نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
نویسندگان
1 گروه مدیریت صنعتی، دانشکده اقتصاد، مدیریت و علوم اداری، دانشگاه سمنان، ایران
2 گروه مدیریت صنعتیT دانشکده اقتصاد، مدیریت و علوم اداری، دانشگاه سمنان، ایران
3 گروه مدیریت دولتی، دانشکده اقتصاد، مدیریت و علوم اداری، دانشگاه سمنان، ایران
چکیده
کلیدواژهها
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسندگان [English]
Purpose: Digital transformation in the public sector has predominantly been pursued through a focus on the development of technological infrastructures. Although this approach has led to the expansion of electronic services, in many cases it has failed to result in sustainable process improvement and enhanced service quality due to the neglect of social and knowledge-based dimensions. Evidence from Iranian public organizations, particularly large service-oriented institutions, indicates that the lack of meaningful stakeholder participation and the absence of systematic mechanisms for the accumulation and utilization of experiential knowledge have created a disconnect between technological development and public value creation. Accordingly, the primary objective of this study is to develop a model for improving electronic service processes with an emphasis on the interactive roles of social participation and knowledge accumulation. The study seeks to answer the question of through which pathways and by what mechanisms social participation and knowledge accumulation can contribute to enhancing the efficiency and quality of electronic service processes.
Methodology: This study is applied in nature and adopts an exploratory mixed-methods (qualitative–quantitative) approach. In the qualitative phase, using snowball sampling, 11 experts from the Social Security Organization with at least five years of professional experience related to the design, implementation, or evaluation of electronic services were selected. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews structured around three dimensions: process improvement, social participation, and knowledge accumulation. The data were analyzed using inductive content analysis with the support of MAXQDA software. This process resulted in the extraction of 165 open codes, 16 subcategories, and 8 main categories organized within the three core dimensions of the study. In the quantitative phase, the fuzzy DEMATEL technique was employed to analyze causal relationships and the degree of influence and dependence among the extracted criteria. A fuzzy pairwise comparison questionnaire was developed for the 16 final criteria and completed by the experts. After converting the data into triangular fuzzy numbers, normalizing the matrices, and calculating the total relation matrix, the values of D, R, D+R, and D−R were obtained, and a cause–effect diagram was constructed. To ensure research reliability, inter-coder reliability and test–retest reliability techniques were applied. Research validity was established through five forms of validity: descriptive validity, interpretive validity, theoretical validity, validity derived from controlling researcher bias, and validity related to participants’ reactions to the researcher’s presence.
Findings: The qualitative findings indicate that improvement in electronic service processes results from a combination of strategic and developmental actions. In the process improvement dimension, targeted financial resource allocation and upgrading information technology infrastructure were identified as fundamental driving components. In the social participation dimension, categories such as culture-building, facilitating participation, motivating participation, and attracting stakeholder participation were identified, reflecting the multidimensional and non-linear nature of participation. In the knowledge accumulation dimension, two levels—knowledge storage and knowledge processing and utilization—were identified, indicating that knowledge becomes value-creating only when it moves beyond documentation to analysis and operational decision-making.
The results of the fuzzy DEMATEL analysis showed that upgrading information technology infrastructure and allocating financial resources for process improvement exhibit the highest levels of influence and interaction and are recognized as core causal factors in the model. In contrast, most components related to social participation and knowledge accumulation were positioned as mediating and influence-receiving factors. The findings indicate that the relationship among technology, participation, and knowledge is cyclical and dependent on the level of organizational process maturity; at lower levels of maturity, participation and knowledge lack direct effectiveness in improving processes in the absence of technical and institutional prerequisites.
Conclusion: The study demonstrates that improving electronic service processes is neither the result of technology deployment alone nor the outcome of independent interventions based on social participation or knowledge accumulation. Rather, it is the consequence of a stage-based logic grounded in process maturity. Social participation and knowledge accumulation become drivers of innovation and continuous improvement only when technological infrastructures, financial resources, and process standards are firmly established. Otherwise, premature adoption of participatory or knowledge-oriented approaches may lead to increased complexity, resource waste, and reduced efficiency. The final model provides a stage-oriented framework for digital transformation policymaking in public institutions, enabling a gradual transition from technological improvement to knowledge-based and participatory improvement. While aligning with the electronic government maturity literature, the model redefines the relationship among technology, participation, and knowledge within a local context and demonstrates that process maturity plays a key moderating role in the effectiveness of social and knowledge-based mechanisms. Accordingly, the findings of this study can inform managers and policymakers in designing realistic and effective programs for improving electronic services in public organizations.
کلیدواژهها [English]
)
ارسال نظر در مورد این مقاله