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Enforcement Styles, Organizational Commitment, and Enforcement Effectiveness: An Empirical Study of Local Environmental Protection Officials in Urban China

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  • Shui-Yan Tang

    (School of Policy, Planning, and Development, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0626, USA)

  • Carlos Wing-Hung Lo

    (Department of Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hum Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong)

  • Gerald E Fryxell

    (China Europe International Business School, Shanghai, People's Republic of China)

Abstract

The authors investigated the relationship between enforcement styles and perceptions of enforcement effectiveness in China by surveying three groups of environmental protection bureau officials from the major cities of Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Dalian. In general, it was found that organizational commitment partially mediates the relationship between the enforcement style of prioritization and perceptions of effectiveness. In this case, mediation and direct effects work together such that prioritization has by far the greatest positive total effect. In contrast, a coercive enforcement style is more completely mediated by organizational commitment, but this relationship is negative (that is, a coercive style appears to reduce organizational commitment, leading to lower perceptions of enforcement effectiveness). Although some differences are noted among the three samples, the overall pattern suggests that other enforcement styles (formalism, education, and external influence) appear to be much less influential in shaping perceptions of enforcement effectiveness.

Suggested Citation

  • Shui-Yan Tang & Carlos Wing-Hung Lo & Gerald E Fryxell, 2003. "Enforcement Styles, Organizational Commitment, and Enforcement Effectiveness: An Empirical Study of Local Environmental Protection Officials in Urban China," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 35(1), pages 75-94, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:35:y:2003:i:1:p:75-94
    DOI: 10.1068/a359
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. PeterJ May & Søren Winter, 1999. "Regulatory enforcement and compliance: Examining Danish agro-environmental policy," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(4), pages 625-651.
    2. Carlos Wing‐Hung Lo & Jack Man‐Keung Lo & Kai‐Chee Cheung, 2001. "INSTITUTIONAL REFORM IN ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE SYSTEM OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA: Service Organizations as an Alternative for Administrative Enhancement," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 18(1), pages 36-57, March.
    3. Kathryn Harrison, 1995. "Is cooperation the answer? Canadian environmental enforcement in comparative context," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 14(2), pages 221-244.
    4. Tang, Shui-yan & Prakash, Vandana & Tang, Ching-ping, 1998. "Local Enforcement of Pollution Control in Developing Countries: A Comparison of Guangzhou, Delhi, and Taipei," Journal of Public Policy, Cambridge University Press, vol. 18(3), pages 265-282, December.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Geng, Yong & Sarkis, Joseph & Wang, Xinbei & Zhao, Hongyan & Zhong, Yongguang, 2013. "Regional application of ground source heat pump in China: A case of Shenyang," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 18(C), pages 95-102.

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