The Post-Soviet Model of Accountability in the Estonian Local Welfare Government | Chapter 6 | New Ideas Concerning Arts and Social Studies Vol. 5

 

Background: Accountability is ubiquitous in social systems, and its necessity is increased in formal organisations that supposedly aim to predict and control behaviour. Today’s public authorities need to show value diversity, understand and respect different cultures, and design and deliver culturally relevant and responsive programs and services. Accountability in social work is crucial for ensuring professional legitimacy and adherence to public organisational practices. This is particularly important in the Estonian context, where social welfare is undergoing rapid changes due to Europeanization and public administration reforms.

 

Aim: This chapter aims to shed light on accountability in administrative social work within the Estonian welfare model. Specifically, it seeks to examine how the responsibility of the nation-state is shared in ensuring social well-being and to explore how the provision of necessary social services to residents can be predicted.

 

Methods: A meso-level model was employed, integrating contemporary research and expanding perspectives from individual, group, and organisational levels into a coherent framework. A case study approach was used, analysing publicly available documentation and data from three Estonian local governments (Viru-Nigula, Lüganuse, and Mustvee) collected between 2020 and 2022. To study the process of accountability, a concept has been developed with the following features: legal basis, political discourse of well-being, theoretical discourse, standards, public information, applied methods, profession/profession, decision-making process, and evaluation.

 

Results: The study reveals challenges in predicting social service provision to clients. These challenges stem from the fragmented nature of the Estonian welfare system, the lack of clear criteria for allocating local social benefits, the limited professional autonomy of social workers in local governments, and the opacity and lack of evaluation mechanisms in accountability processes in Estonian social welfare.

 

Conclusions: The research highlights the need for clearer definitions of social work roles, stronger professional autonomy for social workers, and a more client-centred approach to social welfare in Estonia. Future research directions include exploring the perspectives of social workers, clients, and policymakers on accountability in social welfare and conducting comparative studies with other countries.

 

 

Author(s) Details

Vaike Raudava
Department of Social Science, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/nicass/v5/6613

Evaluation of Women’s Performance in Grassroots Democracy: A Comparative Study of Upper Caste and Lower Caste Communities in Tamil Nadu | Book Publisher International

 

The landmark constitutional amendments of April 24, 1993, known as the 73rd and 74th amendments, were instrumental in promoting development in both rural and urban India. The 73rd and 74th Amendments aim to empower local governing bodies and provide women with autonomy to address issues within their jurisdiction, including service delivery at the local level, along with ensuring accountability. Elected women representatives, both as members and as sarpanchs, face numerous institutional and social hurdles. Institutional challenges include their ability to implement reforms, establish accountability mechanisms, decentralize functions and ensure active engagement. Despite inclusive provisions for marginalized communities, questions arise regarding the active participation of Dalits and women. Caste dynamics exacerbate the marginalization of women, especially lower caste women, and restrict their access to public forums due to intersecting gender and caste biases. To understand the various challenges faced by Dalit and non-Dalit women representatives in the Panchayat Raj system. Thus, the present research focuses on the comparative analysis of the performance of these two groups (Dalit and non-Dalit) of elected women representatives in the Panchayat Raj system. Assessing the performance of elected women representatives in panchayat activities holds importance for initiating essential changes in the Panchayati Raj Act. Moreover, such assessment proves beneficial for policymakers and planners in devising effective strategies at each stage of the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI).

 

Author (s) Details

Dr. A. Puvi Lakshmi
No. 1, Kadambadi Amman Kovil 2nd Street, Kadambadi Amman Nagar, Valasaravakkam, Chennai – 600087, India.

 

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/mono/978-93-48006-05-9

Fostering Trust, Integrity and Good Governance in the Fight against Corruption | Chapter 3 | The Informed Leader: How Philosophy and Evidence Shape Organizational Performance

The purpose of the study is to 1) analyze different notions of good governance and the methodologies for its evaluation, 2) furnish instruments for the execution and dissemination of exemplary governance norms, 3) enhance ethical consciousness and dedication to principled behavior and 4) enhance efficiency and maintain engagement in ethical training. Good governance and fighting against corruption are frequently linked, whereas corruption is frequently linked to poor governance. Certain fundamental tenets of good governance are also tenets of anti-corruption. The literature associates effective political systems with various characteristics such as participation, adherence to the rule of law, transparency, responsiveness, consensus-oriented, equity and inclusiveness, effectiveness and efficiency, and accountability. Public confidence is essential for efficient governance. It is suggested that a variety of traits be had in order to accomplish good governance, with the ability to strike a balance between practical and general ethics, make connections between morality and other world issues, emphasis the value of morality and ethics in daily life, and also place an emphasis on global ethics and universal principles while allowing for a variety of regional and cultural viewpoints.

 

Author (s) Details

 

Dr. John Motsamai Modise
Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa.

 

Phemelo Sheldon Modise
North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/mono/978-93-49729-30-8/CH3

Ethics of AI | Chapter 3 | Digital Crossroads: Integrating Humanities, Science and Technology Edition 1

Intelligence represents the cognitive capabilities and progressions that are exclusive to mankind. It comprises the ability to reason, conceive, judge, and relate, and to reach conclusions about what is factual and false. Intelligence encompasses various higher-order cognitive abilities that enable one to traverse, comprehend, and communicate with the world meaningfully. The vital aspects of human intelligence are Reasoning, Conceptualization, Judgment and Decision-Making, Problem-Solving, Language and Symbolism, Self-Awareness, Reflection, and Emotional Intelligence. Together, these facets make human intelligence unique and allow them to engage in science, art, philosophy, and moral reflection—pushing beyond survival instincts to shape societies and develop civilizations. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science dedicated to developing machines capable of simulating human-like intelligence in innovative ways. Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have become increasingly significant in our day-to-day lives in recent years involving equipping machines with the ability to understand language, make decisions, and control other machines—functions traditionally linked to human cognition.  The ethics of artificial intelligence involve moral considerations surrounding its development and use. AI systems promote fairness, transparency, accountability, and privacy while adhering to regulations and minimizing negative societal impact and aim to benefit all of humanity, be sustainable, and remain environmentally friendly. The present paper aims to discuss the emergence of AI intelligence and its ethical issues related to various stages and its development in all fields.

 

 Author (s) Details

 

D Bhagavathi
R.B.V.R.R. Women’s College, Narayanguda, Hyderabad, India.

 

Y Jayanthi
R.B.V.R.R. Women’s College, Narayanguda, Hyderabad, India.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/mono/978-93-48859-10-5/CH3

Accountability Simulacra: Highlights about Fraud Cases from South and North America | Chapter 8 | Current Topics on Business, Economics and Finance Vol. 2

 Cases of allied fraud involving fiscal instruments rely on copy of accountability. This study, based on educated research, looked at cases that went ignored for years, causing billion-greenback losses to investors. The aim was to demonstrate in what way or manner they bypassed internal controls, allied governance, and all supervisory apparatus by utilizing nominal and symbolic resources at the administrative level. An extensive analysis authorized the identification of a common manner of operating, which is described attending organized by objectives. By various resources, the modus operandi involves getting people engrossment, turning fraud and culpabilities wordy and routinizing it and, creating positive sense making about trade. This paper also registers challenges for accountability bettering as sensemaking is out of check lists and models.

Author(s) Details:

Ana Paula Paulino da Costa,
FIPE – Economic Research Foundation Institute, Brazil.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/CTBEF-V2/article/view/9823