SEA: Practical Application of Science (Jun 2014)

PUBLIC SECTOR TRANSPARENCY:A CONCEPTUAL DISSECTION

  • Mara Andreea SÎNTEJUDEANU,
  • Teodora Viorica FARCAS,
  • Adriana TIRON TUDOR

Journal volume & issue
Vol. II, no. 4 (2/2014)
pp. 365 – 372

Abstract

Read online

The concept of transparency has increasingly attracted the attention of academic, political and business areas. Many studies have demonstrated the need for adopting this corporate governance principle also in the public sector, a phenomenon that has become widespread at international level. The academic study field defines transparency as the ability to look clearly through the window of an institution. Starting from this statement, the research focuses on the importance of transparency in public governance and on the framework for identifying and assessing this concept. Furthermore, this paper also analysis the limits of this notion in order to maintain its significance and effectiveness. Thus, based on the literature review, this study summarizes the opinions and arguments of various authors in the field regarding the notion of transparency in the public sector. At the same time, it analysis the conclusions of empirical studies on this topic. The results of the study reveal the importance and necessity of information disclosure among different users for increasing citizens' trust in government and achieving good governance. However, the positive aspects of transparency tend to be overestimated and considering the ambiguity of this concept it should be carefully handled.

Keywords