Understanding E-Government Implementation from an NPM Strategic Reform Perspective

New Public Management (NPM) is a set of private sector management principles which have had a significant impact in the shaping of policy reform agendas in many governments. This article seeks to understand the influence of NPM in a public management reform context and explore the resulting practical and theoretical implications of NPM for e-government. In doing so, this article develops a benefits framework in order to analyse the extent to which NPM has contributed to the attainment of e-government goals. Two case studies are presented detailing the implementation of e-government initiatives in Ireland. Each case provides a differing perspective on the influence of the modernisation agenda in Ireland and the attainment of e-government benefits. Finally, the study provides insightful discussion on the impact of NPM reform initiatives on the success of e-government and the inherent organisational and social challenges

Open Innovation and Public Sector Business Process Management – A Multi-Method Study

Open Process Innovation provides a framework for studying how to systematically make use of knowledge that lies outside of an organization’s boundaries for process innovation initiatives. Here, we seek to investigate into variables that impact on the qualities of Open Process Innovation taking the example of the public sector domain. This paper examines how a lack of resources impacts on BPM. Specifically in investigates how personnel resource scarcity exerts influence on the involvement of i) customers (here citizens and local companies) and ii) consultants (here management and software consultants) in public sector BPM. Our multi-method analysis shows that personnel resource scarcity has consequences for BPM-related collaboration schema as it restricts the involvement of customers. Based on our findings, implications for theory and practice are discussed, including implications for studies on BPM maturity or on business process design. We call for a governancetheory perspective on process innovation as a fundamental basis for understanding and designing the institutions that shape collaboration in open process innovation

Changing patterns in the steering of the University in Italy: funding rules and doctoral programmes

The paper aim is to highlight the transformation of the state-university relationships in Italy, because of the introduction of the autonomy-accountability principles for the university government. The focus is on funding rules and procedures and doctoral programmes as examples of changes of the university steering. The analysis is carried out taking into account two different government theories, namely the New Public Management (NPM) and the Network-based governance system (NBG). The work is based both on the literature related to the steering of the Italian Universities, and on the Government’s acts (laws and related official documents). The paper is the first deliverable of the Project “The steering of Universities. A comparative research on the impact of new rules and actors on University governance” – SUN, developed within PRIME - Network of Excellence (VI EU Framework Program).Higher Education; Governance; Doctoral Programs; R&D Funding; NPM