The diffusion of e-participation in public administrations: A systematic literature review

Abstract

Research on e-participation has grown significantly in the last years. This review focuses on public administrations, which are central actors in the solicitation and organization of e-participation and in the process of diffusion of more democratic decision-making in government contexts. However, research indicates that public administrations often struggle with technological and organizational changes, which suggests that e-participation initiatives may fail due to barriers within public administrations. Although researchers have paid considerable attention to the diffusion of e-participation in public administrations, research so far is multi-disciplinary and fragmented. The aim of this literature review is to structure and systematize the literature regarding phases of e-participation diffusion (adoption, implementation and institutionalization) and levels of analysis (micro, meso, and macro) to map the extant field of e-participation diffusion research and to provide a starting point for future research. The analysis shows that research has concentrated on the phases of adoption and implementation, and on the external context of public administrations (macro) and the organizational (meso) level. Overall, the review identifies major research gaps and offers avenues for future research.

E-participation: A Quick Overview of Recent Qualitative Trends

“…For instance, studies have shown the importance of agency leadership for the adoption of e-participation (e.g., Saebø et al, 2011). Studies also show that the prevailing norms of culture at the organization level play a role in how e-participation is implemented (Steinbach et al, 2019). The degree of openness among staff in the organization to the idea of public participation is a key parameter, as is the balance of views on whether e-participation should primarily be geared to improving institutional performance (for instance, making regulation or services better) or should serve broader democratic goals (e.g., educating the public and increasing civic engagement).…”

“…Activities that are often found in support of e-participation include: advertising the initiatives and having outreach plans (both offline and online); alternating electronic and physical meetings; providing educational material on the issues being discussed; and making linkages with other programmes or initiatives. This aspect is closely linked with the institutionalization of e-participation initiatives within organizational processes, a key factor of success (Steinbach et al, 2019).…”

“…The success of e-government initiatives largely relies on the values that prevail in public administration. This applies at the levels of public administration as a whole, of individual public entities, and of individual staff (Steinbach et al, 2019). The ethos of government directives and directions for public administration, as well as the values that individual institutions promote, translate into ways of seeing interaction with citizens and framing a role for ICTs to mediate those relationships.…”

“…These factors also have an impact on the institutionalization of e-participation, that is, the way in which new ways to engage citizens durably impact internal processes in the organization after initial adoption and implementation (Steinbach et al, 2019;Mergel, 2013). Understanding the process of institutionalization is crucial in a perspective of fostering digital transformation in public administration.…”

“…Understanding the process of institutionalization is crucial in a perspective of fostering digital transformation in public administration. However, it remains poorly understood (Steinbach et al, 2019). Existing studies of the diffusion of technology in government highlight the complementary roles played by passive observation of practices inside and outside government, peer networks, and institutional guidelines (see for instance Mergel, 2013, for the adoption of social media in the US federal government).…”