IT Innovation in Local Government

2011 ◽  
pp. 186-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles C. Hinnant ◽  
John A. O’Looney
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Technological Innovation ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
The United States ◽  
Electronic Government ◽  
It Services ◽  
Stakeholder Support ◽  
The Social ◽  
It Innovation ◽  
Technical Factors

We examine the adoption of information technology within local governments in the United States. The social and technical factors that impact the process of technological innovation are discussed in reference to the adoption of advanced electronic government (e-government) technologies in local government. In particular, we discuss how the adoption of IT, and e-government, is influenced by the local government’s motivations to innovate, technology characteristics, available resources, and stakeholder support. We then discuss several strategies that may address these factors. We argue that local governments should seek to formally assess the need to adopt e-government technologies, develop new funding strategies, and develop a mix of in-house and contracted IT services. While local governments have aggregately adopted advanced transaction-based forms of e-government at a lower rate than state and federal governments, it is our contention that local governments are merely reacting to innovation factors within their social and technical environments.

Conditions and prospects for cooperation between Polish and Ukrainian local governments

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 221-241
Author(s):  
Mariusz W. Sienkiewicz
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Economic Life ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
The Public ◽  
Political Transformations ◽  
The Social ◽  
Common Goals ◽  
The Eu

The fact that Poland and Ukraine share a border, the convergence of the political goals of the peoples of both countries, and the constant efforts towards the development of democracy and decentralisation of public life determine the need to intensify cooperation in various areas of the functioning of society and the economy. An important sphere of cooperation is the public sector, in particular at the level of local government. The local government cooperation of both countries was already visible at the beginning of the social and political transformations after 1990. The development of this cooperation, with varying results, took place in the 1990s and, to an even greater extent, after Poland’s accession to the European Union. In the last three decades, local and regional communities in Ukraine have become an important partner for Polish local governments, both at the local and regional levels. The local government cooperation that has been implemented is based on the diversification and multidimensionality of forms and models. Some result from legal regulations, while others are based on mutual experiences, previous contacts, and sympathies of public authorities. The aim of the study is to analyse and present the conditions and forms of Polish-Ukrainian local government cooperation. The aim is also to show the barriers to cooperation and to define proposed solutions to improve partner contacts of territorial units. The local government cooperation of the two countries is undoubtedly hindered by the fact that Ukraine is not a member of the EU, and often by mutual misunderstanding and non-acceptance of historical experiences. On the other hand, common goals at different levels of social, public, and economic life are a significant factor motivating parties to increase cooperation and achieve a synergistic effect thanks to it.

Information Technology Among U.S. Local Governments

2008 ◽  
pp. 132-144
Author(s):  
Donald F. Norris
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Electronic Government ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The 1950S ◽  
Do So

The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of the adoption, uses, and impacts of information technology (IT), including electronic government, among local governments in the United States1. In the 1950s, these governments began to adopt IT for a variety of purposes and functions, and they continue to do so today. Since at least the mid 1970s, a small, but prolific group of scholars has conducted a large body of research on various aspects of IT and local government.2 It is from that research and my own studies into this subject that I have based this chapter (regarding e-government, see also, Norris, 2006). Given the constraint of space, this chapter can only highlight aspects of this important topic. Readers who wish to delve more deeply into the subject of information technology and local government may wish to avail themselves of the works found in the bibliography as well as references from other, related works which can be found through those works.

Electronic Government at the American Grassroots

2011 ◽  
pp. 643-652 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. F. Norris
Keyword(s):  
Federal Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Great Majority ◽  
The United States ◽  
General Purpose ◽  
Electronic Government ◽  
State Governments ◽  
Current State ◽  
Electronic Delivery ◽  
The U.S

During the past 10 years or so, governments in the United States have rushed to adopt and implement electronic government or e-government (defined as the electronic delivery of governmental information and services 24 hours per day, seven days per week, see Norris, Fletcher, & Holden, 2001). Today, the federal government, all 50 state governments (and probably all departments within them), and the great majority of general purpose local governments of any size have official presences on the World Wide Web through which they deliver information and services and, increasingly, offer transactions. In this article, I examine the current state of the practice of e-government at the grassroots in the U.S.—that is, e-government among American local governments. In particular, I address the extent of local adoption of e-government, including the reasons for adoption, the relative sophistication of local e-government, and barriers to and initial impacts of e-government.

