FACULTY OF COMMERCE

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

NAME: CYNTHIA CHARI

REG. NO: R193184

LEVEL: 2.1A

MODE OF ENTRY: HARARE VISITING SCHOOL

SUPERVISOR: Mahapa

Working Title

Analysis of corporate governance on service delivery in urban local authorities.

1. Introduction

The primary role of the local authorities is on the provision of basic municipal and social
services to the local citizens. However, there are numerous challenges that are being faced by
the local government in Zimbabwe and amongst them is the failure to deliver basic
community services as a result of the lack of resources, corruption and poor management
systems. To this end the purpose of the proposal is on justifying how the intended study is to
examine the corporate governance principles in local authorities on service delivery in a bid
to get a comprehensive understanding of how poor governance is emerging as a challenge
which is affecting service delivery in local authorities using the Harare, Chitungwiza and
Norton Councils as a case under investigation. The contents of the proposal therefore include
the background of the study, statement of the problem, research objectives and questions,
significance of the study, limitations of the study, delimitations of the study, a pre-liminary
review of literature, methodology of the study, the plan of the study and finally the summary
of the proposal.

2. Background of the Study

Good governance, in this time has drawn open familiarity with the activities of public
institutions. It has likewise become a significant factor in the thought of a country's capacity
to hold fast to all world worthy democratic based guidelines (Bratton and Rothchild, 2012).
The standards of good administration, for example, investment, rule of law, fairness,
responsibility, reasonableness and productivity empower employees to be increasingly viable
and straightforward in offering assistance to the public. It likewise shields them from the
inclination towards misconduct behaviour (Alaaraj, 2014). Then again, poor governance
bargains administration conveyance and will in general advantage a chosen first class.

Good governance in the public sector expects to empower better assistance conveyance and
improved responsibility by setting up a standard for good administration in the public sector
(IFAC, 2013). Viable administration in the public sector energizes better dynamic, effective
utilization of assets and fortifies responsibility for the stewardship of assets (Mutahaba,
2012).

As per IFAC (2013), Good governance is portrayed by solid investigation which gives
significant weights to improving public sector performance and handling misconduct
behaviour. It also improves management, leading to more effective implementation of the
chosen interventions, better service delivery and better outcomes

The juridical framework for urban local authorities in Zimbabwe is set out in the Urban
Councils Act (UCA) chapter 29.15 (1996) and the Local Government Laws Amendment Act
of 2008.Urban local authorities confine their operations to the principal act (UCA) and they
cannot do anything beyond the powers sanctioned by the legal instrument. The UCA
establishes cities, municipalities, towns and local boards. It also confers functions and powers
and imposes duties upon municipal and town councils and local boards. Zimbabwe has 31
urban local authorities which are hierarchically organised, based mainly on size and functions
(Chakaipa. 2010:36). The urban councils are hierarchically organised into four categories
namely cities, municipalities, towns and local boards.

The UCA empowers urban local authorities to make by-laws which regulate various
activities, levy rates and service charges on ratepayers to raise revenue for service provision
and infrastructure development. This legislation (UCA) confers urban local authorities with a
wide range of responsibilities, which include: providing water for domestic, commercial or
industrial areas, hospitals, clinics, ambulances, maternity and child welfare, libraries,
provision of housing and transport facilities, construction and maintenance of drains, sewers
and bridges, cleansing and refuse removal and disposal ,prevention of air, land and water
pollution, operation of fire brigades and municipal police, street lighting ,public places and
provision of parks, recreation grounds and open spaces (Ministry of Local Government Rural
and Urban Development document. 2011:2)

Relating to corporate governance, the Local Government Laws Amendment Act 2008 Section
12 states that every council area shall be governed by a council. Council is the focal point of
the corporate governance system for urban local authorities in Zimbabwe. Council is
composed of two units, the elected councillors who have policy and the legislative
responsibilities on one hand and the administrative arm which is responsible for day to day
running of council and implements decisions of council (Mushamba 2010:104). The
executive or administrative arm for cities/ municipalities and town councils are headed by
Town Clerks and Town Secretaries respectively. Town Clerks are assisted to manage day to
day council operations by senior service directors like the Directors of Engineering services,
financial services, health services, housing and community services and the Chamber
secretary. The board of Councilors consists of elected officials and in some cases combined
with Special Interest Councilors who are appointed in terms of section 4A (1) (b) of the Local
Government Laws Amendment Act (2008). This board provides an oversight role to the
executive/ management team. The roles of the management team and the board of councillors
are clearly distinguished in the act; this reduces role conflict and also promotes the corporate
governance value/principle of accountability. The management team is accountable to the
board of councillors. The ceremonial mayors and council chairpersons for
municipalities/cities and town councils/town boards respectively chair the governing boards
of the local authorities. Mayors or chairpersons are also the councils’ representatives on
ceremonial issues.

