E-Government and its Impact on Knowledge Management Processes: A Case Study: Ministry of Industry and Trade in Jordan

This study aimed to identify the application of E-government and its impact on knowledge management in Ministry of  Industry and Trade in Jordan, to achieve the objectives of this study, the researchers designed a questionnaire includes (46) questions; in order to collect the primary data from the study sample which consists of (80) employees at Ministry of Industry and Trade in Jordan. After analyzing the study data and test its hypotheses, the study found a set of results, including the following: -        The presence of a statistically significant effect at a specific level (P ? 0.05) for the applications of E-government on the four processes of knowledge management (acquisition and creation of knowledge,   save and store knowledge,   share and transfer of knowledge and apply and use of knowledge) at Ministry of Industry and Trade in Jordan. It also shows the presence of a statistically significant effect at a specific level (P ? 0.05) for the sub-variables of the applications of  E-government on the processes of knowledge management at Ministry of Industry and Trade in Jordan. In the light of the study’s findings, the researchers recommended a set of recommendations as: 1-     The need to develop a specialized unit for knowledge management in the Jordanian ministries like Ministry of Industry and Trade in Jordan, in order to ensure the continuity of work efficiently and effectively. 2-     Involve the staff of the ministry in specialized courses in E-government and knowledge management in order to increase their efficiency. 3-     Emphasize the need to provide an adequate administrative and financial support to activate the processes of knowledge management at the ministry. Keywords: E-government, Knowledge Management, Ministry of Industry and Trade in Jordan.

The Effective Utilization of Knowledge Management in E-Government: A Case Study of E-Government in Jordan

The study is aimed at investigating the effective utilization of knowledge management in the Jordanian e-government system. The study proposes the knowledge management model for the implementation of egovernment in Jordan. The sample consisted of 132 employees derived from a population that had a sufficient knowledge of knowledge management in the Jordanian e-government team. The data collection tool used was a selfadministrated questionnaire. The study revealed the existence of a strong correlation between knowledge management and the utilization of knowledge. Furthermore, the study sample agreed that knowledge management is a widespread organizational practice. The study concluded that the utilization of knowledge is related to proper planning and follow-up of the applications for the knowledge management in Jordan e-government entities. In addition, the study recommended the spread of the culture of knowledge management which was supported by the senior management at the Jordanian entities

Model for e-government initiative in public sector in Jordan

E-government has become a global interest since it extended the public services through information communication technology (ICT) to allow access to information, improve transparency and efficiency. Many governments are interested to implement successful e-government initiatives. However, e-government implementation is not a simple task since the developing countries cannot directly adopt the implementation of e-government model which is mainly built in the context of developed countries. Previous studies have shown that many egovernment projects in developing countries, like Jordan have encountered various problems after implementation phase. Hence, the objective of this study is to develop an e-government initiative model for the public sector in Jordan. In this study, unstructured interviews were conducted as a method for collecting the data. Thirty respondents involved in e-government projects such as managers, general managers and other levels of decision makers were selected from three Jordanian ministries namely the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Labour. The initial success factors for e-government initiatives in Jordan were identified and analyzed qualitatively. Delphi technique was also used to determine and validate the critical success factors (CSFs). Ultimately, a novel Ali, Syazwan & Ruzaini’s e-government initiatives model for has been developed in this research. The model has four stages: (1) Emerging and Information Dissemination; (2) Two-Way Communication; (3) Integration and (4) E-democracy. The findings also revealed seven CSFs that should be taken into account to implement the e-government model which include top management support, vision and strategy, funding, information technology (IT) infrastructure, user computer efficacy, awareness and resistance to change. This study contributes to the body of knowledge in Socio Technical Theory (STT) toward the development of egovernment initiatives model for public sector in Jordan. The empirical data from the study may provide input for government agencies to plan, design and implement future ICT projects in Jordan

Relationships of technical, semantic, and organizational factors on electronic government information systems interoperability in Jordan

Information systems (IS) interoperability has been considered from the main characteristic of successful electronic government (e-Government) projects in the past twenty years. As information systems and technologies are being developed and improved, debates on their success have been constantly discussed by researchers and scholars. Achieving interoperability among different organizations is a complex task and affected by various aspects. Previous studies have shown that many e-Government projects in developing countries, like Jordan have encountered various problems after the implementation phase. Hence, the objective of this study is to develop an e-Government IS interoperability model for the public sector in Jordan. This study examined the technical, semantic, organizational, and information technology (IT) capability factors that impact IS interoperability focusing on IS interoperability as the key concept to reach successful implementation of interoperability in Jordanian government. To explore the study constructs and their relationships a variety of published literatures concerning the scope of the study has been critically reviewed. Data were collected using the survey method, and 335 questionnaires were distributed to IT staff in 25 Jordanian ministries. Two hundred and thirty one usable questionnaires were returned. The data were analyzed using the partial least squares-structural equation modeling technique (PLS-SEM). The findings revealed that the technical factors (IT infrastructure, security and privacy), a semantic factor (standardization), organizational factors (business process management, IT human resources, return on investment, and risk management), and IT capability (IT knowledge and IT operations) positively affected IS interoperability. On contrary, there was no moderating effect of the IT capability in the relationship between technical, semantic, and organizational factors and IS interoperability among ministries in Jordan. Technical, semantic, organizational, and IT capability factors are good for promoting e-Government IS interoperability

e-Government information systems interoperability in developing countries: the case of Jordan

