Understanding Datafication Effects of Open Government Information Systems – A Contemporary Systems Thinking Approach

Abstract

This paper contributes to an improved understanding of datafication effects of open government Information Systems (IS). We focus on a particular category of these IS that is designed to provide open performance data of a public sector (education, health, social services) in the name of accountability and transparency. While acknowledging possible positive datafication effects, in this paper we investigate the negative ones caused by propagation and reuse of open performance data. Using contemporary systems thinking as a theoretical lens, we identify three main types of datafication mechanisms, explain their underlying systemic manifestations and illustrate their societal effects. Drawing insights from a longitudinal research case study of a large-scale open government IS in Australia, we ‘unpack’ mutually-shaping relationships between technology and human behavior, reinforced by various feedback loops within a wider societal system.