This document discusses key concepts in digital governance. It defines eGovernance and related terms that are often used interchangeably, such as eGovernment, digital governance, and digital transformation. The document notes there is little conceptualization or theorizing of these terms. It also observes that technology determinism often dominates eGovernance research. The document proposes steps for strengthening eGovernance research, such as more theoretical work distinguishing eGovernance from governance, clarifying the role of information systems, and increasing focus on unintended consequences. Finally, it provides preliminary definitions distinguishing digitization, digitalization, and digital transformation, and asks how these information systems concepts could be utilized in eGovernance research.

1. Central Concepts in
Digital Governance
Leif Skiftenes Flak
Professor & Director, Centre for Digital Transformation
University of Agder

2. Contents
• eGovernance
• Digital transformation

3. Work in progress with Tove S Engvall
eGovernance

4. eGovernance
• Extensively studied for decades
• How uniformly is the concept used across studies?

5. eGovernance
eGovernment
Smart governance
Digital governance
Good governance
eParticipation
eDemocracy
Digital government
Open government
Digital era governance
Joined-up government
Transformational government
eGovernance and related concepts

6. Framing of eGovernance studies
• ICT in governance / government services
• Outcomes of eGovernance
• Structural
• Normative

7. Superordinate concepts
• Governance
• «e»

8. Governance
Steering
Governance as process
Managing policies and procedures
Decision making and implementation
State´s ability to serve Relationships

9. Notion of e
Information and communication technologies
ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies),
especially the internet
ICT solutions
Utilization of internet and World Wide Web
Advanced forms of ict
New technologies
Electronic means
Internet-based technologies
Computer networks

10. Structural outcomes
Service delivery
Regulation
Policymaking
Governance mechanisms
Relationships, interaction & participation
Coordination
Decision making
Electronically conducted activities
Innovation

11. Normative outcomes
Efficiency Transparency
Accountability
Participation
Effectiveness
Democracy
Good governance
SMART governance

12. Preliminary reflections and observations
• eGovernance and related concepts are often used interchangably
• Varying reference to e.g. Political science and public administration
• Notion of e seems empirically oriented
• Little, if any conceptualization or theorizing
• Little, if any transfer of conceptual or theoretical knowledge from e.g IS
• Technology determinism seems to dominate
• Few, if any critical studies

13. Possible steps for eGovernance research
• More theorizing related to e to better distinguish eGovernance from
Governance
• Clarify the role of IS in eGovernance theory development
• Increase focus on un-intended consequnces of eGovernance to get
a more balanced understanding of outcomes

14. Work in progress with Frank Danielsen and Øystein Sæbø
Digital Transformation

15. Digital Transformation
• Current buzz in information systems research
• Old wine in new bottles or something new and different?

17. Preliminary observations and reflections
• Digitization and digitizing distinctly different from
digitalization and digital transformation in the literature
• Digitalization and digital transformation often conflated
• Very few studies on digital transformation in government
or public organizations

18. Possible nesting of
concepts

19. Possible definitions
Digitizing and digitization are processes of converting information from
the analog to digital
Digitalization is a sociotechnical process aiming to convert and modify
organizational processes towards a digital form
Digital transformation is technology enabled, significant changes in
organizational or societal structures, service logics and values

20. For discussion
• How can these concepts from the IS field be utilized in
eGovernance research?

21. Thank you