Our current issue of Business and Public Administration Studies (BPAS) continues to experience a mix of joyous growing pains with continuous concerns and search to expand Editorial Board to best serve the needs of readers and contributors. We have been actively exploring the possibility to team up with a University where we might have a more solid base of students-readers (and writers) at a high academic level. So the stream of continuous contributions and readership remains our number one priority. We also are pursuing another, yet related strategy of searching to team up with an Institution in Washington DC that would help anchor PBAS with public policy interests, issues and profiles. I have held several discussions with a number of professors from various universities. Some of them having read previous issues of the WICS Journal have suggested that it should be morphing into even broader and more ethics-related topics to reflect the need of global forum. Also, having approached some leading think-tanks that might benefit from a synergy of our publication offers, it is clear that there is an imminent need to explore and expand in to this area.
The current issue, Volume 9, Number 1 opens with an article by Charles Bingman, titled: “Strategies for Government Reform. The author argues that governance presents itsellf as the ultimate mechanism for directing the affairs of a nation. He contends that the exercise of power comes out of necessity, and it is the primary instrument for the making of national decisions. This happens most ostensibly where a strong and independent private sector exists, one which is capable to control most of the economic life of a given nation. And at times, even then, the government plays an important role or excercises influence not only bilateral relationships where the private sector functions, but it also affects entire environment. When certain governments become dictatorial or authoritarian, possibiliteis emerge for decisionmakers to be a single individual, or just a small group of elite power holders. When the government is democratic, the power of the government needs to be focused on reaching a reasonable public consensus, or social contracts for any given decision. Therefore, second and third level decisions becoem a natural link to the functions for an elaborate system in governmental organizations. And the power structure and laws enacted by legislative authorities search to attain reasonable compromise, or negotiate the practical solution.
Partick Carmody in his article titled: “Green Island Small Footprints” examines and contextualizes Taiwan’s achievements in the IT sector. The author provides a useful and intriguing outline of a current context for future trends in Taiwan’s IT developments. To reach this ambituous goal, writer analyzes the forces in play involving IoTs, Big Analytics, Open Data, and Smart City initiatives. He then shows how these forces are merging in Taiwan today within a global stage. Even more concretely, he examines both local and global industry partnerships, practices in sound governance, and current accomplishments in Smart City initiatives. He the n shows how these forces catalyze, embrace an emerging digital broadband environment and the market demands. His research indicates that Taiwan has effectively established an environment conducive for continual success in Smart City development. Taiwan is also forging global collaborations in IT development. Taiwan’s building blocks in its IT sector are not exclusive to its original equipmet manufacturing (OEM/ODM) and semiconductor know-how, but also extends to its information communication technologies (ICT) advancements, IT solutions and system service provider capacities, and a regulatory environment that has laid the foundations for the next epoch in its IT evolution. The author points out that implications from this research are far reaching. Taiwan is in a position to leverage its current accomplishments in IT development and open governance to capture and harness future IT trends in the globally-driven IT marketplace. Taiwan’s current regulatory environment and industry success will be a boon to accomplish next steps in its digital evolution and IT knowhow. Ongoing advancement in its “digital inclusion” strategies will be part of the mix in leveraging Taiwan’s success in Smart City development and utilization of IoTs, Big Analytics, embedded sensor technologies, and a rapid expansion in APP creation promoting digital services for urban landscapes.
Internet of Things Report: The FTC Overstepped its Agency Rulemaking Authority by Magdalena Rogosz is the next equally engaging and interesting read. The author delves into one of the new form of administrative action: best practices. They represent a set of goals that an organization should seek to not only meet but to imitate. The fact is that best practices seem like a delicate form of interaction between the agencies and the entities at which best practices are aimed at. They might be just a form of advice from the regulating agencies when compared to a set of rules and regulations that result into fines and penalties if not complied with. But upon a deeper inquiry, we notice that best practices often fall short of the ideal. They seem to carry a number of potential drawbacks both to customers and businesses. Ms Rogosz’s article details and examines the underlying legal authority behind best practices as implemented by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by discussing the Internet of Things Report, as a recent example of bestpractice rulemaking by the FTC. Rogosz then shows that the publication of the FTC’s best practices in the Internet of Things Workshop Report (“IoT Report” or “Report”) is an attempt to expand the Commission’s rulemaking authority by bypassing congressional authority.
Next article: The Impact of Logistics Costs on the Economic Development: The Case of Thailand, is written by Liu Xianghui, International School, Associate Dean Huaqiao University, PRC. The author has given a version of the paper at the conference. The author argues that Thai economy has been suffering from the low efficiency of its logistics systems. He points out that it is revealed by its remarkably high logistics costs in relation to its gross domestic product. Having impacts on both the industrial structure and spatial distribution of the economy, high relative logistics costs in Thailand greatly constrains the sustainable development of Thai economy. While the Thai government are taking proactive measures to reduce its logistics costs in relation to its gross domestic product, special attention should be paid to the relation between the logistics costs and economic development to develop appropriate logistics policies to accommodate the need of economic development.
The issue concludes with Editorial Picks of books that are noteworthy. At this point we would like to appeal to readers to also contribute not only their academic work, recent research papers but also suggestions of books that are well worth reading, knowing about and worth citing or disseminating. It is our sincere hope that you enjoy reading these collection of essays and will send us your comments and suggestions.
