Daphna Shwartz-Asher, Soon Ae Chun and Nabil R. Adam
A social media user behavior model is presented as a function of different user types, i.e. light and heavy users. The users’ behaviors are analyzed in terms of knowledge…
Abstract
Purpose
A social media user behavior model is presented as a function of different user types, i.e. light and heavy users. The users’ behaviors are analyzed in terms of knowledge creation, framing and targeting.
Design/methodological approach
Data consisting of 160,000 tweets by nearly 40,000 twitter users in the city of Newark (NJ, USA) were collected during the year 2014. An analysis was conducted to examine the hypothesis that different user types exhibit distinct behaviors driven from different motivations.
Findings
There are three important findings of this study. First, light users reuse existing content more often, while heavy and automated users create original content more often. Light users also use more sentiments than the heavy and automated users. Second, automated users frame more than heavy users, who frame more than light users. Third, light users tend to target a specific audience, while heavy and automated users broadcast to a general audience.
Research implications
Decision-makers can use this study to improve communication with their customers (the public) and allocate resources more effectively for better public services. For example, they can better identify subsets of users and then share and track specialized content to these subsets more effectively.
Originality/value
Despite the broad interest, there is insufficient research on many aspects of social media use, and very limited empirical research examining the relevance and impact of social media within the public sector. The social media user behavior model was established as a framework that can provide explanations for different social media knowledge behaviors exhibited by various subsets of users, in an e-government context.
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Soon Ae Chun, Luis F. Luna‐Reyes and Rodrigo Sandoval‐Almazán
The purpose of this paper (editorial) is to introduce a collection of “best papers,” selected from the 11th International Conference on Digital Government Research (dg.o, 2010)…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper (editorial) is to introduce a collection of “best papers,” selected from the 11th International Conference on Digital Government Research (dg.o, 2010), that are devoted to the technical, managerial, social and policy challenges and issues of collaborative e‐government. It provides a conceptual model for collaborative e‐government that may be used to explain the motivations and findings behind these studies.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper outlines a conceptual model of collaborative e‐government using value‐driven, citizen‐driven, cost‐driven and technology‐driven forces that tie together various e‐government collaboration projects. A brief survey of government collaboration projects is presented and a set of research questions on collaborative e‐government are formulated.
Findings
The conceptual model of e‐government collaboration forces provides a framework that encompasses the research questions, topics and themes addressed in various digital government papers, especially those in this issue.
Originality/value
The paper introduces and summarizes seven research papers relative to the theme of e‐government collaborations, identifying a set of research challenges, opportunities, and unique solutions drawing on past experiences.
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Basit Shafiq, Soon Ae Chun, Vijay Atluri, Jaideep Vaidya and Ghulam Nabi
Pertinent information sharing across various government agencies, as well as non‐governmental and private organizations, is essential to assess the incident situation, identify…
Abstract
Purpose
Pertinent information sharing across various government agencies, as well as non‐governmental and private organizations, is essential to assess the incident situation, identify the needed resources for emergency response and generate response plans. However, each agency may have incident management systems of its choice with valuable information in its own format, posing difficulty in effective information sharing. Application‐to‐application sharing cross agency boundaries will significantly reduce human efforts and delay in emergency response. Information sharing from disparate systems and organizations, however, requires solving of the interoperability issue. The purpose of this paper is to present the UICDS™‐based resource sharing framework as a step toward addressing the afore‐mentioned challenges.
Design/methodology/approach
A prototype middleware system is developed using a standards‐based information sharing infrastructure called UICDS™ (Unified Incident Command and Decision Support™), an initiative led by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology division. This standards‐based middleware, resource management plug‐in utilizes the ontology of organizational structure, workflow activities and resources, and the inference rules to discover and share resource information and interoperability from different incident management applications.
Findings
The middleware prototype implementation shows that the UICDS™‐based interoperability between heterogeneous incident management applications is feasible. Specifically, the paper shows that the resource data stored in the Resource Directory Database (RDDB) of the NJ Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM), Hippocrates of the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) can be discovered and shared with other incident management systems using the ontology and inference rules.
Research limitations/implications
This study illustrates the possible solutions to the application to application interoperability problem using the DHS initiated interoperability platform called UICDS™.
Originality/value
The resource discovery and emergency response planning can be automated using the incident domain ontology and inference rules to dynamically generate the location‐based incident response workflows.
