Papers by Matthias Finger
e-Government types of experiments, practices and services currently explode in number and variety... more e-Government types of experiments, practices and services currently explode in number and variety in all European countries. They fit a long-term conceived plan to build a more consistent Information Society, hopefully also, a promising Knowledge Society. In 2005, E-Europe is entering its second phase and just as best practice diffusion and policy incitation are still needed, evaluation tools and programs are urgently to be deployed and discussed. Economic benefits of e-government undertakings are of course a major concern and should be considered not only in the narrow sense (where cost reduction of administration activity can be effectively acknowledged) but also in a larger sense, taking into account counter-effects due to external cost increase as well as forgotten transaction or learning costs. However, measuring the value of e-government projects and practices should go beyond this mere cost-minded appraisal as more profound reasons support the implementation of E-Europe, i.e....
The present document summarises the content of the presentations delivered during the 9 th Floren... more The present document summarises the content of the presentations delivered during the 9 th Florence Air Forum, and the following paragraphs offer short summaries of each presentation, illustrating the main points made and matters treated. The thoughts and opinions reported do not necessarily reflect the views of the contributors, as they have been collected by the authors of this summary. To open the presentations, go to florence-school.eu, choose "transport" from the top menu bar and select "Forums" among the "activities". Clicking on the title of the Forum will take you to the relevant page. Alternatively, by clicking on a presentation's icon you may activate an internet link taking you to the full presentation, when available. Presentations are hosted on the FSR website by permission of the authors.
The paper contributes to further the understanding of potential impacts e-Government initiatives ... more The paper contributes to further the understanding of potential impacts e-Government initiatives will have on the state and its society. On the basis of three European case studies, we have examined the correlation of information technology and State transformation, which we present and discuss in this paper. We are about to conceptualize this correlation as virtual governance architecture, which relies on a standardized reference model. Our paper is prospective in nature and should be seen as a work in progress. It outlines our estimation of information technology as a new driver of e-governance conceptualization.
Network Industries Quarterly | Published four times a year, contains information about postal, te... more Network Industries Quarterly | Published four times a year, contains information about postal, telecommunications, energy, water, transportation and network industries in general. It provides original analysis, information and opinions on current issues. The editor establishes caps, headings, sub-headings, introductory abstract and inserts in articles. He also edits the articles. Opinions are the sole responsibility of the author(s).
Two quite different ways to approach reform at the municipal level; two very different cases give... more Two quite different ways to approach reform at the municipal level; two very different cases given their historical background; two specific approaches of municipal entities; in short, two quite antagonistic processes which it is interesting to compare in order to better understand the complexities of municipal management. This texte thus compares the municiapl administrations in Switzerland and France at the age of public sector reform. It concludes that the two systems differ considerably, in particular when it comes to the tension between decentralization and centralization, to the question of privatization and other form of new public management, as well as when it comes to the implementation of such reforms more generally.
In times of reform and crisis, innovation is central for adapting to change. Many companies curre... more In times of reform and crisis, innovation is central for adapting to change. Many companies currently adopt open innovation models in an effort to increase their innovativeness. However, not all companies practice identical modes of open innovation and the adoption of open innovation models doesn’t lend itself to predictable cause-and-effect relationships. The adoption of open innovation models varies among companies and is dependent upon influencing determinants. Hence, each company has to analyze their specific external and internal influencing factors and adapt the open innovation models accordingly. Grounded in case studies of innovation management of public utilities, we aim to develop a conceptual framework regarding external and internal factors that influence the adoption of open innovation. The goal of our research is to contribute to the field of open innovation by answering questions pertraining to when, why, and how companies adapt open innovation models according to the...
Handbook on Railway Regulation
Sustainability
Urban rail transit (URT) is closely related to the sustainable development of the city. In additi... more Urban rail transit (URT) is closely related to the sustainable development of the city. In addition to the traffic improvements, it also brings social and economic benefits. From the perspective of sustainability, we discuss the effect of urban rail transit on financing constraints of companies listed on the China A-share stock market (A-share, common stocks issued by companies registered in China for domestic institutions, organizations or individuals to subscribe and trade in RMB) and further explore whether the level of financial development has an effect on the above relationship. The results show that: (1) Financing constraints are common among sample enterprises, and the later the opening year of urban rail transit, the greater the degree of financing constraints; (2) The development of urban rail transit is beneficial to alleviate the level of financing constraints of listed companies, and this mitigating effect mainly exists in the samples with high relevance to urban rail t...
La pensée comptable
Note: titre Anglais: Neoliberalism versus New Public Management. Reference EPFL-ARTICLE-173252 Re... more Note: titre Anglais: Neoliberalism versus New Public Management. Reference EPFL-ARTICLE-173252 Record created on 2011-12-26, modified on 2017-09-01
Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics
Summary We develop an industry specific model of price competition with product differentiation t... more Summary We develop an industry specific model of price competition with product differentiation to analyze the effect of entry regulation on process innovation in the Swiss mail industry. We consider the four most prominent scenarios: Regulated monopoly, end-to-end competition, worksharing without bypass, and work-sharing with bypass. Based on model calibration with data from the Swiss letter market, we find that the incentives to invest in process innovations decrease with deregulation. However, even accounting for this fact, the efficiency gains of a partial liberalization, i.e. worksharing, ensure an increase in social welfare.