This corporate governance measure ensures that there is a clear separation of powers between
the Chief Executive Officer and the board councillors chairperson. Councilors for
Zimbabwean urban local authorities elect one person among themselves to be the chairperson
of the council. The corporate governance framework provides for a clear demarcation of
responsibilities and authority between the chairperson of council and the Town Clerk or
Town Secretary, this is a good corporate governance practice. It is now being increasingly
realised that the practice of combining the role of the chairperson with that of the Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) as is done in countries like the United States of America and India
leads to conflicts in decision making and concentration of power in one person resulting in
unsavoury consequences (Fernando 2006:24).

Fernando further submits that the separation of powers provides the appropriate
counterbalance and check on the power of the Chief Executive Officer. One mechanism of
combating corruption in the urban councils is the separation of powers between the Town
Clerk and the Ceremonial Mayor. Furthermore, the Act provides for transaction of business
through the committee system. Section 96 of the Act provides for the appointment of
standing committees of council who conduct business on behalf of council. These committees
are finance, health and housing, and environmental management. Good corporate governance
practice demands a board of directors that conducts its business through a well organised
committee structure that partitions the work of the board and allows directors to make
maximum use of their expertise (Colley et al 2003:44). The Zimbabwean urban councils
operate using a system of committees. The committees make decisions as delegated by
council and the full council will have the obligation to ratify committee decisions and
consider committee recommendations. The committee system also promotes good
governance values of democracy, inclusiveness and participation as the responsibility for
operating the city/town council is divided among and shared by all members of council
(Chakaipa 2010:39).

The corporate governance measure of the Council promotes an enabling environment of

transparency which is one of the pillars that anchor effective corporate governance. King’s
report (2002:12) defines transparency as the ease with which an outsider is able to make a
meaningful analysis of a company and its action. To promote transparency urban local
authorities, disclose and communicate key issues about their operations to stakeholders.
Minutes, reports and decisions of council should be made public and available. Stakeholders
for urban councils include among others the residents/ratepayers, creditors and employees of
council and the business community.

The stakeholder’s right to information is an indispensable principle underlying the thinking of

good corporate governance. Transparency is beneficial to effective local governance; it
creates a bond of trust between council which serves the community and its stakeholders.
However, this trust is eroded and stakeholders are boycotting payment of rates and service
charges subsequently bringing in far reaching negative repercussions on service delivery.
Transparency bounds corruption, which tends to flourish in clogged systems that are
traversed with uncertainty and unrestricted behaviour. The Urban Councils Act chapter 29.15
(1996) promotes good corporate governance principle of transparency through some of its
provisions that allow the disclosure of what is happening in council to stakeholders.
There is an increased openness in the corporate governance structure of the Council, Section
87 (1) of the UCA provides for council meetings which are open to the public and the press,
it states that: “Every meeting of a council should be open to the public and press” Council is
the supreme policy making board for local authorities. Issues from standing committees are
presented, deliberated on and resolved in council. Allowing the public and the press to attend
full council meetings presents them an opportunity to observe the mechanisms, processes and
procedures of council and to make meaningful analysis of the local authority’s decisions and
actions. Section 87(1) creates an environment of openness where operations are there for all
to see and nothing is hidden. Section 88(5) of the UCA authorises any person from the public
to inspect minutes for committees of council and the full council meetings provided that the
minutes do not relate to staff matters or matters of internal or national security and any other
matters which council may have resolved should not be open to inspection. Section 88(5) also
permits any person to obtain a copy or an extract of the minutes upon paying a fee as
prescribed by a resolution of a council. Allowing the public to inspect or to have a copy of
council minutes is another way of promoting transparency in urban local authorities. Through
these minutes, urban councils can communicate and disclose key organisational issues to its
stakeholders. Section 88 (5) of the UCA promotes transparency in the sense that every
stakeholder is permitted access to crucial information, the provision however has its own
shortcomings, it leaves the conditions of such access to the urban council’s discretion.

