What is the value of digitalization? Strategic narratives in local government

Abstract

The intensified use of digital technologies in the public sector, which is commonly referred to as “digitalization,” is associated with the pursuit of a range of values. Values reflect notions of desirability, and they are expressed in strategic government documents. In this paper, we argue that the study of narratives in policies is important since they constitute starting points for the operationalization of strategic intent. The purpose of this paper is to gain an understanding of the narratives of the digitalization strategies that have been articulated by Swedish local government. We applied a theoretical framework that consists of four value ideals (professionalism, efficiency, service, and engagement), and we combined it with directed content analysis to analyze the strategies in question. Most of the statements in the strategies anticipate beneficial outcomes of digitalization and articulate few risks. The most common value proposal refers to the congruence between values of improved service and increased efficiency, while engagement values are less common. Moreover, the strategies draw on a repository of general and identical optimistic statements, which we refer to as the “parrot syndrome.” In addition, the methods that are used to evaluate values lack specificity. These findings contribute to the literature on the discursive landscape of digitalization by a comprehensive analysis of the value positions that are articulated in local government strategies. The paper concludes with three proposals for further research, namely to perform similar studies in other contexts, to study the enactment of e-Government strategies, and to investigate the aforementioned “parrot syndrome.”

Best of the best: an investigation of policy enactment for key drivers of digitalization

“…The results show that not only have the benefits associated with digitalization been enacted but also challenges such as demographic changes and decreased tax revenue have been observed. This goal of using technology to "change the status quo" has been included in automation policies (Heidlund and Sundberg, 2021) and health-care contexts (Östlund, 2017). The alignment between the focus of the practitioners' current work and their ranking of the key drivers provides further evidence of enacted priorities in digitalization efforts.…”

“…On a practical level, the utilization of digitalization and digital technologies has long been recognized as crucial in the realm of health and social care for enhancing services and improving overall efficiency. Efficiency is regarded as a potential facilitator, beneficial for addressing the future challenges associated with demographic changes (Heidlund and Sundberg, 2021;Frennert, 2018;Frennert and Östlund, 2018). However, not all digital technologies are expected to yield benefits for health and welfare, as some may find their fundamental principles compromised during the implementation process (Frennert, 2018).…”

“…Recognition of the demographic challenge is evident in multiple policies (e.g. #1, #2, #3) as a driver of the digitalization of health and social care and has been explored in previous literature (Frennert and Östlund, 2018;Heidlund and Sundberg, 2021). Exporting welfare solutions: One key driver is the export of welfare solutions.…”

“…Digitalization is widely regarded as a transformative phenomenon, affecting businesses and wider society (Brennen and Kreiss, 2016). The welfare and health-care sectors, grappling with the challenges posed by an aging population and a diminishing workforce, have increasingly turned to digitalization in response (Heidlund and Sundberg, 2021;Frennert, 2018;Frennert and Östlund, 2018). In this context, the welfare sector has experienced the influence of new public management ideals, prioritizing market-led values (Hasselblad and Sundberg, 2020).…”

The Government's Policy in Encouraging the Global Competitiveness of Indonesian MSMEs through the Digital Ecosystem

“…A key area that Indonesia needs to focus on to sustain the growth of the digital economy is improving the country's digital infrastructure in both software and hardware. Digital services need to becoming "infrastructural", by means of cheaper, smaller, more powerful, networked technology [17]. These include more effective regulation and enforcement to combat illegal and fraudulent websites that provide financial services online, increased public awareness of the downsides of going online, and digital literacy, especially outside of Java, including the promotion of the latter through free or discounted online digital literacy courses and workshops.…”