All roads lead to Rome? The contingency factors of institutional integration: a comparative case study on environmental institutional reform in Guangdong, China

Abstract

As a reaction to structural fragmentation under New Public Management, many countries embarked on post-NPM reforms, such as merging public organizations. In China one such reform is the Super-Department Reform (SDR), launched in 2008. There are different ways to integrate public organizations following structural changes. In this study of two mergers of environmental agencies in the Chinese province of Guangdong, the focus is on the structural, cultural and symbolic features that affected the integration process. Our qualitative analyses reveal that Shunde Bureau of Environmental Transport and City Administration (SBETCA) is considered to have been more successful in integrating agencies and functions than Shenzhen Habitat Environment Committee (SHEC). Contingency factors, such as formal functional integration, leaders’ attention and participation, and leaders’ ability to influence cultural congruency, greatly influenced the success of the integration process. Symbols and media coverage also played a role.

Notes

1 Statistical Bulletin of National Economic and Social Development of Shunde District, Foshan City, 2009. https://gdidd.jnu.edu.cn/doc/gdtjnj/fstjnj/2009/index.htm

2 Statistical Bulletin of National Economic and Social Development of Shenzhen City, 2009. https://gdidd.jnu.edu.cn/doc/gdtjnj/sztjnj/2009/index.htm

3 The “most drastic” here mainly refers to the reduction in institutions, Shenzhen reduced its institutions from 31 to 15, with a reduction rate of 52%. Shunde reduced its institutions from 41 to 16, with a reduction rate of 61%. Most of the other pioneer cities made reductions of less than 30%.

4 General Office in China is a comprehensive functional department set up by the Party and government and assist in daily work. It is also in charge of drafting governmental documents and orders.

https://gdidd.jnu.edu.cn/doc/gdtjnj/sztjnj/2009/index.htm

5 Media coverage of Shunde are from People’s Government of Shunde.

http://www.shunde.gov.cn/zwgk/index.php?page=70&marker=&id=605

6 Media coverage of Shenzhen are from People’s Government of Shenzhen. http://www.sz.gov.cn/cn/

7 The ratio of environmental investment refers to the proportion of environmental investment to GDP in that year. It is generally believed that the quality of the environment can be improved when the ratio reaches 2%∼3%. The ratios of Shenzhen and Shunde have all reached more than 3% since 2009.

8 In 2007, Shenzhen acted as a pioneer to support social work in Guangdong. Since 2008, Shenzhen has ranked first in terms of the number of social organizations. http://www.gdczt.gov.cn/zwgk/ggtz/201804/t20180428_938596.html. Report on the Development of Social Organizations in Foshan City. http://www.doc88.com/p-9903835130251.html

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Siyu Liu

Siyu Liu ([email protected]) is a Ph.D. candidate at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University.

Tom Christensen

Tom Christensen ([email protected]) is Professor of Public Administration and Policy at the Department of Political Science, University of Oslo, Norway. He is Visiting Professor at the School of Public Administration and Policy, Renmin University of China and Distinguished Visiting Professor at School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University. His current research interests deal with comparative public sector reforms, especially questions related to accountability and reputation management.