The corporate governance measure of the local authorities ensures that there is fairness and
transparency in the procurement process. Good corporate governance demands a procurement
board which practices fairness and transparency in procurement. Section 210 (UCA 1996)
makes it mandatory for all urban local authorities to establish a procurement board for
handling tenders and procurement of goods, materials and service. To quote: Every municipal
council shall appoint a municipal procurement board consisting of not less than five and not
more than seven members, which shall be responsible for arranging tenders in terms of
section two hundred and eleven and for making recommendations to the council in regard to
the acceptance of tenders and the procurement of goods, materials and services. Municipal
procurement boards are responsible for managing the tender process to ensure that council
and stakeholders get optimum value for money and to promote fairness and transparency.
Thus before entering into any contract, the procurement board is required to invite tenders by
notice sent to public notice boards and advertised in two issues of a local or national
newspaper (section 211(2), UCA, 1996). Section 211 (4) of the same act further specifies that
tenders received shall be opened in public on the closing date, and any tender received
thereafter shall not be considered. This section further specifies that the tender of any person
who canvasses or solicits for support shall not be considered. The procurement procedure as
provided for in the UCA 1996 promotes good corporate governance practice. The process of
awarding public contracts through the open tender system ensures transparency, maximises
economy and efficiency, promotes healthy competition among bidders and eliminates
wrongdoings, meddling and shady deals by authorities concerned. Advertising of tenders to
the public enhances openness and fairness. Those who want to participate in the tendering
system get the information and are given a fair opportunity to do so.

Accountability is one of the pillars that anchor good corporate governance, Laxmikanth
(2006:10) defines accountability as the obligation of both appointed and elected officials to
give a satisfactory account of their performance and the manner they have exercised powers
conferred on them. Accountability demands elected and appointed officials in urban local
authorities to justify, explain or account for the exercise of their authority and their
performance or actions. Accountability seeks to check on wrong and arbitrary administrative
actions and to increase on efficiency and effectiveness of the administrative process. Caiden
(1994:316) argues that accountability enables the community to assess whether or not state
power has been used properly politically, legally, morally and professionally exercised. That
state power has not been used solely for personal gain and self- promotion without advancing
the collective benefit.

Laxmikanth (2006:10) posits that accountability is enforced by means of various control

mechanisms. Legislative control is one of the accountability mechanisms in any
representative democratic government and in urban local authorities this is executed by a
board of councillors who have an oversight role over the administration arm. Accountability
mechanisms also include the organization’s internal administrative procedures for example
internal audits and whistle blowing procedures. The corporate governance framework
provides for political accountability. Under-pinned by the UCA each local area must have a
council, composed of elected councillors, elected on a ward basis. The councillors serve for a
term of four years from which by- elections are conducted in terms of the Electoral Act
(chapter 29:13). Elected Councilors are held to account for their actions at the end of their
term of office, the electorate usually votes out non performing councillors. This is however a
weak accountability mechanism (Chakaipa 2010:41).

Though the corporate governance strategy of Zimbabwe fosters for enhanced transparency,
openness, fairness and accountability. Print media houses in Zimbabwe are revealing an
exponential rise of cases of corruption and unethical practices in the urban local authorities.
Furthermore, a downturn in the performance is also evident in the Councils local authority.
Potholed road networks, unlit streets tall grass, blocked sewers, burst water pipes and streams
of sewer flowing into residential areas have become a common sight in Harare, Chitungwiza
and Norton Councils. This makes the effectiveness of corporate governance measures on
service delivery highly questionable.

3. Problem Statement

Most municipalities receive about 60-70 ml of water which is in adequate (Water sections).
Water supplies are way below the required amount and this puts residents at risk of
contracting another wave of cholera and typhoid. Water shortages are caused by the
frequently damaged pumping which is always awaiting repairs now and then. An average of
520 sewer blockages occur but less than 50% are attended on time. This is due to lack of
manpower, pipes stock outs and sometime lack of fuel. Fuel woes cause a disruption of
services across municipalities. Most repairs depend on imported materials and the shortages
of foreign currency are a challenge to municipalities. Services are hindered by the fact that
most municipalities on average spend 81.15% on salaries and the remainders 18.85% on
services delivery with shortfalls on salaries causing salary arrears (Service delivery reports).
Harare, Chitungwiza and Norton Councils are also facing a challenge with debtors as the
revenues collection are not 100%. From the accountant’s reports, there is a 56% revenue
collection with challenges in recovering unpaid dues from residents It is against such a
background that this study questions the soundness of corporate governance practice on
service delivery in urban local authorities.

4. Research Objectives

The following are the objective which the intended study seeks to meet.

Main Objective
To ascertain the effect of corporate governance on service delivery in urban local authorities

Specific Objectives

1. To determine if the accountability of urban local authorities has an effect on refuse

disposal

2. To ascertain the extent to which the fairness of local authorities has an implication on
the protection of water mains

3. To establish if the transparency of urban local authorities enhances the maintenance of

parks and recreations

4. To evaluate if the openness of urban local authorities has an effect on the provision of
effective health services

5. Research Questions

The following are the research questions which the intended study intends to come up with
answers to:

The Research Question

1. What is the effect of corporate governance on service delivery in urban local

authorities?

