Analyzing the role of stakeholders in the adoption of technology integration solutions in UK local government: An exploratory study

Over the last decade many governments across the world have intensified their efforts to improve efficiency of public services through Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-enabled transformation of Local Government Authorities (LGAs). Many of these efforts involve implementing new Information Systems and Technology (IS/IT) and integrating various disparate legacy systems to deliver improved services. While there is a surfeit of literature that have outlined the various organizational and technical challenges posed by Technology Integration Solutions (TIS), few studies have examined the role of stakeholders and surrounding challenges when implementing TIS in LGAs. The TIS adoption process involves several stakeholders, each with specific domain knowledge and expertise that are crucial to the success of TIS projects. In this paper, the authors use the concept of stakeholder theory to analyze the role of stakeholders during the TIS adoption process with regards to their perceptions on the factors influencing TIS adoption in LGAs and their involvement on the adoption lifecycle phases. A qualitative multiple case study approach is adopted to empirically highlight the different categories of stakeholders involved in the TIS adoption process, the dynamic nature and importance of their role, and why their domain knowledge and expertise are vital for TIS projects.     

Freedom of information and ‘vexatious’ requests — The case of Scottish local government

This paper investigates the cost and incidence of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests within councils in Scotland and in particular, the cost and incidence of requests which have been defined as ‘vexatious’ in order to investigate if the negative perceptions surrounding the cost and misuse of the legislation are justified. Additionally, the criteria and guidelines that councils are using to define ‘vexatious’ are also examined. The approach taken to the research in this study is a survey of the 32 councils in Scotland using freedom of information requests as the data collection method.     

A promising phenomenon of open data: A case study of the Chicago open data project

This article presents a case study of the open data project in the Chicago area. The main purpose of the research is to explore empowering potential of an open data phenomenon at the local level as a platform useful for promotion of civic engagement projects and provide a framework for future research and hypothesis testing. Today the main challenge in realization of any e-government projects is a traditional top–down administrative mechanism of their realization itself practically without any input from members of the civil society. In this respect, the author of the article argues that the open data concept realized at the local level may provide a real platform for promotion of proactive civic engagement. By harnessing collective wisdom of the local communities, their knowledge and visions of the local challenges, governments could react and meet citizens' needs in a more productive and cost-efficient manner. Open data-driven projects that focused on visualization of environmental issues, mapping of utility management, evaluating of political lobbying, social benefits, closing digital divide, etc. are only some examples of such perspectives. These projects are perhaps harbingers of a new political reality where interactions among citizens at the local level will play a more important role than communication between civil society and government due to the empowering potential of the open data concept.     

The impact of leadership and stakeholders on the success/failure of e-government service: Using the case study of e-stamping service in Hong Kong

Using e-stamping service in Hong Kong as a case study, this paper examines the impact of leadership and stakeholders on the success or failure of e-government service in Hong Kong. Multiple methods are used for data collection: documents and archival record research, direct observation, and interviews. Results show that both leadership and stakeholders have an impact on the success of e-stamping service.     

Information needs of students in Israel — A case study of a multicultural society

Students turn to a variety of sources when searching for information for their academic assignments. This study uses findings from a survey given to 151 Israeli students attending a university in Israel. A questionnaire comprising 12 questions was administered regarding their information needs, information behavior, and difficulties in searching and writing an academic assignment. A special emphasis of the study was on the multicultural environment of the Israeli students and its effect on their information behavior. Results show that there is a significant difference between native language groups with regard to the use of search engines, the use of library services, and in the patterns of conducting their academic assignment.     

An empirical investigation of mobile government adoption in rural China: A case study in Zhejiang province

This study is among the first attempts to empirically investigate the adoption of mobile government by rural populations in developing economies. Based on 409 validated questionnaires collected from families living in rural China, the study examines the interdependences among rural inhabitants' demographic attributes, their access to and perceptions of mobile government, and quantifies how their intention to use mobile government is influenced by technology attributes, social factors and trust beliefs. The results indicate that young males, who live far from a village center or market, and have some knowledge of recent government policies, tend to have a more positive perception of mobile government, and therefore become potential adopters of the service. Perceived ease of use, near-term usefulness, long-term usefulness, integrity, benevolence, image and social influence have significant and positive influences on the intention to use mobile government. Specifically, perceived ease of use, long-term usefulness and social influence have a direct influence on intention to use, while perceived near-term usefulness, integrity, benevolence and image have an indirect influence.     

Information governance,records management,and freedom of information: A study of local government authorities in England

In many democratic states political rhetoric gives weight to increasing public participation in and understanding of the political process; (re)-establishing public trust in government decision making; increasing transparency, openness, and accountability of public authorities; and, ultimately, improving government decision-making on behalf of citizens. Access to the public record and freedom of information (FOI) are mechanisms which help to facilitate the accountability of public authorities. Many jurisdictions have introduced legislation related to these mechanisms, and the UK government is no exception with its enactment of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in 2000. University College London (UCL) ran a research project over 12 months in 2008–2009, funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council. The research project examined what the impact of the UK FOIA had been on records management services in public authorities, especially local government. This article reports on some of the findings of the study. It considers how FOI compliance and records management functions are organized in local government and the role of information governance which is emerging as an umbrella for such functions. It draws some conclusions about the contributions that records management services make to the ability of local authorities to comply with the FOIA and identifies some ways in which user experience may be affected by the management of records.     

The impact of the national performance review and other forces on the rights of an informed citizenry: A case study in reinvention—reforming government publishing

Title 44 of the United States Code, containing the law governing the printing, publication, dissemination, and access to government publications, was written over 100 years ago. In the past decade, this law has come under attack, undermining the ability of the American citizenry to be fully informed about the activities of the federal government. This article examines the needed reforms to Title 44 and other legislative initiatives required to ensure the right of the citizenry to be informed.     

Assessing R&D efficiency using a two-stage dynamic DEA model: A case study of research institutes in the Chinese Academy of Sciences

Various studies have been devoted to the evaluation of the research and development (R&D) performances of universities and research institutes. However, existing studies tend to focus on static systems, that is, systems with no intertemporal effect. To tackle this issue, this study attempts to assess relative R&D efficiency of institutes from a dynamic perspective. The unified two-stage model proposed by Kao (2017) made a contribution to combining division efficiencies in the multiplier form with frontier projections in the envelopment form in a unified framework. We develop his model in a dynamic framework into which the effects of carry-over activities are embedded across the period. If the dynamic effects in the efficiency measures are not considered, the results will be biased. This is one of the few studies to examine dynamic effects within the framework of the R&D process. Our analysis is based on samples of 17 research institutes in the Chinese Academy of Sciences over the period of 2012–2015. When compared with the proposed data envelope analysis (DEA) model, results show that the static DEA model may underestimate the R&D efficiency scores. The institutes experienced significant improvements in system efficiency, mainly due to the improvements in transfer efficiency. However, there is still much room for improvement in transferring scientific and technological (S&T) achievements. We also find that the resource scale played an important role in influencing basic research. Finally, the projections of inefficient institutes indicate that most institutes had insufficient carry-over inputs (newly approved projects and management cost) based on the average four-year values, and existing slack resources for managers to improve the future performance.     

Surveying scholars’ perceptions of electronic environments: A case study of university libraries in Kerala (India)

This study was conducted to investigate research scholars’ perceptions of the information sources, services and infrastructures in university libraries in Kerala. A survey questionnaire was sent to research scholars working in four universities. The study revealed that the organization of resources and services in university libraries is not fully oriented towards supporting the process of research, and scholars were not satisfied with existing primary resources and personalized services. The study provides recommendations to enhance research-oriented library resources and services.