International Journal of Public Sector Management

vLex
Publisher:
Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Publication date:
2021-02-01
ISBN:
0951-3558

Issue Number

Latest documents

  • Guest editorial: Bridging the chasm between “what could be” and “what is”: the impact of blockchain technologies on public service management
  • An overview of the expected public values arising from blockchain adoption in the European public sector

    Purpose: This study aims to systematically explore the anticipated realisation of public values through blockchain technology (BCT) within the European public sector. Its purpose is to offer a comprehensive analysis of BCT implementations, focusing on the various expected public values and understanding how these expectations shape the adoption of BCT in public administration across Europe. Design/methodology/approach: This research involves a qualitative analysis of 165 BCT use cases across European governments at the national, regional and local levels. The study employs a public values lens, categorising the expected public values into three clusters: internal, external and relational. Findings: The results indicate that most cases focus on external transformation, aiming to improve public service provision and enhance citizen satisfaction and engagement by increasing public trust, efficiency, accountability and transparency. For the internal dimension, the results emphasise security, efficiency and cooperativeness as expected public values in adopting BCT. Finally, fewer cases highlight expectations related to relational public values, such as citizen involvement and democratic participation. Originality/value: This research offers new insights into BCT in the public sector through a public values lens within the European context. It examines the expected public values arising from BCT adoption, providing insights for policymakers and practitioners considering BCT integration in daily operations. This study emphasises the need for further empirical research to explore BCT’s potential in realising these expected public values and to evaluate the trade-offs and disruptive impacts on public administrations.

  • Leadership competencies and blockchain implementation in public sector organizations: a sensemaking approach

    Purpose: This study aims to explore the required leadership competencies for successful blockchain technology (BCT) implementation in public sector organizations from a sensemaking perspective. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses a multiple case study design. Primary data are collected by conducting semi-structured interviews with several representatives of Finnish public sector organizations. Written material from the selected organizations complements the primary data. NVivo14 is used to generate codes and analyze data. Findings: The analysis shows that through sensemaking, leaders identify cues for digitally transforming their organizations through blockchain by leveraging their curious and rational vision. After identifying the cues, leaders then interpret these cues through technological understanding and exploring different technological solutions. Once the cues are interpreted for blockchain implementation, the third step is enactment after interpreting the cues. Leaders can facilitate the enactment of blockchain by connecting the outcomes of blockchain with organizational processes and goals. Furthermore, a dark side of BCT is identified, consisting of overly optimistic expectations and creating technological dependencies in the public sector. Research limitations/implications: The study was conducted in 11 public organizations in Finland, which limits the generalizability of the findings. Leadership competencies that are required for blockchain implementation within organizations can be studied further by considering more use cases. The potential dark side of blockchain implementation can be explored further. Originality/value: The presented research model of leadership competencies for blockchain implementation is derived from sensemaking research and contributes to the literature on leadership competencies by applying sensemaking to the study of BCT.

  • Limitations of trust and legitimacy in blockchain: exploring the effectiveness of decentralisation, immutability and consensus mechanisms in blockchain governance

    Purpose: This paper examines to what extent blockchain creates legitimacy and trust in different modes of public governance. It posits that while blockchain aims for political legitimacy through decentralising, immutable and consensus-based mechanisms, the execution of these mechanisms is limited in legitimating governance, which has knock-on effects on trust. It provides an original contribution by recontextualising and reframing blockchain as a governance mechanism that should, and must, perform a legitimating function in order to engender trust. Design/methodology/approach: The research adopts a comprehensive framework for understanding the legitimacy of blockchain governance, positioning it in terms of co-governance, self-governance and hierarchical governance modes. It systematically analyses blockchain whitepapers, legislation, government documents and other sources in three paradigmatic case studies where blockchain governance failed. These cases are then used to assess blockchain according to three key characteristics of decentralisation, immutability and consensus. Findings: The research finds that blockchain’s use in governance settings still relies on legitimacy conferred from other sources – namely state – in order to generate trust. Significant limitations in its de facto political decentralisation, immutability and consensus protocols can create failures in co-governance, self-governance and hierarchical-governance applications, thus limiting the legitimation function of blockchain in facilitating political trust. Originality/value: These findings are significant in highlighting blockchain’s limitations as a decentralised, immutable and consensus-driven legitimating tool, which has knock-on effects on trust in technology and governance more broadly. It also has broader implications in more clearly highlighting the interconnectedness of political trust and legitimacy in governance processes.