Usability in Local E-Government

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mete Yildiz ◽  
Nihan Ocak ◽  
Caglar Yildirim ◽  
Kursat Cagiltay ◽  
Cenay Babaoglu
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Expert Review ◽  
The Social ◽  
Media Services ◽  
The World ◽  
Social Media Presence

Social media use is on the rise throughout the world. Influenced by this trend, governments of all levels and sizes are establishing their social media (like Facebook) presence due to the communication and interaction capabilities that such a presence brings. This study examines and explains the social media presence of Turkish local governments from a usability perspective. Usability studies provide governments with important empirical data about the citizens'/users' view/perception of the efficiency, effectiveness and satisfaction of web-based content. Consequently, there is a need for usability testing of government social media services.The analysis of local government social media sites through scientific usability methods, such as expert review, guidelines and eye-tracking, reveals the strengths and weaknesses of government social media services in terms of usability. The study concludes with specific recommendations for improvement of government social media presence, which are applicable, to a great extent, to governments of all levels and sizes in Turkey and elsewhere.

Sport Delivery in a Highly Socialized Environment: A Case Study of Embeddedness

2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 574-590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Cousens ◽  
Martha L. Barnes
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Sport Participation ◽  
Social Embeddedness ◽  
Sport Organizations ◽  
The Social ◽  
Economic Interaction ◽  
Corporate Sponsors

The social embeddedness of economic interaction has emerged at the forefront of economic sociology over the last 15 years. In the context of sport, however, little research has been undertaken to enhance our understanding of how the socialized context surrounding sport organizers, local governments, and corporate sponsors impact decisions affecting sport delivery. Therefore, the purpose of this case study is to explore the social embeddedness of decision makers in sport organizations and the local government that shape sport delivery in one community. An embedded perspective of economic interactions considers the continuity of relationships that generate particular behaviors, norms, and expectations. In-depth interviews with the leaders of this community’s sport organizations and the members of its local government were undertaken to gain insight into the nature of how decisions pertaining to sport delivery were shaped and constrained by the social context in which they were bounded. The results of this research suggest that the informal interaction among community leaders in sport and politics served to inhibit change in the way sport programs were delivered in this community. Further, taken for granted assumptions of city leaders about the type, number, and quality of sports delivered to the residents resulted in fewer opportunities for sport participation, despite an awareness of the limitations of the existing programs.

scholarly journals New mobile realities in mature staples-dependent resource regions: Local governments and work camps

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 500-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura M Ryser ◽  
Greg Halseth ◽  
Sean Markey ◽  
Marleen Morris
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
The United States ◽  
Government Policies ◽  
Quality And Safety ◽  
Retention Strategies ◽  
Work Camps ◽  
Municipal Boundaries

In resource-dependent regions, work camps have reshaped workforce recruitment and retention strategies and relationships with communities as they are increasingly deployed within municipal boundaries. This has prompted important, but controversial, questions about local government policies and regulations guiding workforce accommodations to support rapid growth in resource regions. Even as mobile workforces become more prevalent, however, few researchers have examined the development, operations, and decommissioning of these work camps. Drawing upon the experiences of local governments in Australia, Canada, Scotland, and the United States, this research examines how mobile workforces are shaping the opportunities and challenges of planning and local government operations through work camps integrated in mature staples-dependent resource regions. Our findings reveal that while some industries have taken the initiative to implement new protocols and operating procedures to improve the quality and safety of work camp environments, local governments have underdeveloped policy tools and capacities to guide the development, operations, and decommissioning of work camps. Failure to purposefully address work camps as a land-use issue, however, is significant for mature staples-dependent towns that ultimately fail to capture taxation revenues while incurring the accelerating costs for infrastructure and services associated with large mobile workforces.

Service Shedding in Local Governments: Why Do They Do It?