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Antonio Candiello, Andrea Albarelli and Agostino Cortesi
The purpose of this paper is to introduce a layered, comprehensive model of quality of service (QoS) for local eGovernment, and discuss its feasibility on a regional eGovernment…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to introduce a layered, comprehensive model of quality of service (QoS) for local eGovernment, and discuss its feasibility on a regional eGovernment case study. The eGovernment online services are becoming a key infrastructure for advanced countries. They allow significant efficiency gains in different sectors of society, offering benefits for individual citizens and for the community as a whole. The deployment of online services alone is not sufficient in order to qualify an eGovernment strategy. The intrinsic and perceived quality of services offered, as well as the actual impact of new functionalities, should be properly measured and taken into account.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents an applied research study for a quality‐focused evolution of a service‐oriented architecture for local eGovernment portals. This investigation was based on three main layers: the perceived quality and effective impact of services (G2C layer), the effectiveness of the deployed processes (WFM layer) and finally, the system‐level efficiency (G2G layer).
Findings
The measurement of quality with respect to eGovernment services is a complex task which requires appropriate tools to tackle the different aspects of the problem. Specifically, active and passive tools (respectively surveys and usage analysis) should be used to evaluate the quality perceived by the users as well as the utility of the service itself. The efficiency of the back office workflow must be estimated measuring statistical and dynamical indicators. Finally, technical measures should be used to monitor the responsiveness and scalability of software implementations and deployment systems.
Social implications
A better knowledge regarding (e‐)Government service delivery processes, their QoS and their impact on the society can empower both citizens and local administrators, and can help them to better improve the effectiveness of local government.
Originality/value
The multi‐layered quality measurement architecture proposed in this paper offers local governments the capability to systematically monitor and analyse the quality of their online services. The business process management technologies allow citizens to get a better knowledge of the service delivery processes; the QoS measurements allow to improve control on them; and the eGovernment Intelligence model allows to better quantify their actual social impact.
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Marijn Janssen and Bram Klievink
Scant attention has been given to the role of enterprise architecture (EA) in relationship to risk management in information system development projects. Even less attention has…
Abstract
Purpose
Scant attention has been given to the role of enterprise architecture (EA) in relationship to risk management in information system development projects. Even less attention has been given to the inter‐organizational setting. The aim of this paper is to better understand this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
The relationship between EA and project failure/success is investigated by – through a workshop – creating a retrospective view on the use of architectures in large and complex ICT‐projects.
Findings
Failure factors can be grouped in organization network, people, process, product and technology categories. The findings show that a disappointingly limited number of public sector development projects make sufficient use of architecture as a risk management instrument. Architectures should be considered both as a risk‐mitigating instrument and as an organizational shaping routine to reduce project failure and manage risk in organization networks.
Research limitations/implications
A single workshop with a limited number of participants was conducted. The findings need further refinement and generalization based on more empirical research investigating the relationship between architecture and project failure.
Practical implications
Architecture should give explicit consideration to risk management and help to draw attention to this. Governance mechanisms need be defined to ensure that the organizations' members become aware of both architecture and risk management. Risk management and EA have similarities, as they are both an instrument and an organizational shaping routine.
Originality/value
Governments collaborate more and more in organizational networks and for that reason often multiple organizations are involved in information system project developments. Enterprise architecture as a risk mitigation instrument has not, to date, been given attention.
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Jianwei Liu, Allen Higgins and Yao‐Hua Tan
The purpose of this paper is to introduce a method for (re)designing complex logistics networks, which interact with various governmental bodies (e.g. in FDA and USDA) for…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to introduce a method for (re)designing complex logistics networks, which interact with various governmental bodies (e.g. in FDA and USDA) for regulatory clearance and control purpose. The method (the e3‐control methodology) is demonstrated to be a useful approach to analyzing and redesigning international logistics procedures in reaction to a technological innovation in a government‐business (G2B) network.
Design/methodology/approach
An action research method relying on Living Lab study was used in this research. To illustrate and better understand the application of the e3‐control methodology, the authors place the development of e3‐control as a design tool for deploying the pharmaceutical case. The authors collected data with multiple methods including workshops, semi‐structured interviews and document analysis.
Findings
The e3‐control methodology has been successfully applied in this paper to carry out a step‐by‐step redesign for an international pharmaceutical logistics network. It was found that a win‐win situation can be achieved if business and government see each other as partners and share the responsibility of carrying out government regulatory and Customs controls. In this situation, Customs administrations can be relieved from redundant control tasks, and businesses will be rewarded with simplified procedures.
Originality/value
The authors' e3‐control methodology is an innovative redesign methodology for analyzing and redesigning business logistic networks including government agencies. With this approach, one can achieve a clear overview on critical problems within the logistics chains; disclose unclear procedures and in the meanwhile take into consideration the different concerns of the partners within the network.
