Transcript THE REALM OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AT THE PUBLIC …

The influence of
Information Society
Technologies on Evolution
in the Public
Administration
Jaro BERCE
MERKUR DAY - 2004
CONTENT
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Introduction to the problem
Study frame
Theoretical research scope
Empirical study
Limitations of studied model
Research reflections and interpretations
Conclusions
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New
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The strategic impact of new
technologies, new organizational
principles, and new knowledge
paradigm is influencing the everyday
life of all of us
New digital venue includes the public
sector and within it public
administration
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Challenges
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The public is asking for better performance on
the part of public administrations
Permanent change is pressing for a better use
of knowledge
Learning is becoming integral to the role that
employees have to play
Internet is pushing organizations away from a
strictly hierarchically and rigid organizational
ideology and towards a more networked
structure
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Public administration
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New concepts are emerging
 iGovernment focuses mainly on the internal
digitalization of documents and processes
 eGovernment - the presentation of Internet-based
digital services
 Knowledge management - the systematic
management and use of knowledge in an
organization
 Learning organization - in an ever-faster changing
environment, an organization has to embrace
different and more “quick response” processes to
fulfill its objectives
Performance and behaviour of the public sector should
be targeted to improveing democracy through better
digitaly supproted governance (eGovernance)
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CONTENT
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Introduction to the problem
Study frame
Theoretical research scope
Empirical study
Limitations of studied model
Research reflections and interpretations
Conclusions
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Information Society Technologies
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The focus of this research was to examine the
context of social, economic and technological
issues
A search for an answer to: Which influences,
factors and challenges govern the
implementation and acceptance of
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digital (information and communication)
technologies and
non-digital (knowledge, learning, organization
culture, proper budgeting, etc.) tools
and their relations with good digitaly supported
governance (eGovernance) in the public
administration
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Basic hypotheses
1.
2.
How is the process of information and knowledge
management influenced by a developed information
communication technology infrastructure ?
To what extent do organizational factors (incentives,
overall responsibility for knowledge and information management
and working processes) influences knowledge
3.
management ?
What public organization culture (static/changing,
information communication technology supported, knowledge
networked) is best suited to promote a learning
4.
organization processes ?
Does a learning organization culture (sharing information,
knowledge management practices, knowledge networking and
electronic venue) improve eGovernance ?
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Study frame concept
Organizational initiative
& Rewarding
Information knowledge
responsability
eGovernance
Educational
level
Knowledge
Management
Staff competency
Learning
Organization
eGOVERNMENT
INSTITUTION
Rewarding system
KM&N
Permanent
education
KM&N
Training
iGovernment
eGovernment
ICT infrastructure
ICT policy
ICT budget
Organizational (ICT)
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Internet (presence, update)
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Research seeks an answer
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If ICT:
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Stimulates administrative efficiency
Automatically enhance the effectiveness of
eGovernance
If scope and aspects of the organizational
processes (rewards, L3, etc.) leads to good
eGovernance
If the efficiency and effectiveness of
eGovernance increase significantly with the
application of the principles of Learning
Organization and Knowledge Management
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CONTENT
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Introduction to the problem
Study frame
Theoretical research scope
Empirical study
Limitations of studied model
Research reflections and interpretations
Conclusions
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Research analysis
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The research presented deals with an analysis of the
relationships between social, economic and
technological variables
To estimate and test, multivariable linear relationships
among the exogenous and endogenous (intervening)
variables within theoretical model and
To measure dependent variables by independent
means
The research illustrates the ability of ICT and all the
knowledge and organizational parts to form a new
multidimensional perspective on eGovernance
principles
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BReT
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“Compound variables” relationship theory model - Block
Relation Theory
 The research approach consists of merging
predefined “organizational segments” in blocks to
investigate their relationships and facilitate the
study of their influence
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Information communication technology (Infrastructure,
eService, Internet, Policy, etc.)
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Organizational issue (Organizational initiative, Educational
Level, Permanent Education [Training] system of rewards, etc.)
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Knowledge Management Issues (eCapture of Staff
Competence, Information and Knowledge Network, Knowledge
Responsibility, etc.)
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Budgeting as a constraint on the change process
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Block diagram
Survey Q Num.
ε = error
Exogenous
(Compound)
BReT
variable(s)
Survey Q Num.