Specific Research Questions

1. What is the effect of accountability on the disposal of refuse?

2. To what extent does fairness ensure the protection of water mains?

3. What is the effect of transparency on the maintenance of parks and recreations?

4. To what extent does openness affect the provision of effective health services?

6. Significance
The study is significant in many ways. First, the study will contribute to the discourse on
service delivery in local authorities and in the process enhancing the capacity of local
authorities to improve service delivery in urban local authorities in general and Harare,
Chitungwiza and Norton Councils in particular. Second, the study will inform local
government policy makers and practitioners as they develop policies, guidelines, systems and
interventions pertaining to service delivery enhancement in urban councils. Third, the study is
significant in that it will expand the frontiers of knowledge by identifying factors that affect
service delivery in Harare, Chitungwiza and Norton Councils. The identification of such
factors will go a long way in providing answers to questions like why service delivery has
remained poor in Harare, Chitungwiza and Norton Councils despite the fact that the city is
run by highly qualified managers who have embraced strategic management practices.
Fourth, the research candidate hopes to acquire the critical skills vital for solving societal
problems and for pursuing post-doctoral scholarship. Last, but not least, upon successful
completion of the research study the researcher will earn the Doctor of Philosophy in
Strategic Management.

7. Delimitation

These are boundaries that are set by the researcher in order to control the scope of the study,
(Leedy and Ormrod, 2010, Simon, 2011).

i. The research will focus on areas under the jurisdiction of Harare, Chitungwiza and
Norton Councils.
ii. The research study covered the period from 2016 to 2019

8. Dissertation Outline

The following is the outline of the intended study:

Chapter One: this is the introductory chapter in which the researcher gives a background
leading to the problem, a list of the objectives and hypothetical constructs, rationale,
delimitations, outline of the study and finally a summary of the chapter.
Chapter Two: the researcher gives a critical review of literature related to the study with the
main focus on research objectives. The review of literature gives generalised answers to the
research propositions whilst leaving the gap that the study intends to cover open.

Chapter Three: the methodology chapter gives the blueprint of the study in which the
methods that the study will use to address the research proposition will be outlined. Research
instruments and methods of data analysis will also be described.

Chapter Four: this chapter presents the findings of the study in which the researcher presents
them on an objective basis. In the same chapter the hypothetical propositions of the study are
analysed and relationships between variables are determined.

Chapter Five: the concluding chapter of the study gives a summary of the study, conclusions
as well as recommendations on an objective basis. The chapter ends with an identification of
the gap that prompts further study.

9. Preliminary Literature Review

This section of the proposal describes and explains the theories which the intended study will
incorporate thus the agency theory and the Plato ideal city model.

Agency Theory

Inception of twenty first century organisations has brought about divisions between the
operations and ownership of organisations (Means, 2010). As companies grow such that the
owner cannot be in control of the company, or may not be able to meet the demands and
pressures of the company, it is inevitable the composition of the organisation will have to
change. As a firm rapidly expands, there is need to hire professionals who will run the firm
daily. This creates a scenario where the organisational founders turn into the principles and
the employees hired to run the firm as the agents. The association between owners and
executives has been illustrated as a Pure Agency Relationship since it is related to the split
between founder’s control of the business and the managers put in charge to run the
organisation (Jensen and Meckling, 2012).

The agency theory has significantly influenced management theories and business practices,
as it portrays management in large firms as agents who do not share the same interest as the
principals the shareholders, (Jensen and Meckling, 2012). According to the agency theory,
growth of a firm means that shareholders lose effective control of a firm thereby leaving the
firm in the hands of the managers who are charged with the day to day running of the
business. However, over time these managers will effectively gain control of the firm
(Mizruchi, 2012). In most cases this transfer of power to the managers, provides a way for
management mischief, which gives the management autonomy to pursue their own selfish
goals, at the expense of the owners.

Owners and their executives are encouraged with the prospects that can push forward their
own agenda to their own benefit. As the principals would have invested their money and
come up with mechanisms that maximize their profits, the executives agree to take charge of
their principals’ investments because they see an advantage in that opportunity over other
opportunities (Davis et al, 2015). When these managements’ perceived advantages coincide
with the profit making motive of the owners, agency problems will not exist. However, if
these denominators do not see eye to eye, agency cost are incurred by the owners as the
management would have a desire to pursue personal interest to the detriment of the owners.