  • Strategizing blockchain adoption in public cultural services: a comprehensive scoping review

    Purpose: This paper explores the application of blockchain technology in the public cultural sector, where adoption remains limited despite its potential. The study identifies major use case scenarios and empirical examples of blockchain adoption in public sector cultural services through a scoping literature review. Design/methodology/approach: A scoping literature review was conducted to map research and conceptual approaches to blockchain technology in the public cultural sector, focusing on key use cases emerging and empirical examples. Findings: The review reveals that while blockchain has the potential to enhance public cultural services, its adoption is still in its early stages. Identified use cases include tokenization of cultural assets, digital rights management and decentralized funding models. Empirical examples in the public cultural sector are sparse, and the impact of the technology remains largely theoretical. Research limitations/implications: The study is limited by the scarcity of empirical data on blockchain adoption in public cultural services. Future research should focus on in-depth case studies and empirical analyses to understand the practical implications of blockchain in this sector. Practical implications: Public sector organizations offering cultural services may use these insights to guide blockchain adoption and implementation decisions. Social implications: Blockchain adoption in public cultural services has the potential to democratize access, enhance transparency and foster community engagement, contributing to a more inclusive and participatory cultural ecosystem. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the emerging discourse on blockchain in the public sector, focusing on the often-overlooked cultural services. It highlights the benefits and challenges of blockchain adoption in this sector, providing insights for future research and policy decisions.

  • What motivates public sector organisations to use blockchain?

    Purpose: This article investigates decision-makers’ motivations in public sector organisations (PSOs) for pursuing blockchain technology (BCT) projects in government settings. The research sheds light on the underlying motivations that drive decision-makers to pursue BCT despite its inherent complexity and uncertainty. Design/methodology/approach: The study employs a grounded theory approach to explore the motivational factors influencing PSO decision-makers. It integrates theoretical perspectives from public innovation, public administration and technology adoption scholarship to link these motivational elements to academic debates within public management literature. The empirical insights are derived from semi-structured interviews with representatives involved in BCT initiatives. Findings: In the pre-adoption stage, decision-makers are motivated to engage with blockchain for future services if there are knowledgeable stakeholders with relevant experience, a well-justified business case, sufficient resources and a supportive organisational environment free from undue pressure for immediate results. Conversely, uncertain project continuity, limited existing legislation and the PSOs’ internal regulations are seen as demotivators to engage with BCT. Research limitations/implications: The findings call for further research to examine the extent to which the identified (de)motivators interact with managerial decisions, such as delegate control or governance design, in the actual implementation processes. Originality/value: By combining theoretical insights with empirical data, this study offers a unique perspective on how organisations approach new technologies while also underscoring the need to consider unique aspects of BCT in the public sector setting, such as its governance and control, infrastructural and legal changes and the necessary skills.

  • One size does not fit all: deciphering the interdependence between barriers hindering SMEs’ involvement in public sector procurement

    Purpose: Despite their significant economic impact, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) remain underrepresented in public procurement. While previous research has identified the barriers facing SMEs in public procurement markets, a knowledge gap still exists on how these barriers influence one another in a specific context. Design/methodology/approach: This study developed a hierarchical structural model that reveals the contextual interrelationships between 14 notable barriers to SME involvement in public procurement, based on evidence from the publicly funded healthcare sector in the UK. The data were analyzed using interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and matrix impact of cross-multiplication applied to categorization (MICMAC). Findings: The results systematically classify barriers based on their hierarchical relationships, offering a robust theoretical foundation for understanding their nature and interconnections. Practical implications: The findings can help scholars, government administrators and politicians in government-funded healthcare systems determine the most influential barriers to SME involvement and their causes, enabling them to build viable remedies. Originality/value: This is the first empirical study to examine the relationship between the barriers to SMEs' public health procurement, using evidence from the public health procurement context.

