Information Technology and Administrative Reform

Abstract

This article examines the theoretical ideal of information technology as an instrument of administrative reform and examines the extent to which that ideal has been achieved in the United States. It takes a look at the findings from research about the use and impacts of information technology from the time of the mainframe computer through the PC revolution to the current era of the Internet and e-government. It then concludes that information technology has never been an instrument of administrative reform; rather, it has been used to reinforce existing administrative and political arrangements. It assesses why this is the case and draws conclusions about what should be expected with future applications of information technologies — in the time after e-government. It concludes with a discussion of the early evidence about newer applications for automated service delivery, 24/7 e-government, and e-democracy.

Looking for Friends, Fans, and Followers? Social Media Use in Public and Nonprofit Human Services

“…This finding is consistent with Kling and Nolin's () assertion that local governments focus more on regulating how their employees use social media than on advancing its benefits for democratic participation. Others have similarly argued that public administrator have used innovations in technology to advance management interests over engagement goals (Kraemer and King ; Norris ). It is unclear which stage of Mergel and Bretschneider's () model of social media adoption this result reflects.…”

Ideologies implicated in IT innovation in government: A critical discourse analysis of Mexico's international trade administration

“…In contrast to the discourse of transformative impact, actual effects of IT in the public sector in most countries have been found to be slow and limited (Kraemer & King, 2006;Norris & Reddick, 2012;World Bank, 2016). Studies attempting to explain the mismatch of promised potential and achieved effects tend to highlight resistances, particularly from elites whose positions of power in the public sector may be at risk (Danziger et al, 1982).…”

The Trouble with Transparency: A Critical Review of Openness in e‐Government

“…While, in recent years, some scholars writing in the e-government literature have started to question some of the assumptions about the impact and effectiveness of certain aspects of e-government (Millard 2010;Meijer, Boersma, and Wagenaar 2009;Christensen and Laegreid 2007;Kraemer and King 2006), to date these are minority voices. Even fewer scholars in the e-government community have questioned whether these attributes themselves are always desirable features of good government or good governance.…”