New Technologies and Institutional Change in Public Administration

Dear Colleagues, 

Digital government and its transformation are central to research and policy. The integration of digital technologies and applications plays a special role in the implementation of public sector reforms, enhancing the quality of public sector management and institutional capacities. It also contributes to tangible changes in processes, procedures, functions and institutions, as well as a focus on values, culture and shared understanding. Perez’s (2009) technological paradigm shows that a shift in digital transformation is evidenced by changes in the working methods used, the implementation of digital processes and structural changes in the department, a strong use of information and communication technologies, and an acceleration in terms of transactions and interactions. Technological changes have had a positive impact on numerous aspects of everyday life, and there is plenty of research evidence to suggest that the digital transformation of public administrations leads to innovative and valuable results. Digital technologies can be used to design and restructure the organisational processes and business practices of functional bureaucratic organisations in order to achieve greater transparency, improve performance, reduce costs, or increase efficiency and effectiveness. There is a need for research to “conceptualise, define, and come up with improved methods for measuring, analysing and understanding” (Martin, 2016) and employ research methods that are open and participative. Results should be “sustainable” and lead to “real innovation”. What are the possibilities and challenges that public administrations face when digitally redesigning internal and external processes, procedures and services? What make these and the organisation more sustainable, effective and efficient? Do new technologies and digital transformation make the public sector services more efficient and effective? Can this question always be answered with “yes”, or are we assuming that it is beneficial? A more critical perspective may be necessary, such as one that considers innovation systems and policies that do not only benefit a few or one that moves the focus onto urgent future problems, ensuring that solutions help humanity rather than benefitting only a few.

The digitalisation of the public sector has, furthermore, the potential to improve societal well-being and strengthen local, regional, and national smart governance initiatives by addressing long-term internal systemic challenges and facilitating the provision of inclusive public services that foster increased efficiency and transparency in the public sector, the improvement and alignment of governance processes, better access to and management of information, data-driven public decision making, enhanced citizen satisfaction and trust, long term economic growth, and contribute to global sustainability efforts. However, in order to successfully leverage these benefits of digital transformation, public administrations need to understand the drivers and barriers leading and hindering the transformation process, and how they can side-step the risks associated with the use of digital technologies whilst capitalising on the advantages (Tangi, Janssen, Benedetti, & Noci, 2020) What, therefore, are the major drivers associated with the successful use of new technologies in the public sector? Which are the significant barriers that hinder the successful deployment of technology in these contexts? What impact do these drivers and barriers have on smart governance initiatives? Taken from this perspective, it is worth exploring extent to which successful digital government transformation results in the institutionalisation of governance models for smart city development.

Research on the digital transformation of public administrations often focuses on the needs and benefits of several stakeholders, particularly those outside the organisation, such as citizens and businesses, but public sector employees are also important stakeholders in the digitalisation of their organisational processes (Edelmann & Mergel, 2021; Nabatchi, Sancino, & Sicilia, 2017). As technology evolves, those involved in the public administration sector also need to change and adapt the way that they work. It is necessary for employees in the public administration sector to transform their skills over time, and hopefully, the public offices that they work for would allow for technological training to make roles easier to perform—and to produce better results. Surveys are one way to access public administration employees’ knowledge and allows them to contribute crucial insight and understanding. In this context, what are the benefits of the digital transformation of administrative processes for public administration employees? How do public administration employees experience the implementation of new technologies, digital transformation and institutional change?

Focus of this special issue of Administrative Sciences:  theoretical and empirical approaches on the use and effectiveness of new technologies, new ways of working, digital processes, digital competences, organisational changes, organisational strategy and digital transformation, the impact on internal and external stakeholders in the public sector context, and the resulting institutionalisation of governance models for smart city development.

Literature

Edelmann, N., & Mergel, I. (2021). Co-Production of Digital Public Services in Austrian Public Administrations. Administrative Sciences, 11(1), 22.

Martin, B. R. (2016). Twenty challenges for innovation studies. Science Public Policy, 43(3), 432-450.

Nabatchi, T., Sancino, A., & Sicilia, M. (2017). Varieties of Participation in Public Services: The Who, When, and What of Coproduction. Public Administration Review, 77(5), 766-776. doi:10.1111/puar.12765

Perez, C. (2009). Technological revolutions and techno-economic paradigms. Cambridge Journal of Economics, 34(1), 185-202. doi:10.1093/cje/bep051 %J Cambridge Journal of Economics

Tangi, L., Janssen, M., Benedetti, M., & Noci, G. (2020). Barriers and Drivers of Digital Transformation in Public Organizations: Results from a Survey in the Netherlands. Paper presented at the International Conference on Electronic Government.

Dr. Noella Edelmann
Prof. Dr. Thomas Lampoltshammer
Dr. Shefali Virkar
Guest Editors

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