Information Polity

Löbel, Stephan; Paulowitsch, Benedikt; Schuppan, Tino

2016 Information Polity

doi: 10.3233/IP-160387

This study focuses on private intermediaries in the course of public servicedelivery. Typically, intermediaries facilitate the matching process betweencitizens or companies that have to fulfill certain obligations togovernments and government agencies. Therefore, intermediaries cancontribute fundamentally to bypassing red tape. In this study, we go beyondimproving service to explore the role of ICT on private intermediaries andtheir relation to public administration. In particular, we aim to clarifyhow private intermediaries act and whether information technology canstrengthen or weaken their roles.Methodologically, we use a single case because this issue is stillunexplored and therefore open for investigating intermediaries at theirinterface with public administration. Specifically, we chose the case ofplant approval procedures under the German Federal Control of Pollution Actbecause plant approval is characterized by high complexity and privateintermediaries have been active in that area for many years. Regarding ourchosen theoretical lens, we go beyond a narrow focus on the economictheories that are often used in the business administration literature inintermediary research. Instead, we frame intermediaries as boundary spannersand ICTs as boundary objects.

Robertson, Scott P.; Semaan, Bryan; Douglas, Sara; Maruyama, Misa

2016 Information Polity

doi: 10.3233/IP-160388

In the context of politics, emotions and facts work together to shapeopinions about political candidates. While there is considerable research onmotivated reasoning about political issues, there is less attention to howaffect and rationality combine in the hybrid world of new media. This studyexamined the interaction of social media comments about politicians withmore traditional information sources. Participants were exposed to politicalcandidates' Facebook news feeds, to news articles about the candidates, andto a political speech. The order of exposure was varied and measures of bothknowledge and emotion were taken. When social media was encountered beforenews about a political candidate, it influenced feelings toward thecandidate but did not influence personal mood or perceived knowledge. Incontrast, when social media was encountered before information unrelated tothe candidates, it negatively influenced all dependent measures. Thefindings are discussed in terms of motivated reasoning theories,Papacharissi's concept of ``affective publics,'' and the implications forcivic participation in the new media era.

Garrety, Karin; McLoughlin, Ian; Dalley, Andrew; Wilson, Rob; Yu, Ping

2016 Information Polity

doi: 10.3233/IP-160389

Governments around the world are investing in large scale information andcommunication technology projects that are intended to modernize andstreamline healthcare through the provision of nationally accessibleelectronic health records. In this way, they hope to `tame' the complex`wicked' problems facing healthcare, such as rising costs and fragmenteddelivery. However, these projects often encounter difficulties. Using a casestudy of Australia's 20-year journey towards a national electronic healthrecord system, we show how these projects can ironically take on thecharacteristics of the `wicked problems' they are intended to solve, and howa failure to recognize and cope with these `wicked' characteristics can leadto waste, conflict and frustration among potential users. We suggest somealternative approaches to the management of large-scale ICT projects inhealthcare and other public service sectors that deal with complex,sensitive data.

Schlæger, Jesper

2016 Information Polity

doi: 10.3233/IP-160399

The topic of this paper is the role of benchmarking in Chinese e-government.Through content analysis of documentary material, this paper addresses thefollowing questions: Which benchmarking schemes have been applied toe-government in China? What are the intentions behind the differentbenchmarking schemes? and Whose interests are served? Whereas previousresearch finds that benchmarking addresses mainly the front office ofe-government (websites), this paper finds that organizational indicators arealso used. Benchmarking efforts now increasingly address the back office,and basic benchmarking schemes have become institutionalized into a census.Benchmarking reinforces the interests of the central government andcommunicates the values of the Communist Party to the fragmentedbureaucracy. In this way, benchmarking is used as an integrative mechanismthat centralizes governance while maintaining adaptive capacity at the locallevel.

Winters, Kirsten M.; Cushing, Judith B.; Lach, Denise

2016 Information Polity

doi: 10.3233/IP-160400

Designing effective visualization software in the contextof super wicked problems includes incorporating understanding of publicpolicy and decision making settings into the software development process.Case study findings presented here show that a problem-driven designapproach must include both the primary and secondary users of visualizationsoftware. The primary lesson learned is that extending the scope of theproblem domain beyond the explicit functionality of creating visualizations,to include the reactions or enhanced participation of decision makers, willlikely provide scientists with more effective software.

Nam, Taewoo

2016 Information Polity

doi: 10.3233/IP-160401

Korea has put forth Government 3.0 as a national drive to improve governmentoperations. The incumbent administration's strong pledge for public sectorreform through the Government 3.0 drive envisions a transparent, competent,and service-oriented government. The drive has received as much criticism aspraise, and has raised the following issues. First, is Government 3.0 inKorea truly novel? The features of Government 3.0 are similar to those ofGovernment 2.0 in other countries, which are based on the interactivepotential of Web 2.0. Second, does Government 3.0 create visible outcomes asthe achievement of ultimate objectives? Even leading agencies associatedwith the drive are unclear or confused between regarding its ends and means.Third, does disclosing more information guarantee better results? Moredisclosure may impose more burdens on public employees in terms ofwarranting the accuracy of information released and security of informationsharing settings. Last, is the drive politically neutral and does it focuson administrative goals? Government 3.0 may be temporary, given the shiftsin politics.

2016 Information Polity

doi: 10.3233/IP-160390