Objective: This study examines the factors that influence information system (IS) interoperability of e-Government focusing on IS Interoperability as the key concept to reach successful e-Government implementation in Jordan.Methodology: Use of qualitative methods of inquiry has been made to explore study variables and their relationships. A variety of published literatures related to scope of the study has been reviewed along with analyzing the e-Government strategy in Jordan during period 2014-2016.The interoperability levels of e-Government IS have been discussed in this paper. Finally, significant barriers that affect IS interoperability have been identified along with the factors that can drive it successful implementation.Findings: Technical, semantic, and organizational interoperability are main stages for successful e-Government IS interoperability.Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure, top management support, human resources, data and information, security and privacy, and business process have been found as the major obstacles.Whereas, high level interoperability goals, commitment of government bodies, and customer focus have been identified as main success factors that lead to e-Government IS interoperability.The study suggests that strategies and work process should be aligned, common standards and knowledge should be shared to move towards e-transformation in Jordan. Implications: This study can be starting point for the real life practical solutions for successful implementation of e-Government conceptual frame work.Finding of the study can be used to generalize about the factors that lead to success of IS interoperability within government agencies in other developing countries.This study enriches existing literature in this context.On practical side, the study contributes by identifying IS interoperability success factors and barriers within government agencies.The proposed conceptual model is first stage in the process of understanding factors that influence e-Government IS interoperability.Further studies may be needed to empirically evaluate the proposed conceptual model

Indicators: tools for informing, monitoring or controlling?

Today, indicators are produced and used worldwide; across all levels and sectors of society; by public, private and civil society actors; for a variety of purposes, ranging from knowledge-provision to administrative control. While the use of quantitative data as policy support, including policy formulation, has a long history, recent decades have seen the rise of what some have called an ‘indicator industry’ (for example, Hezri and Hasan 2004), focused especially on the production of environmental and sustainability indicators, within a framework variously called ‘governance by numbers' (Miller 2001; Lascoumes and Le Galès 2005; Jackson 2011), ‘management by numbers’ in public service (for example, Hood 2007) or ‘numbers discourse’ (Jackson 2011, p. 23). Indicators are generally expected to enhance the rationality of policymaking and public debate by providing a supposedly more objective, robust, and reliable information base. Indicators can operate as ‘boundary objects’ (for example, Turnhout 2009; Star 2010), catering to both technocratic and deliberative ideals, by combining ‘hard facts’ and modelling with collective reasoning and ‘speculation’. Research and development work in the area has hitherto overwhelmingly concentrated on improving the technical quality of indicators, while the fate of indicators in policymaking and the associated sociopolitical aspects have attracted little attention. This chapter focuses on this neglected area of indicator research, by providing an overview of the multiple types of existing indicators, as well as their use and influence in various venues of policymaking. Empirical examples are drawn mainly from the fields of environmental and sustainability indicators

Embedding the concept of ecosystems services:The utilisation of ecological knowledge in different policy venues

The concept of ecosystem services is increasingly being promoted by academics and policy makers as a means to protect ecological systems through more informed decision making. A basic premise of this approach is that strengthening the ecological knowledge base will significantly enhance ecosystem health through more sensitive decision making. However, the existing literature on knowledge utilisation, and many previous attempts to improve decision making through better knowledge integration, suggest that producing ‘more knowledge’ is only ever a necessary but insufficient condition for greater policy success. We begin this paper by reviewing what is already known about the relationship between ecological knowledge development and utilisation, before introducing a set of theme issue papers that examine—for the very first time—how this politically and scientifically salient relationship plays out across a number of vital policy venues such as land-use planning, policy-level impact assessment, and cost–benefit analysis. Following a detailed synthesis of the key findings of all the papers, this paper identifies and explores new research and policy challenges in this important and dynamic area of environmental governance

Revealing Casual Pathways to Sustainable Water Service Delivering Using fsQCA

This study aimed to build on theory and practice regarding the combinations of conditions that influence water service sustainability when external partners are involved. The study investigates 26 well projects that have been implemented in developing countries with the assistance of Engineers Without Borders-USA (EWB-USA). Using past literature on sustainable water service delivery in developing communities, emergent coding techniques with project documents, and surveys with EWB-USA team members, this study identifies a set of project conditions to conduct fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA). Findings show that the presence of a water committee cannot alone account for project sustainability. Additional conditions, such as technology and construction processes, project governance, and community engagement practices must also be considered for project sustainability. The relationship between construction quality and financial sustainability is also discussed. Overall, the findings from this research contribute to sector theory and reveal distinct pathways towards sustainable water services. These findings informed recommendations for EWB-USA well project implementation and management, and demonstrate the utility of fsQCA as a tool to navigate the complexities of water service delivery by external partners and improve understanding to increase water service sustainability

Challenge and potential of future agricultural development in Jordan:role of education and entrepreneurship

The paper examines the status of agriculture development in Jordan, current challenges and potential of future development. Aim of the study is to find out the role of education and entrepreneurship in fostering agriculture development in Jordan through: introducing new technologies into the sector; applying modern and global marketing perspective, and youth entrepreneurship empowerment. This study is based on theoretical approach based on secondary research, and primary research includes two surveys were carried out at this study. Like various studies this study confirmed that water scarcity is the main challenge facing agriculture development in Jordan, and the sector is less developed than other sectors in the country. Nevertheless, this study added that youth entrepreneurship low participation in the sector is not only due to financial shortage and youth insufficient knowledge, but it's due to their low attitude to working in agriculture too. Therefore, it is suggested that there is a need for significant paradigm shift in the education system to meet the needs of the market. Also utilizing the role of R&D to enhance the management of water resources and emphasize desalination and wastewater reuse, and change youth's attitude to working in agriculture. Add to the aforementioned that there is a need to provide more financial and technical support to attract and help youth entrepreneurs to invest in the sector