TY - JOUR

T1 - The transformation of work in digitized public sector organizations

AU - Plesner, Ursula

AU - Justesen, Lise

AU - Glerup, Cecilie

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited.

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine what the authors can learn from organization studies of digital technologies and changes in public organizations, and to develop a research agenda that allows us to produce systematic knowledge about how work practices in the public sector change with digitization. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on an analysis of the organizational studies literature on how digital technologies lead to changes in public sector organization. The literature comprises a wide range of different case studies, and they are analyzed with a specific focus on the insights they offer regarding bureaucracy, accountability and professionals. Findings: The paper identifies various examples of how digital technologies change important aspects of public sector organizations relating to bureaucracy, accountability and professionals. It is a main finding that no systematic account exists in the organization literature of changes due to digitization specific to the public sector. Practical implications: The knowledge produced by current and future research in this area is directly applicable for change management. To react productively on the digitization imperative, public managers need to deepen their knowledge of the organizational dimension of digitization. Originality/value: The paper proposes an agenda for future research, which has the potential to produce both systematic and useful knowledge of how digitization changes central aspects of public sector organizations.

AB - Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine what the authors can learn from organization studies of digital technologies and changes in public organizations, and to develop a research agenda that allows us to produce systematic knowledge about how work practices in the public sector change with digitization. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on an analysis of the organizational studies literature on how digital technologies lead to changes in public sector organization. The literature comprises a wide range of different case studies, and they are analyzed with a specific focus on the insights they offer regarding bureaucracy, accountability and professionals. Findings: The paper identifies various examples of how digital technologies change important aspects of public sector organizations relating to bureaucracy, accountability and professionals. It is a main finding that no systematic account exists in the organization literature of changes due to digitization specific to the public sector. Practical implications: The knowledge produced by current and future research in this area is directly applicable for change management. To react productively on the digitization imperative, public managers need to deepen their knowledge of the organizational dimension of digitization. Originality/value: The paper proposes an agenda for future research, which has the potential to produce both systematic and useful knowledge of how digitization changes central aspects of public sector organizations.

KW - Accountability

KW - Bureaucracy

KW - Digitization

KW - Professionals

KW - Public sector organizations

KW - STS

U2 - 10.1108/JOCM-06-2017-0257

DO - 10.1108/JOCM-06-2017-0257

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85050005047

VL - 31

SP - 1176

EP - 1190

JO - Journal of Organizational Change Management

JF - Journal of Organizational Change Management

SN - 0953-4814

IS - 5

ER -