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 359-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Lamothe ◽  
Meeyoung Lamothe
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
The United States ◽  
Delivery Mode ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Management Association ◽  
Alternative Service ◽  
Do So

Using four consecutive International City/County Management Association alternative service delivery arrangement surveys, this study explores the determinants of service shedding by local government in the United States. Our findings indicate that service shedding is fairly common, with almost 70% of jurisdictions experiencing at least one termination between 1992 and 1997. With regards to why jurisdictions shed services, we find that prior delivery mode is very influential. Specifically, services that were contracted out in the previous time period are much more likely to be dropped than are those that were produced in-house. We also find that the behavior of neighboring jurisdictions matters—if your neighbors tend to provide a service, you tend to continue to do so as well. We find little support for the idea that either budget stress or ideology is impactful in the decision to drop services.

scholarly journals Incorporating Systems Thinking into Local Governments in the United States of America

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 22-29
Author(s):  
Jennifer Capler
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Systems Thinking ◽  
United States Of America ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Effective Communication ◽  
The United States ◽  
Participative Leadership ◽  
Government Organizations

This is an opinion-based review of other research work on systems thinking paradigms and the possible application to local governments within the United States of America. Systems thinking is a complex interaction of people to generate thoughts, concepts, and ideas for situations involving organizational processes and changes. Using systems thinking can encourage collaboration, participative leadership, and interpersonal relations, increasing organizational effectiveness. Local government organizations may benefit greatly from creating and using systems thinking, incorporating constituent input before making decisions. Taking current organizational theory and design and recognizing a knowledge gap, this specific opinion-based review of using systems thinking emphasizes the importance of maintaining leadership and effective communication, advantages and disadvantages of system thinking paradigms, and ethical considerations. As communities grow and diversity expands, local government organizations should also grow and expand with the changing demands of constituents and economic needs. My theory is that with the incorporation of systems thinking, local government representatives can increase the overall effectiveness of council meetings and decision-making. Keywords: Systems Thinking; Local Government Organizations; Effective Communication; Effective Decision-Making; Participative Leadership

scholarly journals A DIVERGENT PATTERN OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVENUES AND SPENDING IN ELECTION YEAR - A CASE OF INDONESIA

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 92-100
Author(s):  
Hasan Basri ◽  
Yusnin Husaini ◽  
Heru Fahlevi ◽  
AK Siti-Nabiha
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
T Test ◽  
Strong Indication ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
Election System ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Public Money ◽  
Social Expenditures

Purpose of the study: The purpose of this study is to empirically examine the difference in budgeted own-source revenues and social expenditures between districts headed by incumbent candidates and non-incumbent candidates in the Indonesian head of district elections in 2015. The difference between both budgets indicates the use of public money by incumbent candidates to win the election. Methodology: This study focuses on local governments/districts in Indonesia. Using the Slovin formula, 226 observations were analysed. The sample was classified into two groups, namely 75 districts with incumbent candidates (or 66.4%) and 38 districts with non-incumbent candidates (or 33.6%). Data was compiled from the official district's budget for 2014 and 2015 (the election year) and analysed using pair t-test and independent t-test. Main Findings: This study revealed that in the budgets of incumbent candidates, own-source revenue and grant expenditures are statistically higher in the election year as compared to the pre-election year, except for the social aid fund. Additionally, local owned revenues, grant and social aid expenditures in the budgets of districts with incumbents were statistically higher than districts where there were no incumbent candidates in the general election. Applications of this study: The results of this study confirm a strong indication of the public money used by incumbent candidates for their political interest. Thus, the regulation of local government budgets, especially in the election year should be amended and tightened up. Novelty/Originality of this study: Studies on how public money is exploited by incumbent candidates are still scanty, especially in developing countries where a direct vote election system is adopted.

Leading-Edge Information Technologies and American Local Governments

2003 ◽  
pp. 139-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald F. Norris
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Electronic Government ◽  
Future Trends ◽  
Edge Information ◽  
Form Of Government ◽  
Efficiency And Effectiveness ◽  
Us Cities

In this study, I examine the adoption, penetration and impacts of the adoption of leading-edge information technologies in American local governments. I also discuss future trends with respect to these technologies. Data for this study come from three nationwide surveys of information technology in local governments and a series of case studies in US cities about the adoption of leading-edge information technologies. My principal findings are that American local governments have adopted a range of these technologies and can be expected to do so in coming years. This is especially true of the adoption of electronic government. Local government characteristics associated with adoption include principally local government size as measured by population. Other characteristics include type and form of government, region of the country, and metropolitan status. Additionally, local governments adopt leading-edge information technologies for both general reasons (e.g., to improve efficiency and effectiveness) and to solve specific problems (e.g., the adoption of automated fingerprint identification systems to solve crimes).

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document