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Actor-Network Theory: A Bureaucratic View of Public Service Innovation
Abstract and Figures
Public sector institutions continue to significantly invest in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a solution for many of their service provision challenges, for example, greater efficiency and quality of services. However, what has come to light is that there is a lack of research on understanding the contributory value or “success” of technological innovations. This chapter introduces a socio-technical view of public service innovation. The aim of this research is to extend on the notion of bureaucracy, which is traditionally focused on the politics of office environments. This socio-technical view extends this traditional view to include the politics of service networks, particularly within IT-enabled public service innovation. The chapter focuses on how service innovation is exploited to align specific interests through the process of translation and shifts the focus from value co-creation to value co-enactment. In essence, this chapter explains how public service technological innovations act as an agent of bureaucracy that alters the relational dynamics of power, risk, responsibility, and accountability. For demonstrative purposes, this chapter describes a case study that examines IT-enabled service innovation with an academic service environment.
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... 7) of congruent (enabling) and contradictory (inhibiting) interactions that occurred in the interplay between variables within a socio-technical system. Carroll (2014) continued the analogy of a "birdseye" view of the diffusion of innovations (DoI) process by proposing Actor-Network Theory (ANT) as offering a roadmap for revealing the pathways of two-way interactions that occurred between actors who were the DoI stakeholders in technology transformation within a socio-technical system. Carroll (2014) applied an eight step ANT roadmap to an organisational case study of a paper-based to automated system transformation. ...
... Carroll (2014) continued the analogy of a "birdseye" view of the diffusion of innovations (DoI) process by proposing Actor-Network Theory (ANT) as offering a roadmap for revealing the pathways of two-way interactions that occurred between actors who were the DoI stakeholders in technology transformation within a socio-technical system. Carroll (2014) applied an eight step ANT roadmap to an organisational case study of a paper-based to automated system transformation. The function of the roadmap in the study provided "an approach to understand how both social action shapes technology and how technological innovations shape social action" (Carroll, 2014, p. 144). ...
... The following steps in the roadmap, originally developed by Neil McBride and adopted by Carroll (2014), were proposed by Carroll (2014) as an ANT research method for undertaking studies of technology adoption in public organisations: ...
This PhD study investigates how universities can build institutional capacity for mainstreaming e-learning innovations in university teaching practice and maximise the adoption of transformational new methods of teaching and learning. The study focusses on digital technology-enabled learning, known as e-learning, innovations that originate in higher education teaching practice and go on to achieve mainstream adoption within the originating university. Previous research, as indicated in this thesis, suggests that teacher-originated e-learning innovations mostly fail to achieve local mainstream adoption, even where there has been considerable long-term investment in information technology infrastructure and support services in that university. Over the past two decades, studies of this problem around the world have mostly used single and multiple case study and large-scale survey research methods to identify causal and critical success factors, while continuing to view innovation adoption as a single linear process described in theories of diffusion of innovations. In this study, the problem of mainstreaming the diffusion of innovations is viewed through a complex, non-linear, dynamic, systems lens to investigate the multiple relationships between critical success factors associated with key roles played in innovation adoption by actors who represent key university institutional stakeholder groups. Interpretive Case-based Modelling, developed as a new bricolage methodology for conducting this study, applies this complex systems perspective by overlapping case studies with multi-agent computer modelling simulations, guided by an interpretive interactionism research design. The cases and models reported in the study result from interviews with 15 individual volunteer participants located in Australian and New Zealand universities. The computer modelling, conducted in-situ during each interview, uncovers the impacts of the relationships between institutional stakeholder roles in universities when enabling and inhibiting connections and levels of influence are applied using a model framework. The resulting participant insights, gained from modelling both real and ideal case-based scenarios during the interviews, revealed a range of diverse opportunities for harnessing stakeholder relationships for building institutional capacity to facilitate change within the specific context of each case. In this way, the study investigated mainstreaming of e-learning innovation adoption in higher education teaching practice from a new complex systems perspective. Findings from the study suggest Interpretive Case-based Modelling has potential applications in other studies of change in complex social systems, with possibilities for further extension to focus groups.
... indicates how the network should operate). Building on both innovation themes and ANT concepts, Carroll (2014b) identifies the overlap between the diffusion of innovation and ANT (Table II). ...
