Purpose -It is important that organizations embark on leadership development programs that will enhance leadership effectiveness. The purpose of this article is to identify some leadership development initiatives. Design/methodology/approach -The paper uses a review of the literature to offer some leadership development practices. Findings -Leadership development should be comprehensive and systematically integrated into the organizational culture in order to produce leaders who can deal adequately with organizational challenges. Practical implications -Organizations and leadership developers should use a systemic approach in order to address the current leadership crisis. This paper emphasizes a global perspective and an organizational commitment to leadership development. It is suggested that organizations should have a long-term focus towards realizing the benefits from investments in leadership development programs. The article offers a number of approaches to the selection and development of leaders at all levels of an organization. Originality/value -All organizations face the problem of developing good leaders. This paper helps to identify some approaches to leadership development that will enhance leadership effectiveness and organizational performance.

Purpose -This paper aims to investigate public sector reform (PSR) initiatives in Kazakhstan, and how such reform efforts have helped the government to be more responsive to the needs and demands of the citizens. Design/methodology/approach -The paper examined four key PSR initiatives: decentralization, Civil Service reform, e-governance, and civil society in improving governance in post-Soviet Kazakhstan.Findings -In light of Kazakhstan government's efforts to reform the public sector, the study finds that substantial progress has been made in improving its service delivery systems and enhancing good governance.Research limitations/implications -The study is an investigation of four out of several PSR initiatives aimed at improving good governance. Originality/value -The study provides insights into how aspects of PSR can be fundamentally useful in promoting good governance.

While Nigeria began its e-government initiatives in the early 2000s, the country is still in the early stages of e-government development, with very low e-government diffusion among its population. Through the administration of survey questionnaires, this paper first identifies the benefits of e-government, and then examines factors of e-government diffusion in Nigeria via three theoretical models of innovation diffusion (Technology Acceptance Model, Diffusion of Innovation theory, and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology). Results of the study suggest that the anticipated benefits of e-government in Nigeria are similar to those found in other studies in the e-government literature. Prominent factors of e-government diffusion found in the study capture the dimensions of the three theories. However, due to the unique nature of the Nigerian context, two factors (trust in government and reliable electricity supply) of e-government diffusion identified in the study are not within the dimensions of the theoretical models. The paper suggests that the Nigerian government should address the factors identified in the study (such as reliable electricity supply, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, relative advantage, etc.) in order to facilitate e-government diffusion in the country. The study therefore provides a basis within which policy makers should aim to improve the deployment and diffusion of e-government in Nigeria.

As a part of the third-sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are faced with issues of trust and accountability. Questions are increasingly being raised about how to make NGOs more accountable for the funds they receive and how to enhance their effectiveness and performance. This article examines the issues of trust and credibility of NGOs. The article identifies a number of factors that would help improve NGOs’ credibility, effectiveness and performance. Implications for third-sector organizations are discussed.

Fiscal decentralization is said to offer a number of benefits for public sector governance, including growth, accountability and responsiveness of government officials to local demands and needs. However, there has been debate about the effects of fiscal decentralization on macroeconomic performance and growth. In this paper, we examine both sides of the arguments and posit that while there are many benefits to be gained from fiscal decentralization, its impacts on economic growth is constrained by a number of factors that are based on the contexts of the societies/economies involved. Hence the positive impact of fiscal decentralization on growth depends on the context and the society/economy.