On the Phenomenon of Legitimacy and Involvement: An Analysis on the Intergovernmental Dyad of DBM-CAR and City Budget Office Baguio (Research Paper Sample)

On the Phenomenon of Legitimacy and Involvement: An Analysis on the Intergovernmental Dyad of DBM-CAR and City Budget Office Baguio A Senior Research Paper Presented to: Sociology Department College of Arts and Sciences Mariano Marcos State University In partial fulfillment of the course requirements for the Degree in Bachelor of Arts Major in Sociology Submitted by:Barroga, Charlene Ann Mildred F. Table Of Contents Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………...3 Chapter I: Introduction Background of the Study…………………………………………………………….….4 Legitimacy in the Philippine set-up………………………………………….….4 From Unitary to Federal…………………………………………………....…...5 On Involvement…………………………………………………………...…….5 Two Agencies…………………………………………………………....……...6 About Baguio City……………………………………………………..……….7 Problem Statement……………………………………………………………..……….9 Objective of the Study………………………………………………………………....10 Significance of the Study………………………………………………………………11 Scope and Delimitation………………………………………………………………..13 On the variables…………………………………………………………….….13 On the participants……………………………………………………….……13 On the research design…………………………………………………….…..14 On the limitations………………………………………………………….…..14 Definition of Terms…………………………………………………………………....15 Chapter II: Review of the Related Literature Organizational Dyads………………………………………………………....…..……17 Formation of Interorganizational Relations……………………………………....……17 Formal and Informal Networks……………………………………………….….……18 The Phenomenon of Power…………………………………………………….………18 On Legitimacy………………………………………………………………………....19 The Compliance Theory…………………………………………………………….…19 Chapter III: Conceptual Framework Restatement of the Problem…………………………………………………………....20 Discussion Framework………………………………………………………………...20 Visual Representation………………………………………………………………….21 Chapter IV: Methodology Data Needed……………………………………………………………………….…...22 Research Design…………………………………………………………………….….22 Rationale…………………………………………………………………….….22 Unit of Analysis…………………………………………………………….…..23 Data Collection Procedure………………………………………………………….…..23 Research Instruments……………………………………………………………….…..23 Key Informant Interview…………………………………………………….…23 Document Checklist…………………………………………………………....24 Survey Sample…………………………………………………………………26 Analytical Technique Procedure……………………………………………………….26 What Was Utilized……………………………………………………………..26 Chapter V: Findings and Analysis On the Key Informant Interview………………………………………………………27 On Document Keeping………………………………………………………………..29 On the Survey………………………………………………………………………....30 Legitimacy vis-a-vis Involvement……………………………………….……30 Legitimacy vis-a-vis Involvement Degree……………………………………33 Summary………………………………………………………………………...........38 Chapter VI: Conclusion Conclusion………………………………………………………………………........42 References Appendices Abstract The study was conducted to evaluate the relevance of formality and informality in intergovernmental relations, to analyze the power dynamics in accounting for the nature of IGR and to assess the effects of power dynamics to the phenomenon of involvement. The research design of the study is phenomenology, but data triangulation was done in the hope of acquiring accurate data in the process. The findings of the study proves to be that informality is bound to be evident in intergovernmental relations as it is in their respective organizations; and that legitimacy in the context of the agency and the region accounts for such. In a relational context, City Budget officials agree to be attuned with formal legitimacy, legitimacy of equity and legitimacy of responsibility in dealing with DBM-CAR officials. While DBM-CAR officials state that their dealings with the other agency is based on the provisions of the law, in the context of compliance to the wishes of the other agency. The results are accounted for as the Philippine intergovernmental relations is of a hierarchical nature. The City Budget officials are more involved with the DBM-CAR than DBM-CAR is more involved with them. Chapter I: Introduction Background of the Study Legitimacy in the Philippine set-up The political is never without the discussion of power. It always revolves around the notion of “power connoting the capacity to either dominate and control, as well as resist” (Contreras, 2016). As power can also be relational, the political continuously delves upon the concept of power dynamics. Hence, the political is also associated with the notion of social power. Social power is defined as the potential for social influence. Ultimately, the bases of social power are as follows: reward power, coercive power, expert power, referent power and legitimate power (French & Raven, 1959). Reward power is based upon the ability to reward, while coercive power is reliant upon punishment in favor of the one who possesses the upper hand. Expert power is based upon one’s knowledge or perception about a certain thing, while referent power probes into the degree of identification one has with another. Lastly, legitimate power is “defined as that power which stems from internalized values in P which dictate that O has a legitimate right to influence P and that P has an obligation to accept this influence” (French & Raven, 1959). Although all of these are present, the framework for legitimate power is mostly evident in the Philippine culture. Hand in hand, legitimacy is an overarching principle in Philippine bureaucracy. It is one that stems from a cultural status and further shapes the field that it encompasses. With culturally dominant concepts, such as utang na loob or the feeling of indebtedness after being helped in a dire need (Agaton, 2017), the phenomenon of legitimacy should be discussed. One can also say that general Filipino values encourage the prevalence of ‘informality’ in the Philippine bureaucracy. In fact, Ramirez (2006) states that there seems to be a dissonance between our basic institutions and our Filipino values. Furthermore, the notion of “pakikisama” can be considered as bribery, while the padrino system can be deemed as patronage (Maboloc, 2015). This instance proves that the mixture of both doesn’t necessarily breed good results as political dynasties, political patronage and many more are encouraged (San Juan, 2014). Over the years, the field of literature about Filipino values in Philippine bureaucracy failed to incorporate the reality of this phenomenon. In short, ‘informality’, in its most basic recognition, is a term we fail to include as one that is embedded in the Philippine bureaucracy equally as it is embedded in the Filipino culture. From Unitary to Federal With the recent proposed shift from a unitary set-up to a federal set-up, the stand-out focus is upon the increased fiscal autonomy of the local government, mandated by law. The local government is prescribed further autonomy in terms of how they handle money. With the increased autonomy of the local government may heighten its autonomy not just in the fiscal sense, but in the pragmatic sense as dependence on the national government is reduced. This is certain as regulatory powers, or the powers utilized by government agencies to ensure local compliance with legislative requirements, are transferred to the LGUs, as part of a mandatory step towards the state of federalism (Brillantes, n.d.). Therefore, the success of intergovernmental relations is a must in a federal set-up for it acts as the glue to make bayanihan federalism a reality. This is to ensure that the goal of cooperative competition would be achieved as it is hoped for “no province, no city will stand alone or be left behind” (Cervantes, 2018). Without a working intergovernmental relations, both governments are subject to isolation from each other which disrupts the basic goal of community federalism. Although this is in the context of a federal set-up, one must be aware that whatever starts from the unitary set-up is to ...