Good governance matters for well-being: the case of Kazakhstan
Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy
ISSN: 1750-6166
Article publication date: 14 June 2021
Issue publication date: 14 February 2022
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the impact of the perceived performance of the government on subjective well-being based on the individual-level survey data of Kazakhstan. Having implemented substantial economic and public administration reforms over nearly three decades since independence in 1991 Kazakhstan presents an interesting case to explore how people perceive the outcomes of the reforms.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper estimates the relationship between life satisfaction and its determinants with the ordered logit model making use of the ranking information in the response variable.
Findings
This paper establishes that satisfaction with public service delivery, living conditions and personal and economic factors that are subject to public policy, along with trust in government institutions contribute to life satisfaction. The more satisfied individuals are with the quality, affordability and accessibility of public services, the more satisfied they are with their lives as a whole. A higher level of trust in government institutions increases individual well-being.
Originality/value
There is still a lack of research on subjective well-being in the less developed world. This study will help reveal important determinants of subjective well-being in the context of a developing country. Also, this study is valuable in terms of examining the impact of citizen satisfaction with public service delivery on subjective wellbeing based on rich individual-level data of the national quality of life (QoL) survey.
Keywords
Citation
Serikbayeva, B. and Abdulla, K. (2022), "Good governance matters for well-being: the case of Kazakhstan", Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy, Vol. 16 No. 1, pp. 140-164. https://doi.org/10.1108/TG-02-2021-0030
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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