Better workers, better elections? Electoral management body workforces and electoral integrity worldwide

James, Toby S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5826-5461 (2019) Better workers, better elections? Electoral management body workforces and electoral integrity worldwide. International Political Science Review, 40 (3). pp. 370-390. ISSN 0192-5121

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Abstract

Building better elections is a central task for the study of democracy and democratisation. Despite this, there have been no cross-national studies on the staff who manage and implement elections: electoral management body (EMB) workforces. This article provides the first macroscopic worldwide picture of workforce characteristics, human resource management practices and employee outcomes, and analyses the effects they have on electoral integrity, based on original international surveys of electoral management bodies (EMBs) (n = 51) and electoral officials (n = 2029). Drawing from the human resource management literature, a framework is developed to explain how these factors might interact with EMB performance. Analysis demonstrates them to be highly related. Adding data on human resource management practices and employee outcomes improves explanatory models designed to predict the performance of EMBs. Chiefly, EMBs that enable greater opportunities for employees to be involved in decision-making processes perform better. Recruitment practices, job satisfaction and levels of stress are also important.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: democratisation,electoral integrity,electoral management,employee outcomes,human resource management practices,sociology and political science,political science and international relations,sdg 16 - peace, justice and strong institutions ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/3300/3312
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Arts and Humanities > School of Politics, Philosophy, Language and Communication Studies
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Research Groups > Political, Social and International Studies
Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Research Groups > Policy & Politics
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Depositing User: LivePure Connector
Date Deposited: 17 Oct 2018 15:31
Last Modified: 21 Jul 2023 09:49
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/68592
DOI: 10.1177/0192512119829516

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