A
factor
ß/γ =
influence
value
Endogenous
(Intervening)
BReT variable
Un-explained External
Influence Percentage
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CONTENT
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Introduction to the problem
Study frame
Theoretical research scope
Empirical study
Limitations of studied model
Research reflections and interpretations
Conclusions
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Research
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Questionnaire (from 28th January to March 15th 2003)
Sample - 288 institutions (population percentage of total returned
questionnaires was 49,65 - or 75,2 % weighted on group data) :
 14 Ministries (100 % replies), 18 constituent offices covered, for
eight batches of data gathered by ministries
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20 Government offices (94,6 %)
53 Local government offices (83,3 %)
44 Municipality offices (22,9 % ) - 11 few days after March
15th
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Intense telephone calling after March 5th
External evaluation of reported acheived levels of
eServices (OECD methodology) by population on January 7th
2004
To contrast the situation in Slovenia with that within the
OECD surveyed member countries (performed during the year
2002)
OECD methodology
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Survey
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A cover letter - detailing the intent of
the survey
The questions grouped to gather
information about respondents
Background information
 Information Communication Technology
eBusiness model and ICT services
 Knowledge Management practices
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Benchmarking Slo v.s. OECD
100%
Infrastructure
e-mail
Knowledge management & networking
Internet
Wep-page
Lerarning Organizational culture
> 80% of total
institution
having ...
Stage 1&2
K&I mngm
Org-Change
Services
Rewards
Stage 3&4
ICTTrainning-Budget
Num.
Institutional background (Finance)
OECD average -- > better
0%
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CONTENT
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Introduction to the problem
Study frame
Theoretical research scope
Empirical study
Limitations of studied model
Research reflections and interpretations
Conclusions
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BReT model and research frame
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Time frame - study was performed during the reorganizational process of administration introduced by
new law
Speed of change in ICT and eService field
Limitations of BReT model:
 Built on presumption of limitation of data and
number of researched questions
 Relations within the model analyses internally
expressed “views” and not external ones
 The passage of time brings changes that are not
introduced within the model
A huge differences between input data (e.g. budget of ministry
and of municiplaity office, etc.)
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CONTENT
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Introduction to the problem
Study frame
Theoretical research scope
Empirical study
Limitations of studied model
Research reflections and interpretations
Conclusions
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Reflection on Model
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A null hypothesis value of the “root-meansquare error of approximation” (RMSEA = 0.040)
index of less than 0.050 shows that the model
stands well relative to its null hypotheses
that cannot be rejected
The “significance” (P-value = 0.13606) greater than
0.05 is typically considered a “close fit”
There are “Degrees of freedom” (df = 57) to
allow the model results to have standing
A statistical value for a Gauss distribution (2 =
68.80) thus significantly validates the
acceptation of the model for data interpretation
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BReT (t): model representation of variables
T-values
05.047.039.1
10.2
14.2
03.2
15.1
27.0
93.2
26.1
36.0
75.1
7.81
POLICY
26.156.078.1
12.0
33.0
17.1
39.1
09.0
90.1
37.0
38.1
7.58
BUDGET2
2.35
0.20
24.0
04.0
41.053.178.021.1
99.0
48.1
48.0
43.1
44.0
30.3
98.2
7.69
INFRASTR
1.82
31.041.087.1
08.0
96.0
57.0
13.0
01.2
00.3
75.0
7.20
ORGANIZA
0.98
IGOVERN
3.21
0.83
2.56
00.117.172.092.0
32.2
45.1
04.0
76.0
46.0
8.03
WEBPRES
2.36
EGOVERN
WEBINFO
53.015.025.1
13.1
91.0
27.0
64.1
7.53
ECAPTURE
7.20
3.93
2.48
51.028.2
99.0
08.1
47.0
93.1
61.1
18.1
7.47
7.56
EGOVANCE
6.87
2.13
2.09
KMAN
7.43
4.15
32.096.097.067.1
52.0
83.2
7.97
INFO
83.034.118.0
01.1
91.2
7.38
REWARD
0.57
3.17
3.43
0.72
0.38
46.0
85.2
97.1
38.1
7.66
NETWORK
1.06
LEAR_ORG
7.40
0.48
26.0
76.1
24.0
6.46
INICIAT
1.19
0.65
43.075.2
7.78
EDUCAT
53.07.94
PERMEDU
7.69
2.10
TRAINB
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Chi-Square=68.80, df=57, P-value=0.13606, RMSEA=0.040
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Endogenous variables
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iGovernment (= 0.08, t=0.83) - implies that the digitalization of
documents and processes within an organization positively influence
activities within the digital governance of an organization
ICT (iGovernment, eGovernment) leads to better governance where
decisions are faster, timely and widely extended
KM (=0.20, t=2.13) introduces into the process of better governance
decisions that are wise and correct
The organization must know what new things to embrace and when
to embrace them, what old ones to discard and when to discard
them. It must therefore strive to become a learning organization (=
0.05, t=0.57)
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The relatively high percentage of unexplained variance (77%) for the
eGovernance variable points up the common problem in sociology
 framing research work and
 existance of multiple (unexplained) external influences
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Hypothesis 1
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!