Journal of Borderlands Studies
ABSTRACT The term "GlobalArctic" was officially launched at the 2014 Arctic Circle Asse... more ABSTRACT The term "GlobalArctic" was officially launched at the 2014 Arctic Circle Assembly (see: www.globalarctic.org). The idea for this term was not conceived in a vacuum; rather it was the outcome of a critical analysis on the state of Arctic geopolitics and security in the era of globalization with complex and deeply interdependent ecological, economic, environmental, cultural, political, and societal processes. It is important to note that global impacts in the Arctic are nothing new, since the region has historically been a part of the international system. Further, the discourse of regionalism, “the Arctic as a distinctive region”, of the 1990s is no longer sufficient and does not explain the current state of Arctic geopolitics. This article argues that the term “global Arctic” is not a discourse, but a new research and teaching method, an analytical means to study and examine significant changes both in the Arctic region and globally, as well as the current more complex geopolitical context with deeper and more obvious interdependence.
Politics and Governance
The unique “Swiss way” of association with the European Union (EU) has received increasing attent... more The unique “Swiss way” of association with the European Union (EU) has received increasing attention in light of recent events such as Brexit as it is based on sectoral agreements without an overarching institutional framework. As such, Europeanization of Swiss domestic policy does not follow a straightforward process. We examine the external governance processes that drive the Europeanization of Swiss energy policy. Switzerland and the EU are highly interdependent in energy due to Switzerland’s geographical position but there is a relatively low level of policy alignment, as there is no formal EU-Swiss energy agreement nor has Switzerland autonomously implemented legislation equivalent to the EU energy acquis. The EU has fully liberalized the energy market and is focusing on consumer empowerment and decarbonization through the Clean Energy Package, whereas the Swiss energy sector remains only partially liberalized. Through a series of expert interviews with key stakeholders, we rec...
Research in Transportation Business & Management
Abstract The concept of Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) has the potential to help break away from th... more Abstract The concept of Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) has the potential to help break away from the current automobility system of private car ownership towards a more sustainable ‘post-car’ system. While technology undoubtedly plays an important role in the development of MaaS schemes, coordinating the various stakeholders, from different levels of decision-making, seems to be an equally, if not even greater challenge. Building on a case study that focused on the development of the very first MaaS commercial solution in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, this paper uses the multi-level governance (MLG) analytical framework to discuss which governance mechanisms are most likely to support the full realization of the MaaS potential. Findings indicate that while Type II governance processes (horizontal development of a MaaS network, unfolding of several MaaS initiatives in parallel, informal lobbying from local government) undoubtedly played a role in the emergence of the solution, it is mainly thanks to Type I mechanisms (strong visions from public authorities, development of a dedicated legislation) that MaaS could finally move forward in the Finnish capital region, and exit the institutional dead-end in which it was trapped. By shedding light on the governance of Mobility-as-a-Service, this paper contributes to the growing MaaS literature that has paid so far little attention to the nuts and bolts of MaaS development, and contributes in further using the MLG in transport studies. The paper ultimately concludes by highlighting the need to conduct more research on the governance of MaaS in order to ultimately develop a more holistic understanding of the role that public authorities are playing in its development.
Competition and Regulation in Network Industries
Rail passenger transport services with integrated regular interval timetables (IRIT), offer passe... more Rail passenger transport services with integrated regular interval timetables (IRIT), offer passengers a regular interval timetable for services on the railway network. IRIT have the potential to increase the quality and attractiveness of railway passenger services in comparison to other transport modes. This paper summarizes the advantages and challenges of an implementation of IRIT for railway passenger services and derives the main requirements for the successful introduction of IRIT. The comparison of the regulatory framework, the role of IRIT and the development of passenger railway services in CH, the NL and the UK, shows that in those countries, where either IRIT has been introduced (CH) or the high frequency of trains between cities provides for a system comparable to IRIT (NL), railway services play a more important role in the modal split. The successful introduction of IRIT requires a long-run implementation schedule which identifies the necessary investment in the railway infrastructure and points out the financial resources available to make those investments. Further, IRIT requires a high level of punctuality of railway passenger services, the coordination between railway companies when designing the timetable and a priority rule for passenger railway services within IRIT when there are capacity restrictions on the railway network.
Competition and Regulation in Network Industries
Water Intelligence Online
Page 1. Community research Water and Liberalisation European water scenarios Editors: Matthias Fi... more Page 1. Community research Water and Liberalisation European water scenarios Editors: Matthias Finger, Jeremy Allouche, Patricia Luis-Manso Page 2. Water and Liberalisation European Water Scenarios Page 3. Page 4. Water ...
Adult Education Quarterly
The purpose of this article is to show how adult education is linked to the emerging crisis of mo... more The purpose of this article is to show how adult education is linked to the emerging crisis of modernity; in fact, education has been conceived from its very beginning as part of the project of modernity. If adult education follows the same paths as traditional education, it will end up, like modernity, in crisis too. A sign of this crisis in our field is the increasing split between vocational training and personal development. I will develop my argument by using the example of the so-called “new movements”: new movements herald a cultural transformation, where the individual becomes increasingly a central focus and where social transformation will occur through the transformation of the person. It is argued that adult education will develop its full potential only once it has admitted that it is, as a discipline, another expression of the same cultural transformation the new movements foreshadow.
Competition and Regulation in Network Industries, 2009
The Urban Water Sector has undergone important reforms in recent years, which are creating new ri... more The Urban Water Sector has undergone important reforms in recent years, which are creating new risks pertaining to the sustainability of capital investments and the universality of service provision. In this paper we draw together the factors that influence the vulnerability of these two elements at risk, and assess whether the hazards created by the reform affect positively or negatively these vulnerability factors across different institutional arrangements. The literature on New Institutional Economics, and in particular Transaction-Costs Economics, is used as a tool to design the framework for carrying out the vulnerability analyses. The influence of contract design is also taken into consideration because it affects the impact of the vulnerability factors on the elements at risk in certain institutional arrangements. In order to verify whether the identified factors of vulnerability are perceived as important by the management entities and the differences across institutional a...
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Papers by Matthias Finger