... The final phase illustrates how this work contributes on both a theoretical and practical level to service science by examining the socio-technical nature of a public service network and the impact of IT-enabled innovation on the service structure. This also led to the emergence of the term "servicracy" within the findings (Carroll, 2014b). Servicracy is a term the author coined from this study of bureaucratic powers and socio-technical dynamics of public service innovation. ...
... This raises important questions regarding the nature of "modern" public services. We must advance the theory of bureaucracy and introduce new developments of "servicracy" (service bureaucracy), moving the conversation away from an "office" context and towards a service technological context (Carroll, 2014b). Through the influence of IT-enabled service processes, there is a greater sense of "openness" as it removes the need for localisation of service logic. ...
Purpose
Services comprise of socio-technical (human and technological) factors which exchange various resources and competencies. Service networks are used to transfer resources and competencies, yet they remain an underexplored and “invisible” infrastructure. Considering the growth in technological investment in recent years, this research sets out to model the impact of IT-enabled innovation on a service network. In response to the growing importance placed on understanding these complexities, the field of “service science” has emerged to guide the effective design, implementation, and management of service systems. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of introducing an IT-enabled innovation in a public service network.
Design/methodology/approach
This is achieved through a case study of an Exam Administration Service Department (EASD) where an electronic grading system was introduced to improve the EASD grading process. Data are analysed using both actor-network theory (ANT) as a theoretical lens and social network analysis (SNA) for empirical purposes to visualise the impact of IT-enabled innovation on a service environment.
Findings
The research described in this paper makes a useful contribution to the service science and IT innovation community both in terms of its topic (public service networks) and in terms of its theoretical framework and application methods (ANT and SNA).
Originality/value
This paper demonstrates how we can investigate the impact of IT-enabled innovation within a service network. Most notably, the application of SNA enables us to visualise the impact of technology and gain insights on the socio-technical dynamics associated with introducing service innovations.
Link: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/JEIM-07-2014-0072?af=R
... As this happens, the actors are simultaneously intermeshed and interdependent, which can be understood as performativity, or as performative effects (Hayles, 1999). I use these concepts to shed light on how actors assemble, associate, and produce forces and other effects in a way that either maintains or dissolves the networks (Carroll, 2014;Fenwick & Edwards, 2012;Law & Hassard, 1999). These concepts help me investigate how effects from interactions between visualizations and students may result in possible reading that include a visual interface of a VA. ...
... It is both. Indeed, in this case study, the actor-network continued to evolve and stabilisation and success/failure were partial, as they probably often are [11]. Coming back to ANT, which combines methodology and theory and argues that following actors' traces provides explanations, the interpretations in the quotes above provide partial and contradictory explanations, which can be seen as typical of the construction of actor networks. ...
Abstract: Purpose – This paper seeks to offer a retrospective look at an intellectual journey in and out of using actor-network theory, which the author drew on to carry out an in-depth case study of the troubled implementation of a computerised reservation system in a major transport company. The application of some key ANT concepts, i.e. human and non-human actors, symmetry and translation, is reflected upon, highlighting their benefits and limitations.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper's aims are accomplished through a confessional account of how it was done, rather than a normative post hoc justification. Some empirical evidence is provided to illustrate the difficulties and problems encountered in travelling back and forth between theory, methodology and data.
Findings – In particular, ANT was very useful in focusing the paper on how to look at IS success and failure symmetrically and how social and technical distinctions are socially constructed, for instance in the conception and application of yield management software. Formulating a series of translations to encompass a large number of actors is shown to have provided some explanatory capacity. But a limitation is how to relate local and global actors, which is also a matter of power relations and politics.
Originality/value – The paper explains why, as a late and unplanned reaction to this, but also in contradiction with ANT principles, it ended up complementing ANT with Clegg's theory of power to bridge that gap. The paper concludes with a discussion of where the difficulties lie in using ANT and how it can be misused in IS research; the author argues that this is due to a lack of exposure to post-structuralism in IS research, compared with other management-related disciplines; and that recent efforts by scholars in the science and technology studies field to combine constructivist approaches such as ANT with critical social analysis should be considered.