How is the process of information and knowledge management
influenced by a developed information communication
technology (ICT) infrastructure?
 cannot be directly answered
 The research yields weak statistical evidence to show
correlation impacts between a developed ICT and
information and knowledge management processes
 Professional differences (management vs. ICT
professionals) was detected
 A fear of being transparent and sharing information can be
deduced from the correlations examined
 The impact of ICT on eGovernment is in the process of
development - Internet services for external users still fall
well short of users’ expectations
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Hypothesis 2
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!
To what extent do organizational factors (incentives, overall
responsibility for knowledge and information management
and working processes) influences knowledge management?
 can be confirmed
 Knowledge management processes are still not widely
employed
 Haveing an organizationally defined system of rewards
stimulate knowledge management
 The selective use of information and knowledge and its
restriction to an exclusive group opens up avenues for
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Its manipulation for exploitative purposes such as private
gain and
Corruption and
Creates rigid hierarchal structures
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Hypothesis 3
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What public organization culture (static/changing, information
communication technology supported, knowledge networked)
is best suited to promote a learning organization processes?
 can be verified
 Learning Organization processes are positive influenced
by:
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!
Organizational culture of rewards
Decentralization
KM networking and established knowledge management
principles
Permanent training
Budgetary support
Effective responsibility and
Readiness for change
The lower the educational level of public employees the
less they attend training courses – growing knowledge
divide
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Hypothesis 4
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!
!
Does a learning organization culture (sharing information,
knowledge management practices, knowledge networking
and electronic venue) improve eGovernance?
 can be confirmed
 The digitalization of working processes and services
stimulate the digitalization of staff skill and regular
updates of important Internet documents - sharing
information
 A responsible person for knowledge management and
rewarding employees for knowledge and information
sharing, are key elements in a LO Culture that affect
eGovernance
 It is not about connecting and offering information and
services on-line or electronically, but about how organized
and networked the back-offices of government
organizations are
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If a poor organized system is digitalized, the efficiency
gain is minimal
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Slovenian organizations
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Many decision-makers still think that knowledge
management begins and ends with building
sophisticated information technology systems
Survey revealed a strong attachment for translating
existing processes to technology support and leaving
out the organizational change aspects
At the level of government offices and ministries
overestimate of their eService readiness and their
availability for external users was perceived
Do not have organizationally defined system of rewards
Employees’ knowledge is not accurately monitored and
appropriately applied
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Slovenian administration
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The results imply that management support is not voiced in a
proper managerial way but rather in more short-term political
postures
Opening-up of the Slovenian administration, enabling it to
become more user-friendly, is still in its infancy
There is both a lack of understanding and of organizational
initiative
Slovenian public sector, faces a very bureaucratic,
hierarchically organized public administration that is not prone
to change
Information sharing and the interpretations that now belongs
to the top of the hierarchy, and its power to use information
on its own terms, will have to be changed and improve
methods made to the quality of decision-making involving all
staff
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CONTENT
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Introduction to the problem
Study frame
Theoretical research scope
Empirical study
Limitations of studied model
Research reflections and interpretations
Conclusions
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Significance
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The use of a new approach of
“measuring” non-directly measurable
conceptions (KM, LO, eGovernance) using
directly measurable indicators (ICT,
organizational processes, budget, training, etc.)
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within the BReT model
Applaying a multidimensional approach
in representing relations between ICT,
KM, LO, and eGovernance
multidimensional
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ICT
eGovernment - Stage 4
Stage 3
Stage 2
Stage 1
iGovernment
LO
Opportunities to improve
KM
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Contribution
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The research work contributes
Towards an understanding of all
described relationships and opens-up a
new perspective on the Information
Society Technologies and their
influence on trends of development in
Public Administration and eGovernance
 To our understanding of the principles
involved in building patterns of good
eGovernance
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Thank you for your attention
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Discusion and questions
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e-mail:
[email protected]
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