The agency theory aims to decrees cost brought upon to ensure that management stays in
check with the imposition of internal control measures (Jensen and Meckling, 2012). Agency
theorists continue to put forward in-house and exterior means of control keep in line the
excessive tendencies of managers. Incorporating a board of administration that is free from
management is one mechanism that can act as an internal control. In order to acquire an
effective board, instigation and execution of decisions (decision management) should be
alienated from approval and supervising decisions (decision control), (Fama and Jensen,
2013). Decision management involves the part played by the management while the part
played by the board is regarded as decision control. The role of the board is to act as an
oversight of the management’s decisions and assess the decisions’ impact on the investments
of the owners and shareholders (Fama and Jensen, 2013). Another mechanism that has been
considered by management theories is the executive compensation scheme that offers
incentives and penalty that align the interest of the management and the owners. If the
managers meet the requirements of the owners or surpass they’re expectations, they are
rewarded and that will guarantee more rewards if they remain consistent with pleasing the
owners. However, according to Walsh (2010), if the control mechanisms fail to control the
management, external measures like acquisitions and change of ownership can be
implemented in order to control the managers. Even so, internal control methods are ideal in
most cases as the external mechanisms tend to be expensive (Walsh, 2010). The existence of
these mechanisms does not mean that managers will always comply with the will of the
owners but they might rather strive to attain favourable results.

The agency theory has over the years governed the research on company board of directors,
stresses on supervising and being in charge of management. The board plays an important
role that can be enhanced by including an independent chairperson as well as other members
of the board who do not have any links with the CEO.

The Plato Ideal City Model

Plato constructed the first ideal city model on the basis of his concept of a just society. In his
line of thinking, justice entails of fulfilling one’s proper role without overstepping it by doing
what is contradictory to one’s nature and this applies to both the just state and the just
individual. Each class and each individual in a just state has a given set of deadlines, set of
obligation to the community which if everyone fulfils will result in a harmonious whole.
Underpinning Plato’s conception of justice is his conviction that everything in nature is a part
of a hierarchy. In that case therefore, the just state, like nature, is hierarchical which implies
that individuals are ranked according to the intrinsic value and place in defined social
hierarchy. However, Plato abandoned the model upon realization of the notion that it would
not be satisfactory to a majority of the citizens as it projected a very simple way of life.

Plato then came up with the second “ideal city” proposal which permitted the citizens to
enjoy luxuries and jewellery with the guardians or rulers having an ultimate authority to
decide who gets what in relation to the established class system. The second ideal city
proposal emphasizes on the subservience of every citizen to the state, it implies that
individuals are supposed to surrender their personal desires to the needs of the city. In such a
state the state would have control over private property, health care, the workforce and the
housing, the new ideal city would have a class system and use eugenics thus the creation of a
pure race in order to perpetuate the dominance of one class over the other. Plato argues that
the just state is analogue to the just soul. Plato’s idea state therefore has three classes which
correspond to the three parts of the soul thus the guardians who are the philosophers, and
govern the city, corresponding to the rational part of the soul, the auxiliaries are the soldiers
who defend it, these correspond to the spirited part of the soul and the lower class is made of
producers who include farmers and artisans and this element related to the appetitive part of
the soul. Unity among the citizens in the just society would be brought about by mass
indoctrination, falsehood, propaganda and censorship. The ‘ideal city’ promotes communal
living, hence families are non-existent and this effectively causes the city to become a single
extent family devoid of competition between the city and the family.

Plato envisioned a city that grows and therefore proposed that the ideal city would require
more land for city expansion as well as for agricultural activities. Plato realized that it would
not be easy to get extra for the city to expand which already belongs to other people so he
argues that the city should develop the ability to make war. This would therefore result in a
class of fighters or warriors called auxiliaries. In the ‘ideal city’ reason holds the highest
value and the philosopher king is considered as the embodiment of reason. The philosopher
kings are chosen from the wisest guardians and these alone would be given the permission to
lead the city as they are the only ones with the rare opportunity to make judgements about
what makes a good person or good life.

Although Plato’s ideal city is a theoretical construct, the research is of the view that the
various ideas that were raised by Plato are relevant in analyzing, explaining and
understanding the problem of service delivery in the Council. The ideas will therefore be
helpful to both scholars and practitioners in coming up with decisions regarding the city
management and leadership. For instance, the just a society concept resonated very well with
the democratic values especially on the egalitarian aspects of its educational programmes. In
Plato’s Republic there are classes of citizens an in modern cities the same concept manifests
in the form of residential area that are divided into high, medium and low state. According to
Plato an unjust state is one which fails to create conducive conditions under which everyone
can feed, clothe, shelter themselves as well as seek the good (Wright, 2012). With the use of
Plato’s ideal state lens, it can therefore be argued that the inability of the Harare, Chitungwiza
and Norton Councils to provide adequate municipal services to its residents qualifies it to be
labelled an unjust city, the underlying causes of which are the essence of the intended study.
The use of mass indoctrination as an instrument to maintain unity among citizens could be
used, in developing a positive culture in proper municipal solid waste management in cities
among the citizens to minimize disposal of waste in undesignated areas by individual
residents.

