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Instructors: Prof. Dr. Steffen Eckhard
Event type:
Seminar
Org-unit: Graduate School | ZUGS
Displayed in timetable as:
Credits:
6,0
Location:
Campus der Zeppelin Universität
Language of instruction:
Englisch
Min. | Max. participants:
10 | 24
Course content:
Cooperative seminar | ZU and Universität Konstanz; Lecturers: Prof. Dr. Steffen Eckhard (ZU); Prof. Dr. Eva Thomann (Universität Konstanz)
This strongly research-oriented advanced seminar explores the role of the public administration in times of crisis. Participants are requested to engage in own research projects on the dynamics of crises, administrative coping and corruption. The aim is to produce seminar research papers that are ideally fit for publication in a yet to be determined context (such as special issue, blog or edited volume).
The seminar will firstly explore the notions of crisis, crisis management, and administrative problem-solving. We will read theoretical approaches to understand how crises trigger coping behavior and/ or dysfunctional administrative practices, and how such practices in turn affect the successful management of crises.
The main emphasis of the seminar will be the COVID crisis, which offers an opportunity for the comparative study of corruption in public procurement. We will therefore "zoom in" on corruption in public procurement during the COVID-19 crisis. Indeed, corruption related to the procurement of personal protective equipment has been documented in many European countries at the outbreak of the crisis, including in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, and Greece. During the semester, the students will form groups to co-produce case studies on "mask scandals" in different European countries, which they will present in class and write up in their seminar paper.
In addition to sessions on the theoretical background and the COVID crisis, the seminar will also include methodological sessions on causal process tracing, the measurement and analysis of corruption, and data collection and analysis. It will also involve guest lectures with experts on either of these topics. The last part will be student-led sessions on the different country studies. Finally, we round the course up with a paper workshop intended to help students design their papers.
Educational objective:
• Understand the tension between administrative coping and dysfunctional administrative practices in crises
• Understand the role and causes of corruption in public procurement
• Collect experience in field/desk-based empirical research and data collection
• Obtain analytical case study skills by developing an analytic case study scheme and conducting causal process tracing
Further information about the exams:
The course-related performance assessment is comprised of 2 individual components: A group presentation and a group seminar paper. These assignments are designed to deepen the experience of students with actual empirical research on a topic of high salience and importance, and help them actively acquire the applied research skills that seminars are intended to teach students.
Student responsibilities:
Participation: You are expected to be active in seminars. Additionally:
Send presentation slides. You are required to send the slides of your presentation via e-mail to the instructors.
Readings: there are both required and optional readings, consisting of a mix of theoretical texts and case studies. Every student is expected to read at least 1 core reading, and at least 1 case study, for each session.
Modulbeschreibung:
Due to its broader focus, the seminar can be attributed either to Module C (Institutional Theories or Advanced Theories) or to Module D (Case Study Methods or Advanced Qualitative Methods)
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