Throstur Olaf Sigurjonsson

Persistent regional labour shortages have become a major challenge for sustainable regional development, labour market resilience and evidence-based policymaking. Despite recent advances in labour-shortage measurement, comparatively limited attention has been devoted to analytical frameworks that compare proportional and signed percentage-point deviations of regional vacancy pressure from corresponding national benchmarks. This study proposes a Dual Analytical Framework (DAF) that integrates the Labour Deficit Index (LDI) and the Regional Vacancy Gap (RVG) within a sequential evidence-based analytical workflow to identify, prioritise and investigate persistent regional vacancy-pressure dynamics. Using quarterly Romanian Job Vacancy Survey data at the NUTS 2 level, the sectoral analysis covers 19 NACE Rev. 2 economic sectors over 2008Q1–2025Q4, whereas the occupational analysis covers nine ISCO-08 major occupational groups over 2011Q1–2026Q1. The framework combines two benchmark-based vacancy-pressure measures expressed through proportional and signed percentage-point scaling with integrated sectoral and occupational screening, followed by Space–Time Cube analysis, Forest-based Forecasting, Emerging Hot Spot Analysis (EHSA), and Time Series Clustering. The statistical screening identified Sections E, G and K as the economic activities exhibiting the most persistent above-benchmark regional vacancy-pressure dynamics, with Section E selected as the representative case for advanced spatial–temporal modelling. Forecasting performance was region-specific: the Forest-based Forecast achieved lower validation RMSE than the naïve benchmark in three of the eight NUTS 2 regions, whereas the naïve benchmark produced the lower mean RMSE across regions. While Time Series Clustering identified three distinct regional temporal profiles, Emerging Hot Spot Analysis did not detect statistically significant emerging hot- or cold-spot patterns for Section E under four alternative neighbourhood specifications. Because the spatial application contains only eight NUTS 2 regions, this result is interpreted as non-detection under the tested configurations rather than as evidence that spatial dependence is absent. These findings demonstrate the complementary interpretation of proportionally and percentage-point scaled vacancy-pressure indicators and highlight the added value of integrating statistical screening, GIS-based spatial–temporal modelling and machine-learning forecasting within a unified and reproducible analytical framework. Beyond the Romanian case study, the proposed methodology provides a transferable approach for labour market intelligence, sustainable regional development and evidence-based regional policy under the green, digital and demographic transitions.

Debates over the independence of nomination committees from corporate boards expose a fundamental tension in corporate governance theory. While agency theory prescribes independence to safeguard monitoring and accountability, stewardship and resource dependence perspectives emphasize the value of board involvement in fostering trust, information flow, and strategic alignment. From a stakeholder perspective, legitimacy arises not only from formal separation but also from how governance actors perceive and negotiate independence in practice. This study examines how these competing logics shape stakeholders’ interpretations of nomination committee independence in Iceland, a small economy with a Nordic two-tier governance model. Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, we integrate 13 semi-structured interviews with nomination committee members, board directors, and investors, along with survey data collected both in 2020 and 2023. Findings show broad support for limiting board members’ participation in nomination committees, with most respondents preferring either no board members or only one. Views vary across stakeholder groups, with investors being more open to board involvement than nomination committee members and board directors. Most respondents also reject automatic chair membership on nomination committees. Interview findings explain these patterns through four rationales: maintaining a connection with the board, securing access to company information, setting conditions and restrictions on board participation, and managing influence and responsibility dynamics. These rationales reflect competing agency, resource dependence, stewardship, and stakeholder logics. The study shows that nomination committee independence is a context-dependent construct shaped by governance culture, institutional maturity, and stakeholder roles. It contributes novel evidence from a Nordic governance setting and highlights how independence is evaluated and negotiated in a small, relational governance context.

We are pleased to present this issue of the Journal of Governance and Regulation. The contributions brought together here demonstrate the continuing expansion of governance research across organizational, technological, environmental, economic, and societal domains. Although the studies differ substantially in research setting, methodology, and level of analysis, a common theme emerges: governance increasingly concerns not simply the existence of rules and institutions, but their capacity to translate principles, resources, technology, and policy into effective and accountable outcomes.

This study examines how Icelandic companies disclose sustainability-related governance practices and evaluates the impact of the new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) (European Commission, 2025) on future disclosure practices. Building on Claessen’s (2023) approach and using qualitative methodology, the research combines document analysis of sustainability reports from ten leading Icelandic firms with semi-structured interviews with company representatives. The study finds that current governance disclosures cover only 20–30 percent of ESRS minimum requirements. Key challenges include limited knowledge of ESRS among board members and consultants, weak communication structures, insufficient metrics and verification procedures, and resource constraints. The recent changes introduced by the 2025 Omnibus Act (European Council, 2025) further complicate compliance, intensifying the urgency for firms to adapt. The findings underscore the need for Icelandic companies to invest in training, enhance internal governance systems, and build robust reporting frameworks to meet regulatory demands. Without such efforts, companies risk legal and reputational repercussions. This research provides timely, country-specific insights into governance disclosure gaps and offers practical recommendations for aligning with the European Union’s (EU’s) evolving sustainability reporting landscape.

This study examines the drivers, enablers, and barriers associated with Iceland’s nationwide digital transformation initiative, with particular emphasis on cultural readiness, leadership, inclusivity, and institutional resilience. By drawing on survey data from more than 100 employees in a key Icelandic public institution, this study contributes to the expanding literature on digital transformation in government and provides novel insights into the Icelandic context, a small-state environment characterized by strong administrative traditions and an increasing commitment to digital public services.