ABSTRACT This study investigates how faith‐based social funds generate independent but complementary social provision networks. Though it has long‐standing contributions, faith‐based social financing remains under explored in public administration scholarship, particularly from the Non‐Western perspective. A qualitative method is employed through field observations, focus group discussions, and in‐depth interviews in five regions of Indonesia to examine religious study circles and charity groups. The results show that Islamic charitable funds— zakat , waqf , sadaqah , and infaq —shaped by religious teachings and histories benefit poor populations un(der)served by government‐led social provision in Indonesia. Islamic social finance, especially when organized by government‐registered charitable organizations, promotes society welfare by fostering transparent, ethical, and accountable government within religious communities. Thus, there is a need to recognize and incorporate faith‐based social financing contributions as an alternative legitimate governance tool into wider and more inclusive social policy frameworks.

ABSTRACT The reform of public institutions has attracted sustained attention in both scholarship and policymaking. Increasingly, however, there is growing recognition that reforms are rarely implemented in an institutional vacuum. Instead, new reforms are layered onto existing arrangements, producing hybrid institutional landscapes shaped by prior reform trajectories. Drawing on institutional logics theory, this study examines how contemporary reforms interact with what the paper terms ‘community logics’, a form of relational governance rooted in shared norms, reciprocity and collective responsibility, through a case study of the Nigerian Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). Based on interviews with tax officials, advisers, and other stakeholders, the study argues for recognising community logics as a distinct mode of institutional organising and for acknowledging their ambivalent role in both enabling and constraining reform. The study contributes to public administration and development by advancing an understanding of public organisations as communities, rather than solely as rule‐bound bureaucracies, and by showing that even technically justified reforms can strain legitimacy if they are incompatible with existing institutional settlements. It also offers several implications for policy and practice in countries with similar institutional characteristics.

ABSTRACT Women remain significantly underrepresented in political leadership worldwide. This study examines how different combinations of government accountability mechanisms enhance women's political representation (WPR) as a pathway to leadership in 30 OECD countries. Grounded in configuration theory, the research identifies three distinct pathways through which countries successfully advance WPR. The findings reveal that four accountability mechanisms—high‐quality elections, media freedom and pluralism, civil society strength, and independent supervisory bodies—are necessary conditions for WPR advancement while other mechanisms play complementary or substitutionary roles. The study contributes theoretically by integrating configuration theory with network governance theory to demonstrate how formal and informal accountability structures coevolve within governance ecosystems. Drawing on these insights, four policy propositions are formulated targeting necessary accountability mechanisms, providing guidance for policymakers to enhance WPR. This research advances understanding of the interconnected nature of governance mechanisms and offers empirically grounded pathways for enhancing women's political participation and leadership representation.

ABSTRACT Efforts to address gender‐based violence in humanitarian settings increasingly call for recognition of and funding to local women‐led organizations and women's rights organizations for long‐term response. The Empowered Aid initiative seeks to address sexual exploitation and abuse by working with local organizations as well as the refugee women and girls most affected by this type of abuse, to undertake participatory action research and apply the findings to aid programming. This paper examines the ways in which Union of Relief and Development Associations (URDA), a local, women‐led organization in Lebanon, engaged in this initiative and tested measures to reduce risk of sexual exploitation and abuse in their programming. It applies a critical feminist lens to examine URDA's experiences of power to address a type of violence perpetrated by aid actors, often with very little accountability. This paper describes how participatory approaches serve to co‐create knowledge and center contextual expertise.

The data that support the findings of this study are available from Kim Moloney, Gloria J. Billingsley, Bok Gyo Jeong, Pablo San. Restrictions apply to the availability of these data, which were used under license for this study. Data are available from the author(s) with the permission of Kim Moloney, Gloria J. Billingsley, Bok Gyo Jeong, Pablo San.

ABSTRACT In this commentary piece I reflect on my own research journey and engagement with comparative public administration. Today there is a risk that fewer academics may conduct thorough comparative research despite it being needed more than ever in the face of polycrises and polarization. In order to map a potential future I discuss some of the challenges we face and the importance of immersion and interaction in conducting comparative field work. Ultimately, advancing an international and comparative approach to public administration requires us all to think comparatively—to see beyond our own systems and engage in scholarly dialog. In doing so we must be prepared to travel, to listen, to immerse, and to compare with care.

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the effects of leadership and adaptive capacities on local government performance, with management innovation as a moderating factor. Using structural equation modeling, data from 360 employees across Ghana's municipal assemblies were analyzed. The results reveal that leadership capacity significantly enhances performance, though its interaction with management innovation was not significant. Adaptive capacity, when moderated by management innovation, positively impacts performance, demonstrating innovation's critical role in transforming adaptability into tangible outcomes. These findings advance capacity development literature by emphasizing the dependency of adaptive capacity on innovation and reinforcing leadership capacity as a key organizational resource, consistent with resource‐based view (RBV) and knowledge‐based view (KBV) theories. Practical implications include prioritizing leadership development and integrating innovation into public sector strategies to improve performance. The study provides theoretical insights, actionable recommendations, and a basis for future research on capacity development in local government systems, particularly in resource‐constrained public sector contexts.

Abstract This review article highlights the outcomes of collaborative governance in disaster management and its correlation with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Of particular interests are the origins and emergence of scholarship, core themes discussed under the subject, global contexts reported in the studies, and empirical findings regarding the relationship between collaborative governance in disaster management and the SDGs. The findings indicate that the USA dominates in publications on collaborative governance in disaster management. The most reported areas include COVID‐19, general theory development, the role of nonprofits, policy development frameworks, and other disasters including Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The areas connected with the SDGs are grouped into three sections. The first section describes the study's focus on SDG 17, highlighting partnerships as pivotal for goal attainment; the second section examines the Sendai Framework's alignment with goals such as poverty eradication, urban resilience, climate action, and partnerships; while the third section addresses additional areas connected to foundational SDGs, outlining a comprehensive framework for collaborative governance research. The study concludes by proposing a research agenda for more research from multiple contexts and research on areas under a developmental agenda.

Abstract Promoting demographic diversity and representation in the public sector workforce is a critical prerequisite for achieving social equity. This study investigates gender differences in public sectoral preference in China, subsequently exploring the underlying mechanisms that cause such a gender gap. Based on social psychological theories, this study develops and tests a moderated mediation model that examines public service motivation (PSM) as the mediating mechanism and perceived discrimination as the moderator. Utilizing the nationally representative China Education Panel Survey, our findings suggest a strong gender effect regarding the attractiveness of public sector employment in China. In terms of the specific mechanism whereby gender helps predict public sectoral preference, PSM indeed plays a mediating role. Specifically, the gender gap in public sector employment will be further widened by PSM when perceived discrimination is high. Overall, this study contributes to the extant literature by exploring the effects of gender on public sector preferences and to the practice by helping policymakers ideate solutions to enhance diversity effectively.

Abstract Promoting an ethical work environment in public‐sector organizations is crucial for good governance, particularly in developing countries that face internal and external pressures to modernize their public service and combat corruption. This study examined the mechanisms by which an ethical environment in public‐sector organizations is enhanced by investigating the role that employee public service motivation (PSM) as well as ethical leadership plays in the workplace. Utilizing first‐hand data collected in 2022 through a survey of public employees working at the Jordanian ministries and public sector agencies, the study showed that public employees in Jordan enjoy a high level of PSM, which was positively correlated with an ethical work environment. This relationship was, however, improved when mediated by ethical leadership, indicating the importance of ethical leadership as an organizational intervention to promote a more ethical workplace. The implications, contributions, and limitations of the study were further discussed.