Medical Department is using a computer-assisted system for auditing care provided by mid-level practitioners. Standards of care and corresponding checklist forms have been developed for six common ambulatory problem areas. These include: Respiratory complaints, headache, gastrointestinal disorders, urinary tract infections, male genitourinary problems, and minor trauma. The standards for the diagnostic process and treatment of each complaint were developed by a working group of physicians and mid-level practitioners. Providers complete a checklist form for each patient presenting with problems covered by the protocol. The checklist serves as the medical record for the visit. Checklist data is entered into a computer which audits the visit record against protocol standards. The computer identifies records containing discrepancies in the appropriateness of diagnosis, treatment plan, and physician consultation. The computer output is not the end of the audit process. It identifies encounter records which need further review. Because a discrepancy from the programmed standards does not necessarily reflect faulty medical judgement or care, these records are referred weekly to a physician-nurse audit team. The computerized system allows the auditors to focus their efforts on problems which may make a significant difference in patient care.

As a result, the Medical Department's audit process is both more comprehensive and more thorough than it was prior to the inception of this program. Since April 1, 1977, more than 15,000 encounters have been audited through this system.     

Agricultural policy and the organization of production in Sub-Saharan Africa

In spite of differences in development ideology between African countries, there is much similarity in their agricultural development policies, with output growth through increasing commercialization as the main policy objective. The common policy characteristics are identified and their effects on commercialization and organization of production are analyzed in order of the intensity of government intervention. This implies attention for respectively agro-industrial complexes, private estates, commercial peasant farms, various types of schemes, collective production units, and state farms. Although intensification of government intervention usually leads to higher costs and lower levels of production and productivity, the solution to Africa's present agricultural crisis is not so much the choice of one specific type of production unit, but rather the improvement of the general production environment as reflected in adequate producer price levels, reinvestment of creamed-off surpluses and an effective service apparatus, with the benefits of growth distributed over wide segments of the rural population.     

The moral middle-class in market socialism: An investigation into the personhood of women working in NGOs in Vietnam

The paper uncovers the values that Vietnamese women produce and accumulate from the NGO sector to acquire a morality central to their middle-class identity. They present an idea of a moral middle-class that conforms to the neoliberal criteria of self-reliance and self-optimisation within the economic segment, in which values are generated in the forms of sacrifice and giving away. I argue that this idea is associated with a mode of governmentality whereby the socialist state shapes the moral subject for the sake of governance in the context of marketisation. Morality, as a governing device, motivates and polices women's compliance with their subordinate position. This paper presents findings that illustrate the slipperiness of the notion of middle-class between theories and practices and from women's perspectives. Perceived in part in terms of women's sacrifices, this study illustrates how middle-class identity is negotiated through moral, gender and class divisions in a post-socialist society.     

Reflexivity and Ambivalence: Culture,Creativity and Government in the BBC

The BBC is an exemplary institution in the government of culture. In the context of the neo-liberalism of the 1990s it became also a key experimental site for the development of a new culture of government, one in which notions of markets, efficiency, accountability and audit were translated into the public sector. The focus of this paper is an analysis, based on ethnographic research, of the BBC's culture of markets, accountability and audit in the mid to late nineties. Indebted in part to the Foucauldian concern with the relations between forms of political rationality and specific technologies of government, the paper charts the substance and the anti-creative effects of these techniques. But it stresses also their contestability and negotiability, how they evoke ambivalance and coexist with diverse forms of resistance. In particular, through the case of the BBC, the paper sketches the contours of a sociology of reflexivity based on a more differentiated account of reflexivity than is found in the speculative, often normatively-directed writings of Beck, Giddens and Lash. It points to the layering of reflexivities in and around the contemporary BBC, and to the competing and antagonistic reflexivities that may inhabit any social space.     