In Plato’s Republic, land is required for both city expansion and agricultural production. In
the Coty Council, urban farming is largely unplanned, chaotic and is driven by individual
desires to ensure food security at the household level. Properly planned urban farming may
constitute a LED strategy for the reduction of poverty and in so doing help the amelioration
of the standards of living of the citizens. Plato recognizes that the ability to reason is critical
in the leader of a city and to this end he argues that the philosopher kings should be in charge
of the city. The philosopher kings would have undertaken a special type of education which
sufficiently prepares them for the leadership role. The principle of meritocracy is evidently
clear in the selection criteria for the philosopher kings in Plato’s republic. The requirement
that a city should be led only be distinguished philosopher kings is a call for thoroughness
when it comes to the appointment of senior management and leadership of city councils. In
sum, Pluto’s republic makes a profound distinction between an ordinary citizen and a
Platonist, that is the former governed by appetite whereas the later is governed by the mind.

10. Research Methodology

O’Leary (2004) describes methodology as the framework which is associated with a

particular set of paradigmatic assumptions that we will use to conduct our research. The
choice of a particular method is influenced by certain factors such as: the topic to be
researched; the objectives; and the specific proposed research questions. This section sifts on
the methodology that will be chosen to conduct the study. The researcher discusses the
methodology that will be used in order to make an analysis of corporate governance on
service delivery in urban local authorities. The methodology examined in this section will be
adopted to assist the researcher in answering the research questions raised by the study. This
section highlights the research philosophy, approaches and design to be used. It explains in
detail the methods utilised to collect data and instruments applied for data collection. It
enlightens the criteria selected for the sample selection, addresses the use of the pilot study
and identifies the methods utilised to analyse the data collected.

Philosophy
The research philosophy selection is not only useful to design strong research study but it
also specifies the direction of study. The philosophical stand of a researcher shows that how
he/she perceives the world and how they conduct research to study the social reality. In
addition, an understanding of research philosophy is very important for researcher and
research work because it has a vital role in the choice of approach and strategy of research
study. There are two aspects that define the research philosophy: Ontology and
Epistemology. Ontology means what the real world is and describes the role of social actor in
developing social entity. It answers the question of existence of relations between people,
society and real world. Inside the ontological concept there are two positions that a researcher
can use for his research work according to his nature and purpose of the study. These
positions are Objectivism and Constructionism.

Epistemology deals with the appropriate knowledge to study the reality. It answers the
question as how to study reality and what the sources and limitations of the study are. Swartz
(1998) described the epistemology as “the study of the nature and grounds of knowledge
particularly within its limits and validity”. Epistemology focus on that research must have
ability to understand the reality and obtain knowledge from it (Ritchie and Lewis, 2003). The
most common epistemology positions are: positivism, interpretivism and realism. Positivism
leads to follow the philosophical approach of natural science. In this approach, a researcher
works only “with an observable social reality and that the end product of such research can be
a law like generalizations similar to those produced by the physical and natural scientist”
(Saunders et al., 2009). This type of study needs to follow different logics and procedures to
study social actors. Therefore such studies are recommended where the researcher needs to
find behaviour and focus on psychology for instance study of business and management,
marketing and human resource management etc. (Saunders et al., 2009). The proposed study
is an analysis of corporate governance on service delivery in urban local authorities which is
a measurable social reality. The meaningful comparison and analysis of such data provides
desired outcomes. The requirements and process of the research are in the line of positivism
stance therefore the positivism position would suit for my research design.

Approaches

After the philosophical stand, the research approach verifies the connection between theory
and research work. Current proposed study’s purpose is to check already existing theory
about corporate governance n relation to service delivery. In that line, the researcher will
develop hypotheses for research and collect data that will be used in analysis and testing
developed hypothesis by using scientific tools. Therefore, following the deductive approach
will be suitable for the study because deductive approach leads to the use of existing theory to
develop hypotheses and design the research to test the developed hypothesis (Bryman and
Bell, 2011).

Strategy

There are several strategies that researchers could adopt in their research. However, the most
utilized and widely explored are the quantitative and qualitative research strategies. It
is noteworthy that each of these research strategies has distinguishing features that will be
described in the following sections.

Quantitative Research

Quantitative research can be defined as a “research strategy that emphasizes the

quantification in the analysis and collection of data” (Bryman, 2004: 19). Bryman again notes
that quantitative research is more objective and focuses on imbibing the practices of natural
science models (Bryman 2004: 19). Unlike qualitative research, quantitative research strategy
is of the position that “social reality is an external and objective reality” and that society is
static and not dynamic.

