Emerging Topics in Digital Government
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Item Relationships between Factors Influencing Robotic Process Automation Adoption in Public Administrations: A Systematic Literature Review(2025-01-07) Frick, NorbertPublic administrations utilize automated decision-making (ADM) technologies more and more often. One ADM technology in particular, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), has gained a strong momentum in technology adoption within public administrations due to its lightweight character, low requirements to use and interplay with other ADM technologies. Still, research on RPA adoption in public administrations is scarce. In our attempt to identify and conceptualize adoption determinants and their relationships in public administrations, we applied a systematic literature review. Based on 23 research reports, we found 31 barriers, 28 facilitators and 26 prerequisites for RPA adoption in public administrations. 18 of these adoption factors are interconnected via 16 conflicting and reinforcing relationships that impact the context-bound RPA adoption environments. Furthermore, the 85 adoption factors reveal a complex interplay that is characteristic for RPA adoption in public administrations, but not necessarily for other ADM technologies.Item The Shadow in the Garden: Assumptions in Digital Identity Architecture for the Public Sector(2025-01-07) Bakhaev, Stepan; Smolander, KariThis paper analyzes the development of a digital identity architecture for the public sector in practice. We used the grounded theory method to analyze empirical data from a software development project focused on the digital identity wallet as a solution for electronic identification in online public services. To explain how the development was approached and what architectural assumptions were behind it, we build a theory of shadow identity management. Shadow identity management is the blind spot in digital identity systems which are designed to refactor established practices of identity management at the cost of integration with their own environment.Item How to Insource Digital Services in the Public Sector: Lessons Learned from the Italian Case of Enel(2025-01-07) Cordella, Antonio; Gualdi, Francesco; Paletti, AndreaOver the past three decades, outsourcing digital services has helped public organizations save money. However, most public organizations have recently complained about losing control over the outsourced digital services and facing increasing costs. As a result, some public organizations have started evaluating the insourcing of previously outsourced digital services to regain control and decrease costs. While the literature acknowledges these motivations, it lacks detailed guidance on how public organizations should insource digital services. This paper addresses this gap by examining how Enel, an Italian utility provider whose main shareholder is the Ministry of Economy and Finance, successfully insourced a digital service that had previously been outsourced to various suppliers. From Enel’s study, this paper contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive framework that explains how to execute the insourcing process.Item Applying the Metaverse to Real-world Citizen Participation – First Results from a Field Experiment(2025-01-07) Bechtle, Nadine; Weinberger, MarkusThe idea of the Metaverse is expected to find applications in many domains and industries. Cities and municipal politics can benefit through a variety of applications. This paper examines the acceptance of virtual reality (VR) in the context of citizen participation in municipal politics. It contributes to the research on the practical implementation of immersive technologies in municipal contexts. Key factors influencing VR acceptance are identified, and insights into demographic variations in technology perception are provided. A citizen participation event in a virtual environment was conducted as a field experiment involving citizens discussing actual political topics with municipality officials. Utilizing the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), the study analyzed data from questionnaires to assess the acceptance of VR and its effectiveness in facilitating local political discourse. Results indicate a positive reception of VR among citizens, with a notable preference for immersive VR headset experiences over participation via laptop. The study results show the potential of the Metaverse to increase citizens' willingness to get involved in municipal matters.Item From (Design) Theory to (Participation) Practice: Leveraging a Taxonomy for Digital Involvement Projects(2025-01-07) Stein, Carolin; Wittmer, Alicia; Weinhardt, Christof; Fegert, JonasAmidst the rapidly evolving landscape of digital participation formats, navigating the field becomes a challenge for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers. This paper investigates how a taxonomy for digital involvement projects can be leveraged to capture design knowledge on participatory projects and make it accessible to relevant stakeholders. Employing a Design Science Research approach, we develop and assess an interactive web application, and preliminary design archetypes based on 46 project examples. Our research contributes to capturing the diversity of participatory project design, bridging theory and practice in the digital governance domain and beyond.Item Introduction to the Minitrack on Emerging Topics in Digital Government(2025-01-07) Gil-Garcia, J.; Prentza, Andriana; Wimmer, Maria A.