Evaluation of auditor decisions: Hindsight bias effects and the expectation gap

Hindsight bias is said to exist when individuals overestimate the extent to which an outcome could have been anticipated prior to its occurrence. Ex post, litigants tend to blame auditors in hindsight for failing to foresee and anticipate subsequent financial problems of their audit clients. However, it is not known whether the blame attributed in hindsight is due to hindsight bias or other factors such as the generally hypothesized user-preparer expectation gap. A behavioral experiment was conducted with 65 federal and state general jurisdiction judges and 58 auditors from one of the Big-Six public accounting firms. Results indicate that judges provided significantly lower evaluations of auditors' performance than did auditors, reflective of an expectation gap. Of greater importance, our results reveal that evaluative judgments of auditors' performance are subject to hindsight bias. Additional analysis revealed that our results are consistent with a cognitive interpretation of hindsight bias.     

Between ‘tradition’ and movement: the emergence of Turkey’s Anti-Capitalist Muslims in the age of protest

ABSTRACT

This article discusses the emergence of the “Anti-Capitalist Muslims” (ACMs) movement as the conjunction of critical Muslim politics and grassroots activism in Istanbul, Turkey. It explores the way in which Islam has been reconstituted in Turkish politics, in contrast to both fundamentalism and the government’s neoliberal conservatism. The article draws upon Talal Asad’s definition of Islam as a ‘tradition’ that attempts to achieve coherent narratives in a form which considers and enters into a dialogue with the present context, especially with contemporary social movements. It is argued that, through a dialogue between Islam and anti-capitalist social movements, the ACMs constructed an alternative Islamic tradition, focused especially on emancipation, equality and challenging structures of domination. Yet this alternative tradition proved unable to sustain itself due to the presence of a number of ongoing ridigities, which it is suggested might be addressed in future attempts to construct an anti-capitalist form of Islam.     

Hypernetwork sampling: Duality and differentiation among voluntary organizations

One of the recurrent problems in the study of social organization is that survey researchers are forced to study individuals, while they are often interested in hypotheses about organizations or systems of organizations. This paper offers some methods which allow survey researchers to address hypotheses about the relations generated among individuals by organizations, the organizations themselves, and the relations among organizations. Estimators are developed for the number and size distribution of organizations in communities, the density of relations among individuals generated by organizations, the number and density of interorganizational linkages, and the amount of membership overlap among organizations. This approach combines Granovetter's idea of network sampling with Breiger's notion of the duality of persons and groups to produce a quantitative approach to the study of voluntary organization. We provide an illustration of the methods we develop by testing two of Blau's structural hypotheses on data concerning voluntary organizations. The hypotheses that structural differentiation increases with system size and that this increase is at a decreasing rate are strongly supported. The paper closes with some suggestions for further elaborations of the hypernetwork approach.     

The myths and politics of housing in Hong Kong: The controversy over the demolition of the Hunghom Estate

This paper explores the post-handover surge of civic activism in Hong Kong by examining the controversy over the demolition of the Hunghom Estate—a government subsidized housing project that was sold to private developers during a recession in early 2004. In a departure from “business as usual,” the high-profile demolition was stopped 10 months later after a series of protests mobilized by environmental activists. This result was widely hailed as a triumph of corporate responsibility and environmental consciousness. By tracing the competing narratives over the course of the controversy, this paper attempts to elucidate this “success” story by revealing the inherent conflicts between different stakeholders, and how these narratives nevertheless share and sustain a number of long-held myths about Hong Kong's economy and housing market. It argues that these myths obscure the ongoing political choices of an interventionist administration, which maintains legitimacy by tightly controlling urban development and securing support from powerful economic actors. By connecting the various claims of the present case with historic discourses of the territory, the paper aims to shed light on the power relations embedded in the development policies that characterized Hong Kong over the colonial period, and which continues to shape the practices of housing in the present.     

