Citizens' attitudes towards local services accountability and transparency – the case of the Sarajevo Canton

Lazović-Pita, Lejla (author), Pijalović, Velma (author), Šćeta, Lamija (author), Peštek, Almir (author)

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to evaluate the perceived downward accountability and transparency of two public services – water supply and sewage and local road maintenance – in the Sarajevo Canton in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Design/Methodology/Approach: An opinion survey 1 on a sample of 250 respondents and four binomial regressions were conducted to measure the factors that affect the perceived downward accountability and transparency of the two public services. Findings: The results of binomial logit regressions indicate that in terms of perceived accountability and transparency of water supply and sewage, significant variables include gender, education, and satisfaction with the price the respondents pay for such service. Significant variables for perceived local road maintenance accountability include satisfaction with regular and winter local road maintenance, while for perceived transparency an additional significant variable is education. Academic contribution to the field: Although publications and literature dealing with the implementation of New Public Management in developed countries are plentiful, this is not the case in transition countries. The paper examines the case of the Sarajevo Canton and contributes to the research of perceived downward accountability and transparency. It may serve as a basis for further studies on public sector management in other local communities or small transition countries. Originality/Value: The paper contributes to the limited empirical literature regarding the perceived accountability and transparency and suggests ways to improve such.

• Language: English
• Keywords: public services, perceived accountability, perceived transparency, citizens, Sarajevo Canton, binomial logit regression
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FU - Faculty of Administration
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: Str. 27-43
• Numbering: Vol. 19, no. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-135077
• UDC: 352:35(497.6Sarajevo)
• ISSN on article: 2591-2240
• DOI: 10.17573/cepar.2021.2.02
• COBISS.SI-ID: 90195971

Note

Povzetek v slov. jeziku se nahaja na koncu revije, na str. 154.

• Publication date in RUL: 22.02.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Central European public administration review
• Shortened title: CEPAR
• Publisher: Fakulteta za upravo
• ISSN: 2591-2240
• COBISS.SI-ID: 293849600

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 30.11.2021

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Odnos državljanov do odgovornosti in transparentnosti javnih služb – primer kantona Sarajevo

Abstract

Namen: Namen članka je oceniti, kako državljani zaznavajo odgovornost in transparentnost dveh javnih služb – komunalne službe in službe za vzdrževanje cest – v kantonu Sarajevo v Bosni in Hercegovini (BiH). Zasnova/Metodologija/Pristop: Dejavnike, ki vplivajo na zaznavanje odgovornosti in transparentnosti omenjenih javnih služb, smo merili s pomočjo ankete med 250 uporabniki in štirih binarnih logističnih regresij. Ugotovitve: Rezultati binarne logistične regresije kažejo, da so pri zaznavanju odgovornosti in transparentnosti komunalne službe pomembne spremenljivke spol, izobrazba in zadovoljstvo s ceno, ki jo uporabniki plačajo za to storitev. Pomembne spremenljivke pri zaznavanju odgovornosti službe za vzdrževanje lokalnih cest vključujejo zadovoljstvo z rednim in zimskim vzdrževanjem lokalnih cest, pri zaznavanju transparentnosti pa je pomembna spremenljivka tudi izobrazba. Akademski prispevek k znanstvenem področju: Čeprav je publikacij in literature na temo novega javnega managementa v razvitih državah veliko, pa so te v tranzicijskih državah precej bolj skope. Članek obravnava primer kantona Sarajevo in prispeva k raziskavi zaznavanja odgovornosti in transparentnosti, obenem pa ponuja izhodišče za nadaljnje proučevanje upravljanja javnega sektorja v drugih lokalnih skupnostih ali manjših tranzicijskih državah. Izvirnost/Vrednost: Članek dopolnjuje sicer omejeno literaturo o zaznavanju odgovornosti in transparentnosti ter ponuja rešitve za izboljšave na tem področju.

• Keywords: javne službe, zaznana odgovornost, zaznana transparentnost, državljani, kanton Sarajevo, binarna logistična regresija