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Christine B. Williams and Jane Fedorowicz
The purpose of this paper is to focus on Public Safety Networks (PSNs) created and used in the USA at the state level. Empirical analysis describes the formation and use of extant…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to focus on Public Safety Networks (PSNs) created and used in the USA at the state level. Empirical analysis describes the formation and use of extant state‐level PSNs, based upon factors representing rational choice and institutional theories.
Design/methodology/approach
Contextual data representing 160 different characteristics and descriptors of state‐level attributes produces two factors that evidence an underlying structure consistent with rational choice and institutional theories. Using these factors as predictors, the authors employ multiple regression analysis to explain differences in size and maturity among state public‐safety collaborations. The size and maturity indicators come from extensive survey data collected in phone interviews with senior personnel at 80 PSNs.
Findings
Consistent with rational choice theory, higher needs and resources predict larger PSN size. Contrary to expectations, institutionalization rather than a culture of innovation is associated with PSN maturity, and suggests that maturity brings positive benefits, such as more experience, better operational routines and increased organizational competence.
Research limitations/implications
This study moves beyond the usual case study approach to empirically investigate theoretical explanations for state‐level collaboration characteristics.
Originality/value
The authors' research investigates the social and environmental backdrop against which PSNs are implemented, to improve understanding of the state‐specific settings in which PSNs currently reside and develop. Given the financial and human resources involved in PSN creation and implementation, their initiators would benefit from a better understanding of governmental settings linked to PSN success. Identification of potential success or risk factors advances understanding of the underlying dynamics of interagency collaboration efforts.
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Lisa M. PytlikZillig, Alan J. Tomkins, Mitchel N. Herian, Joseph A. Hamm and Tarik Abdel‐Monem
Municipalities commonly ask the public to give input by answering questions about their preferences. There is some belief that input enhances the public's confidence in…
Abstract
Purpose
Municipalities commonly ask the public to give input by answering questions about their preferences. There is some belief that input enhances the public's confidence in government. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether different types of input activities (obtained by phone or online surveys, or via face‐to‐face engagements) differentially impact confidence.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected over two years from different input activities undertaken to inform a city's budgeting and performance measures' determinations.
Findings
Significant amounts of variance in the public's confidence in municipal governments are accounted for by independent predictors such as current satisfaction, perceived trustworthiness, legitimacy, and loyalty to the institution. Compared to online and phone surveys, face‐to‐face input methods seem to have a particularly strong, positive relationship with the public's perceptions of the trustworthiness (e.g. competence, integrity, benevolence) of municipal government officials. Persons who participate in face‐to‐face, online, or phone events differ both in extent of confidence and, to a small extent, in the bases of their confidence.
Research limitations/implications
The study design is correlational rather than experimental and data were not originally gathered to test the identified hypotheses. In addition, it is not prudent to put too much stock in results from only one jurisdiction that relied primarily on convenience samples.
Originality/value
In instances in which enhancing confidence in the institution is a specific objective of public input, this work provides researchers and practitioners with guidance to better anticipate which input technique(s) works best and why.
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John Carlo Bertot, Paul T. Jaeger and Justin M. Grimes
The purpose of this paper is to examine the ways in which governments build social media and information and communication technologies (ICTs) into e‐government transparency…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the ways in which governments build social media and information and communication technologies (ICTs) into e‐government transparency initiatives, to promote collaboration with members of the public and the ways in members of the public are able to employ the same social media to monitor government activities.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used an iterative strategy that involved conducting a literature review, content analysis, and web site analysis, offering multiple perspectives on government transparency efforts, the role of ICTs and social media in these efforts, and the ability of e‐government initiatives to foster collaborative transparency through embedded ICTs and social media.
Findings
The paper identifies key initiatives, potential impacts, and future challenges for collaborative e‐government as a means of transparency.
Originality/value
The paper is one of the first to examine the interrelationships between ICTs, social media, and collaborative e‐government to facilitate transparency.
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The basic structure of Korea's formal education system is 6-3-3-4. This school system, which was established soon after its independence from Japan after World War II, has not…
Abstract
The basic structure of Korea's formal education system is 6-3-3-4. This school system, which was established soon after its independence from Japan after World War II, has not been changed very much until recently. Primary education covers grades 1–6. Kindergarten has not been a part of the official school system until now, although making it a part of the pubic school system has been under discussion for some years. In the secondary education sector, there are two levels of schools: middle schools covering grades 7–9, and high schools covering grades 10–12. After 12 years of formal education, students advance to higher education. Typically, undergraduate degree (B.A. or B.S.) takes four years.