Qualitative Research

Qualitative research methods are about exploratory studies to understand motivations and
identify dimensions of problems in a society based on in-depth observations and analyses. It
often focuses on how individuals and groups view and understand the world and construct
meaning out of their experiences (Silverman, 2001:4). According to Saunders et al. (2009)
the appropriate research strategy should be selected based on the research objectives and
questions, the amount of resources and time readily available, the philosophical researcher
underpinnings and the availability of existing knowledge on the area of study. Swartz (2010)
is of the view that the research questions, objectives and guiding research philosophy should
influence the research strategy. The research design constitutes the blueprint for collection,
measurement and analysis of data according to (Madan, Paliwal and Bhardwaj, 2010). Many
authors including Eisenhardt and Graebner (2007), Hussey, Collis and Saunders et al., (2009)
seem to agree to the fact that identified grounded theories, case studies, action research,
surveys and experiments are the most common research strategy types used in management
and business.

As the name suggests, the mixed method is a combination of gathering both numeric and text
data which will result in both qualitative and quantitative information (Creswell, 2012).
Creswell (2009) and Bryman (2012) both share similar views. They highlight that research
takes three forms - qualitative, quantitative and mixed. Qualitative research is concerned with
words, quantitative research relates more to collection of numbers, while mixed methods
research is a combination of both. For this study a mixed approach was used. Among the
previously mentioned research strategies, this research adopted the survey research strategy
which enabled the researcher to provide an analysis of corporate governance on service
delivery in urban local authorities.

Sample design

Sampling is the process of selecting a portion or segment that is representative of a whole

(Creswell, 2009; Saunders et al, 2012). It is an important step in the research process as it
helps to inform the quality of inferences made by the researcher that originate from the
underlying findings (Onwuegbuzie and Collins, 2007; Bryman, 2001). The process of
sampling is very important in both qualitative and quantitative research (Onwuegbuzie and
Collins, 2007). There is a tendency for quantitative researchers to make ‘statistical’
generalisations which involve generalising findings and inferences from a representative
statistical sample to the population from which the sample was drawn.

The population for this study will be made up of Councils City residents, Council (Harare,
Chitungwiza and Norton Councils) employees, including senior Harare, Chitungwiza and
Norton Councils employees, Ministry of Local Government, National Housing & Public
Works officials responsible for urban councils, academics and experts in local government
and public administration and Harare, Chitungwiza and Norton Councils councillors. The city
has 2.1 million residents (Zimstat, 2012).

Sample size determination is largely influenced by factors including population size, the
purpose of the study, the allowable sampling error and the risk of selecting a bad sample. Due
to different financial, economic and logical reasons, determining the appropriate sample size
is imperative. Smaller samples can limit generalisability of research results as well as
accuracy of results while large samples can be cumbersome, time consuming and costly. In
this research study, to calculate the required sample size the researcher adopted Krejcie and
Morgan (1970) statistical proven model. Making use of the targeted population above, the
sample size in this study was found by using the model (equation) as shown below:

Formula: S = X2NP (1− P) ÷ d2 (N −1) + X2P (1− P)

Where:

S – Required Sample Size

X – Z value for 95% confidence level (1.96)

N – Population size

P – Population proportion (assumed to be .50 since this will provide the maximum sample
size)

d- Degree of accuracy expressed as a proportion (0.05) this is the margin of error

Therefore the sample size for this research according to Krejcie and Morgan 1970 would be
as follows:

Formula for calculating sample size:

S = X2NP (1− P) ÷ d2 (N −1) + X2P (1− P)

S= 1.962(2,257,770*0.5) (1-0.5)

0.052(2,257,770-1) + 1.962 *(0.5) (1-0.5)

= 2,168,362.31

5,645.39

= 384.09

= 385
Therefore the proposed research sample size is 385.

Data Collection Procedure

Data collection methods allow the systematic collection of information about objects of study
(people, objects, phenomena) and about the settings in which they occur. Collection of data
has to be systematically, if data are collected haphazardly, it will be difficult to answer
research questions conclusively (Creswell, 2014). Data collection methods that will be used
by the researcher will involve secondary and primary data collection methods as the two
complement each other in research.

Secondary Data

Secondary data is usually data that has already been collected by others, although it may not
necessarily have been analysed or published. Locating these sources and retrieving the
information is a good starting point in any data collection effort. Secondary data will be
gathered from company reports such as financial statements, books, internet sources, journals
and newspapers. These sources will be consulted throughout the study in an effort to
authenticate the study. Secondary data also helps in ensuring data validity and reliability. The
secondary data will be used to gather data pertaining to corporate governance and service
delivery in urban local authorities from past studies that have been carried out, this then
constitutes the literature review.