  • Exploring workplace well-being strategies in Iranian public organizations: a mixed methods study

    Purpose: To ensure effective national governance, it is essential to enhance employees' well-being in the workplace. Employees with good mental and physical health are more likely to demonstrate a high level of commitment and engagement in advancing public policy objectives, which serve as instruments of public will. A comprehensive understanding of the various effective strategies to improve workplace well-being is indispensable to formulating human resource management policies within the public sector. Therefore, this study aims to uncover and prioritize the key strategies, programs and actions that contribute to enhancing the workplace well-being of public employees in Iran, drawing from their perspectives and experiences. Design/methodology/approach: We conducted a mixed-method study incorporating both qualitative and quantitative phases to recognize and measure these strategies. In the first phase, a qualitative content analysis was carried out based on the perspectives of Iranian public sector employees. In the subsequent phase, a questionnaire derived from the qualitative findings was randomly distributed to 374 employees from 14 public organizations. Findings: Workplace well-being strategies can be summarized according to the level of their importance as follows: employees' well-being through “inter-personal relationship,” “systems,” “technologies,” “structure,” “culture” and “environment” within the organization. These strategies as six themes divided into 13 categories and 60 subcategories of programs and actions to promote employee well-being in the work setting. Originality/value: The importance of considering employees' perspectives on workplace well-being is highlighted as a crucial aspect, rather than depending exclusively on managerial viewpoints for the implementation of well-being initiatives. Adopting an integrated and holistic approach to workplace well-being through strategies, programs and actions is another significant contribution of this study.

  • Corporate governance and financial performance: the case of English NHS hospitals

    Purpose: Hospitals’ corporate governance (CG) mechanisms oversee critical operational issues and evaluate the outcomes. This paper investigates the impact of CG (i.e. board size, board independence, board expertise, board meetings, board gender diversity, CEO gender, and academic directors) on the financial performance of English National Health Service (NHS) hospitals and separately by hospital type (i.e. trusts and foundation trusts). Design/methodology/approach: The sample includes 128 NHS hospitals. The data were collected through document analysis and archival work from annual hospital reports from 2014 to 2018. Findings: The findings indicate that board expertise, board meetings, board diversity, CEO gender, and academic directors significantly and negatively affect NHS hospitals’ financial performance. For NHS trusts, the results reveal that board expertise, board diversity, and CEO gender have a significant negative effect, while for NHS foundation trusts, only CEO gender has a significant negative impact. Originality/value: Overall, this study contributes to the literature on the healthcare system. It holds significant practical implications for hospital governance and has important implications for theories.

  • Teleworking and work-family balance in public educational institutions

    Purpose: This article aims to investigate teleworking in public institutions, specifically focussing on the perspectives of technical-administrative employees at a Brazilian federal educational institution. Design/methodology/approach: The research methodology involved the use of guided semi-structured interviews with public servants. The analysis applied a prior set of categories derived from the advantages and disadvantages of teleworking, as well as the favourable and unfavourable aspects of the interaction between teleworking and family relationships. Findings: The findings reveal a range of benefits associated with teleworking, primarily an improved quality of life for workers. However, the study also identified significant challenges, including excessive workload, social isolation and difficulties in separating personal and professional life, corroborating with previous studies. Research limitations/implications: It is crucial to note that the majority of participants in the study have children or dependants, which could potentially influence their teleworking strategies and experiences. This demographic factor may play a significant role in how participants navigate their work-from-home routines and manage their responsibilities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Practical implications: Working from home presents two sides of the same coin according to the vision of those involved in this type of work. Public organisations should know in depth the challenges faced by their workers to prioritise planning that monitors their workforce and achieve success with teleworking. Originality/value: The insights from this study provide valuable guidance for the development of evidence-based teleworking policies and practices in public educational institutions.

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