The need for communication across the world leads the need for community interpreters to increase especially in governmental institutions, such as courts, hospitals, and immigration offices. Considering the cruciality of such settings in terms of the lives of the language deficient people, community interpreting is of high importance, and the profession requires the application of ethical principles for quality interpreting accordingly. Therefore, this study aims to analyze how the community interpreters from different subfields perceive the ethical principles, the conditions within the field and the actors involved in this process. It is presumed that there is a lack of professionalization in the field of community interpreting. In this sense, the perceptions of 12 community interpreters were analyzed through semi-structured in-depth interviews by adopting a phenomenological approach to understand how they perceive the phenomenon of ethical principles and professionalization. The interview questions consist of 5 parts as General Qualifications and Experiences, Role, Ethical Principles, Actors, and Institutionalization and Professionalization. Within the framework of Actor-Network Theory by Callon and Latour, these questions were used to map the network of community interpreting in Turkey and to define the actors within with the aim of understanding how the interpreters see the profession and the effect of other human and non-human actors. Through the data obtained from these interviews, it is aimed to demonstrate whether it is possible to speak of norms in the field within the concept of professional norms by Chesterman. According to the findings, each sub-network has its own human and non-human actors that vary depending on their interests in the network. The lack of professionalization in Turkey leads the interpreters to adapt themselves to the expectations of the other actors causing their roles to change continuously and to turn into more active than necessary. As a result, the adoption of ethical principles also varies according to these expectations which shows that the actors through their expectations affect the perceptions, behaviors and roles of the community interpreters. It is concluded that the lack of an association in the field of community interpreting in Turkey causes the prevalence of other actors' expectations to exercise control over the behaviors of the community interpreters. This study is thought to contribute to the field in terms of understanding the perceptions of the community interpreters as the central actor, but the perceptions of the other actors need to be analyzed to understand and evaluate the network thoroughly as a whole.
Blockchain technology (BT) is a promising technology with compelling distributive and security capabilities for digitalising organisations and social systems. It is, however, often approached from a deterministic and technical perspective yet requires social, cultural and institutional changes as part of the process of adopting new technology in the context of the digital government sectors. This study uses actor-network theory (ANT) for its closely related hybrid middle, translation features, token passing through to network stability and interessement, as a lens to shape and understand the complexities surrounding the adoption and use of BT, particularly in the public sector organisations. Using the land registration system in Sudan as a case study, the findings show that ANT provides an adequate lens through which to examine the role of emergent distributive technologies such as BT in shaping social and organisational processes. ANT further contributes to a more holistic adoption of BT in public sector organisations. In the case study, the proposed blockchain guided by ANT simplified the complexity of land processes for registration, selling, buying and ownership, eventually replacing multiple processes with single transactions while at the same time embedding security and transparency.
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to contribute an actor-network-theory (ANT) perspective of how algorithms are used and whether this reflects positively on organisational practices and related perceptions of organisation performance, by both customers and employees. Furthermore, the organisation’s view of adopting algorithms to manage their performance is explored.
Design/methodology/approach
The current study is a study set in this virtual space, as it seeks to use data available online from different stakeholders of the case organisation. Online “virtual space” studies have become more common over the past few years. Primary and secondary data are shared online, for instance on relevant rating websites for customers (such as TrustPilot) and employees (such as Indeed), which serve as a reflection of the organisational performance and the communication of their values. This type of study has become more prevalent, either as a study undertaken online fully (Hine, 2007) or partially (for instance Baxter et al. , 2019), which provides a different perspective to traditionally carried out face-to-face interactions.
Findings
The current study has contributed insights from a global case organisation in the logistics sector originating in the Middle East (ME). The case organisation clearly indicates that its algorithm, in line with particular presentations and discussions on online platforms, is focussed on analysing limited factors, which are prediction of accurate delivery timeslot, preferred and precise location for delivery and speed of delivery overall. This reflects an inherent bias of the delivery industry, which the case organisation operates in, and may focus attention on delivering on those objectives, with a detrimental effect on the organisation’s broader organisational mindset. This refers to long-term values and sustainability-related objectives.
Originality/value
Findings will reflect on whether algorithms can be used to align a multi-national organisation to achieve its desired performance and related desirable results. This will be one of the main contributions of the current study, which engages with a multi-national organisation in the logistics sector that is based in the ME region.
