Technology symbolization: political mechanism of local e-government adoption and implementation1
| DOI | 10.1177/0020852320915637 |
| Published date | 01 June 2022 |
| Date | 01 June 2022 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Article
Technology
symbolization: political
mechanism of local
e-government adoption
and implementation
1
Haibo Tan
Hunan University, China
Xuejiao Zhao
China Agricultural University, China
Nan Zhang
Tsinghua University, China
Abstract
Why did some local e-government projects start off with a bang but end with a whim-
per? Using the case study of an online administrative approval system in Jiangmen,
China, this study explores the political mechanism behind the adoption and implemen-
tation of local e-government projects. We propose a framework for analyzing the
adoption and implementation of e-government projects that encompasses three
aspects: environment (political institutions); process (perceptions of information tech-
nology, power relations, and strategic interaction); and performance. The political
environment shapes people’s perceptions of information technology and provides moti-
vations and constraints for relevant stakeholders. Stakeholders choose different
strategies and actions based on their positions in the power structure, which finally
influences the performance of the project. In this study, due to local government
leaders’ motivation to seek political achievement and subordinate agencies’ strategic
responses in the Chinese political system, the online system finally turned into a sym-
bolic tool that did very little to improve government performance.
Corresponding author:
Xuejiao Zhao, 17 East Qinghua Rd, China Agricultural University, Minzhu Building, Room 243, Beijing 100083,
China.
Email: zhaoxj@cau.edu.cn
International Review of Administrative
Sciences
!The Author(s) 2020
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DOI: 10.1177/0020852320915637
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2022, Vol. 88(2) 511–532
International
Review of
Administrative
Sciences
Points for practitioners
•A framework is proposed for analyzing the adoption and implementation of e-gov-
ernment projects that encompasses three aspects: environment (political institutions);
process (perceptions of information technology, power relations, and strategic inter-
action); and performance.
•A concept—technology symbolization—is emphasized by exploring the ways in which
e-government can be used as a promotion tool for local officials.
•With the advent of the new generations of information technology, e-government
practitioners cannot ignore the political environment and the impact of political insti-
tutions on information technology implementation.
Keywords
e-government, performance, political institutions, power relations, technology symbolization
Introduction
According to the United Nations, e-government refers to “the use of information
and communications technology to more effectively and efficiently deliver govern-
ment services to citizens and businesses.”
2
The potential benefits of e-government
include improved accountability, transparency, and participation, as well as
increased trust in the government (Pardo and Tayi, 2007; Shim and Eom, 2008;
Tolbert and Mossberger, 2006; Zhao and Xu, 2015). Internally, e-government
monitors public employees’ behavior and reduces the arbitrary exercise of discre-
tion (Park and Kim, 2019). Externally, e-government increases government trans-
parency and fosters relationships with the public (Moon, 2002; Shim and Eom,
2008; Zhao and Xu, 2015). Governments transform their image from being
bureaucratic and inflexible to being customer-oriented and effective through e-gov-
ernment systems (Im et al., 2013; Pina et al., 2010; Tan et al., 2016; West, 2004).
Despite the potential benefits of e-government, there are many obstacles
in realizing the promises of e-government (Gil-Garc
ıa and Pardo, 2005).
Some local e-government projects “start off with a bang but end with a whimper,”
and place governments in a dilemma of “high input, low output” (Tan et al., 2016).
According to Hansen and Nørup (2017: 851), considering the:
huge investments and high percentage of failure in ICT [information and communi-
cation technology] innovation projects in public service organizations in recent
decades, there is a need for research that explores the antecedents of how the imple-
mentation of ICT innovations can contribute to higher public sector performance.
The successes and failures of e-government projects is an under-researched topic
(Wirtz and Daiser, 2018). Many scholars have argued that technological,
512 International Review of Administrative Sciences 88(2)
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