Land use conflict after the wildlife and countryside act 1981: the role of the farming and wildlife advisory group

As the conflict between agriculture and conservation in Britain continues, the farming and landowning lobby has placed increasing emphasis on the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG). This paper examines the development of FWAG as a mechanism for self-regulation through a voluntary and co-operative approach to conservation within the farming community. FWAG, until recently accorded little attention either by farmers or government, now enjoys considerable patronage, and new-found financial support from the Countryside Commission. As the National Farmers' Union (NFU) and Country Landowners' Association (CLA) seek to contain the tide of criticism of activities in the countryside FWAG, essentially a practical advisory body, has assumed a crucial ideological importance in the presentation of the farmers' traditional case of ‘stewardship’ and ‘good husbandry’. The paper concludes by stressing the dilemma facing the NFU and CLA as they seek to satisfy the wishes of their own members, government and the conservation lobby.     

Framing and counter-framing a Peace March in Russia: the use of Twitter during a hybrid war

ABSTRACT

Framing is vital to the capacity of social movements to enlist popular support and sustain contentious collective action. Using the case of a Peace March held in Moscow on 21 September 2014, the article examines how antiwar activists and their opponents framed a protest against Russia’s intervention in Ukraine. The study argues that different interpretations of patriotism underpinned divergent evaluations of the conflict and the construction of opposing identities. An analysis of Twitter posts on the eve of the march shows that peace activists positioned themselves as citizens with high moral standards and a healthy dose of patriotism, criticized the Russian government for military intervention in Ukraine, and called for a peaceful conflict resolution. In turn, opponents of the march considered themselves as real patriots and their adversaries as national traitors, denied Russia’s military presence in Ukraine, and fomented an attack on critics of Russian foreign policy. The study contributes to social movement literature by analyzing the framing of antiwar activism on a social media platform in the midst of a hybrid war, marked by a great deal of ambiguity and deception about causes, dynamics, and consequences of military operations by state and non-state actors.     

REPUTATION EFFECTS IN THE MARKET OF CERTIFIERS: EVIDENCE FROM THE AUDIT INDUSTRY

Certifiers verify unobserved product characteristics for buyers and thereby alleviate informational asymmetries and facilitate trade. When sellers pay for the certification, however, certifiers can be tempted to bias their opinion to favor sellers. Indeed, accounting scandals and inflated credit ratings suggest sellers may prefer to select dishonest certifiers. I test this proposition by estimating the effect of adverse quality signals on audit demand. Exploiting the natural experiment of Arthur Andersen's demise, I find that auditors with worse quality signals experience a fall in demand. This suggests that reputation effects are at work even in the presence of conflicts of interest. (JEL L15, L8, M4)     

Does structure find structure?: A critique of Burt's use of distance as a measure of structural equivalence

This paper examines some of the assumptions and consequences of the use of distance as a measure of structural equivalence, as implemented in Burt's STRUCTURE program. We take the general perspective that for a measure to be useful it should not confound separate types of information which are theoretically and mathematically independent. The mathematical relationship between distance and the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient is presented. We show that use of distance as a measure of similarity without proper attention to appropriate standardization procedures confounds information on differences between means and differences between variances with information on the similarity of the patterns between pairs of individuals, e.g. correlation. A detailed examination of Burt and Bittner's analysis of Bernard, Killworth and Sailer's Ham radio operator group is presented, and it is demonstrated that use of distance as a measure of structural equivalence led to nonsensical results.     

The socioeconomic institutions of organizing: Origin, emergence, and reproduction

The purpose of this article is to contribute to the development of a theory of (organizing) institutions primarily relevant for capitalistic market Economics, a theory which significantly improves our general ability to describe, explain and predict organized or organizational action. Six basic institutions—or infrastructures for human (interaction (the market, the corporation, the (social) movement, the association, the circle and the clan)—are deduced, defined and also finally put together in the form of a repertoire of ideal types. Moreover, two meta-institutions (the state, the anarchy) are added to this initial repertoire of six institutions to allow for the introduction of what could be regarded—at least from some premises—as a more general (i.e., societal) level.     