Primary Data

Primary data collection method means collecting data that was previously not known through
specific means that fit a research problem. Primary data are original in nature and directly
related to the issue or problem and current data. Primary data is the data which the researcher
will collect in order to answer the research questions using questionnaires and interviews.
The study will use questionnaires to obtain quantitative data and an interview guide to obtain
qualitative data for analysis and may further be validated from analysis of secondary data.
Questionnaire

Questionnaires are be defined as measuring instruments that ask individuals to answer a set of
questions or respondent to a set of statements. Mugenda and Mugenda (2003) and Kothari
(2004) agree that questionnaires have various merits like; there is low cost even when the
universe is large and is widely spread geographically; it is free from the bias of the
interviewer; answers are in respondents’ own words; respondents have adequate time to give
well thought out answers; respondents who are not easily approachable can also be reached
conveniently; large samples can be made use of and thus the results can be made more
dependable and reliable.

Interview Guide

An interview guide is an information gathering procedure that includes oral addressing of

respondents, either exclusively or as a gathering. Answers to the inquiries postured amid a
meeting can be recorded by keeping in touch with them (either amid the meeting itself or
quickly after the meeting) or by copying the reactions, or by a blend of both. Interviews can
be directed with fluctuating degrees of adaptability (Chaleunvong, 2009). Interviews will be
used to gather information from the study of key informants. The advantages associated with
this technique are that, they allow further probing which accords the researcher to dig deeper
into issues at hand, interviews also allows the researcher to get further clarifications on vague
issues and that they allow the researcher to get information from the real and direct
respondents rather than questionnaires which can be delegated to a different person to
respond.

Data Analysis

According to Zikmund et al. (2010), data analysis refers to the application of reasoning to
understand the data that has been gathered with the aim of determining consistent patterns
and summarizing the relevant details revealed in the investigation. There are different data
analysis methods for qualitative and quantitative studies. In qualitative researches using
interviews, data analysis is going to involve identifying common patterns within the
responses and critically analysing them in order to achieve research aims and objectives. Data
analysis for quantitative studies, on the other hand, involves critical analysis and
interpretation of figures and numbers, and attempts to find rationale behind the emergence of
main findings.

In quantitative data analysis the researcher will turn raw numbers into meaningful data
through the application of rational and critical thinking. The same figure within data set can
be interpreted in many different ways; therefore it is important to apply fair and careful
judgement. To determine the patterns revealed in the data collected regarding the selected
variables, data analysis will be guided by the objectives of the research and the measurement
of the data collected. Data collected from the questionnaires will be sorted, coded and input
into the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) for production of graphs, tables,
descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. The specific piece of primary data findings will
be critically analysed and objectively interpreted through comparing it to other findings
within the framework of digital marketing. The researcher will also compare the research
findings with the findings of other scholars and explaining the differences if such exist in a
logical and unbiased manner.

Qualitative data analysis for the study will be conducted through the following three steps:

i Developing and Applying Codes. Coding can be explained as categorization of data.

A code can be a word or a short phrase that represents a theme or an idea. All codes
need to be assigned meaningful titles. A wide range of non-quantifiable elements such
as events, behaviours, activities, meanings etc. can be coded.

ii Identifying themes, patterns and relationships. Unlike quantitative methods, in

qualitative data analysis there are no universally applicable techniques that can be
applied to generate specific findings. Analytical and critical thinking skills of the
researcher will play a significant role in data analysis in qualitative studies.

iii Summarising the data. At this last stage the researcher will link the research findings
to hypotheses or research aim and objectives.

Ethical Considerations

Ethics are values and considerations that a researcher should regard to preserve the interest of
the participants in the study and any forms of indiscretion that might come to the study
participants during and after the study. The confidentiality of the participants will be
preserved by using the information collected sorely for the purposes of the academic
research, and the names of the participants are not required to maintain strict anonymity and
confidentiality. Participants have the right to privacy if not they will refuse to participate
(Saunders et al., 2009). Any form of physical and emotional harm will be guaranteed by the
researcher to protect any information that might be revealed given the positions some of the
participants hold in the different financial institutions.

References

Alaaraj, H., & Ibrahim, F. W. (2014). The Influence of E - government Practices on good
governance from the perspective of Public in Lebanon. Journal of Public Administration and
Governance, 4(3), 171-185.

Bratton, M., and Rothchild, D. (2012). “The Institutional Bases of Governance in Africa”, in
Hyden, G and Bratton, M (Eds), Governance and Politics in Africa, London: Lynne Rienner
Publishers.

IFAC, (2013). Good Governance in the Public Sector - Consultation Draft for an
International Framework: Consultation Draft. International Federation of Accountants
(IFAC). (Publication). New York: IFAC.

Mutahaba, G. (2012). Achieving good governance and development in Tanzania: Is

leadership the missing link? ESRF Policy Brief, 8(2), 21 – 42.