The purpose of this study is to analyze China's TV industry policy from the perspective of actor-network theory, focusing particularly on smart TV policy. With the rapid development of smart technologies, smart TV has become an important trend in the Chinese industry. Using the theoretical framework of actor-network theory, this study examined the main factors leading to the rapid growth of China's smart TV industry. It also compared smart TV policy to Internet Protocol TV policy to consider the implications of the Chinese governing strategy for the future of telecommunications. The study's findings show that China has a firm grip over the smart TV industry through licensing and standardization. The traditional policy tools of licensing and technological standardization that have been used to boost and control China's domestic industry are also being used in the smart TV industry. These strategic tools are designed to protect the domestic smart TV industry. China's stance toward smart TV regulation also sheds light on the future development of telecommunications in China. By combining actor-network theory and institutionalization, this paper appreciates the complex realities of new media industry and the active role of technology in the Chinese context.
Strategies for Growth in SMEs explores for the first time the role of information and information systems (IS) concepts in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Most IS research focuses on large firms, yet the majority of firms in most economies are SMEs. The book considers the applicability of IS theory and practice to SMEs and develops new theories that are relevant to these firms. Composed of 6 sections, it covers, amongst other things; the nature of SMEs, the background to IS, and SMEs' use of IS, issues of IS strategy and planning in SMEs, the way that firms can transform through use of IS, evaluation, IS flexibility, business process re-engineering, resource-based strategy and knowledge management, the appropriateness of existing theories and the development of new models to address SME-specific issues. The final section of the book reviews the learning in the previous chapters and poses future agendas for research. Written by two of the leading figures in the field, this book will be essential reading for researchers in IS and SMEs, students on entrepreneurship or IS courses, and others that focus on SMEs. * A unique text relating IS theory to SMEs * Benefit from the authors' years of experience in the field * Familiarise yourself with this growth area for research and courses.
This paper outlines a new approach to the study of power, that of the sociology of translation. Starting from three principles, those of agnosticism, generalised symmetry and free association, the paper describes a scientigc and economic controversy about the causes for the decline in the population of scallops in St. Brieuc Bay and the attempts by three marine biologists to develop a conservation strategy for that population. Four "moments" of translation are discerned in the attempts by these researchers to impose themselves and their degnition of the situation on others: Z) problematization-the researchers sought to become indispensable to other actors in the drama by degning the nature and the problems of the latter and then suggesting that these would be resolved if the actors negotiated the "obligatory passage point" of the researchers' program of investigation; G) interessemen- A series of processes by which the researchers sought to lock the other actors into the roles that had been proposed for them in that program; 3) enrolment- A set of strategies in which the researchers sought to degne and interrelate the various roles they had allocated to others; 4) mobilization- A set of methods used by the researchers to ensure that supposed spokesmen for various relevant collectivities were properly able to represent those collectivities and not betrayed by the latter. In conclusion, it is noted that translation is a process, never a completed accomplishment, and it may (as in the empirical case considered) fail.
Objets fronti_re = s'adaptent pour prendre en compte plusieurs points de vue et maintenir une identité entre eux Cet espace de travail se construit grâce à des objets-frontières tels que des systèmes de classification, qui relient entre eux les concepts communs et les rôles sociaux divergents de chaque groupe professionnel. Les objet-frontière contribuent à la stabilité du système de référence en offrant un contexte partagé pour la communication et la coopération. Les objets peuvent être considérés comme frontière (Star et Griesemer, 1989) en tant qu’ils contribuent à la stabilité du système de référence en offrant un contexte partagé pour la communication et la coopération.
The Department for Education and Employment's (DfEE) Permanent Secretary asks what needs to be done to deliver better public services. What are the priorities for modernization and how can these be achieved? He explains that the civil service has often under-valued management, skimped on management development, left project managers inadequately trained and recognized, and failed to reward effective service delivery. Improving delivery therefore requires a major cultural shift. He discusses four key issues: creativity, leadership, delivery, and community ownership.
The record on the development and use of information-based technologies in UK public administration is reviewed and distinctive risks identified. Risk levels associated with computerization may be increasing rather than abating as a result of both the content of New Public Management initiatives, and also how they are being introduced and applied. This article considers ways forward from the point of view of improving how informatization can proceed, and also how markets can be used to provide information-based services for public administration.
This article views public management broadly as encompassing the organizational structures, managerial practices, and institutionalized values by which officials enact the will of sovereign authority, whether that authority is prince, parliament, or civil society. Public management, in other words, is regarded as synonymous with public administration. As for whether or not there is a distinctive public management, there is widespread professional acknowledgement that constitutions, collective goods production, and electoral institutions create distinctive managerial challenges that justify a separate field. Thus defined, the field of public management is surely of older vintage than American scholars have been wont to assert and is arguably even older than the popular starting point for administrative histories.