Group Work Practice with Australia's Asylum Seekers

Abstract

Australia's asylum seekers have been rendered voiceless by the circumstances in which they find themselves, circumstances that include being subjected to punitive government policies, denial of basic rights and needs, economic impoverishment and social disadvantage. The Asylum Seekers Centre (ASC) in Sydney provides an individualised casework service to asylum seekers. The ASC also provides opportunities for asylum seekers to improve their circumstances through attending English classes and participating in other educational and social group programmes. The present paper is concerned with small group facilitation of mutual aid processes at the ASC. It focuses on one group programme, ‘Open Forum’, to illustrate a strengths-based empowerment practice. The paper concludes with some suggestions for extending group work practice with and on behalf of asylum seekers.     

From the lab to the front line: How individual biogerontologists navigate their contested field

This paper infuses a new perspective into scholarship on anti-aging science: the experiences of individual scientists as they have entered and navigated this controversial field. We draw on in-depth interviews with 43 prominent biogerontologists to accomplish three objectives. First, we highlight key factors that draw scientists into biogerontology – especially the unique and complex puzzles posed by aging. Second, we examine how biogerontologists define themselves and their research in relation to “anti-aging” science – particularly how scientists distance themselves from the tarnished history of the field and employ powerful language to distinguish legitimate from illegitimate scholarship, and science from industry. Finally, we explore how individual scientists manage any social, religious, and ethical objections to conducting “anti-aging” research — and the repertoire of responses they use to simultaneously dismantle objections and reinforce the legitimacy of their science. The analyses reveal how much is ultimately at stake for these individual scientists on the front line.     

Violent pasts: collective memory and football hooliganism

Since the 1970s, the sociological analysis of football hooliganism has focused on the processes which lead to violence between fans. This has been a reasonable research strategy since the incidence of violence is a striking phenomenon and violent fans themselves look upon violence as the objective. However, this focus on the causes of violence has cast other important aspects of football violence into the shade. In particular, there has been a lack of consideration of the way in which violence has been used as a resource by violent fans for the creation and re‐creation of their hooligan gangs. In particular, there has been no discussion of the way in which the collective memory of violence, established in discussions between group members, affirms the solidarity of these groups. In exploring the way that shared memory is employed by violent fans to sustain their relations with each other, this article widens the focus of the sociological study of hooliganism but also makes a contribution to the understanding of how social groups are constituted more generally through the empirical example of hooliganism.     

The Relational Systems Model: An Analysis of Gottman's Findings on Marital Success

ABSTRACT

This paper reviews John Gottman's research on marriages through an overlay of the recently developed Relational Systems Model (RSM) by Ray Bardill. Gottman's findings, which identified three styles of marriages that sustain themselves over time and identified those actions that indicate the resolution of conflicts or the eventual ending of the marital relationship, can be interpreted by Bardill's RSM model. Such an interpretation can be made through the concepts of self-differentiation; the realities of self, other, context and spirituality; multigenerational transmission of values and beliefs; and emotionalized right/wrong.

The RSM model effectively illuminates Gottman's work and develops additional categories for illustrating why people stay in or leave relationships. The introduction of the emotionalized right/wrong concept produces a self-regulating component for the individual and a self defining component for the family. In keeping with Gottman's research, the RSM model provides integration of both positivistic and constructionistic elements as well as familiar insights into the eco-systemic nature of the marital system.     

Networks in public policy: Nuclear energy in the Netherlands

The article analyses the network of interlocking directorates as a part of public policy analysis of nuclear energy policy in the Netherlands. This network represents an interorganizational communication structure on the policy decision level. An organization's position in this structure reflects its position in policy formulation and implementation. Semi-governmental bodies function as important mediators between central government and private actors, of which the engineering and electricity companies have been the most influential.     

“Will This Record Work for Us?”: Managing Music Formats in Commercial Radio

How do radio stations decide what music to play on the air? Previous studies offer a single answer to this question. In contrast, this study examines the variety of ways that radio programmers answer this question by conceptualizing them as mediators between record companies and radio audiences. From interviews with programmers at commercial radio stations in the United States we identify key programming practices that programmers use to manage their stations' music formats and present a typology of repertoires of such practices. We then discuss the implications of each programming repertoire for stations' music formats and the structural conditions that promote the use of each programming repertoire. In conclusion, we consider the study's implications for understanding culture production in the commercial radio industry.