E-governance and blockchain technology in local government

Abstract

Purpose: One of the doctrines of New Public Management is increased efficiency and consumer satisfaction in local government. Implementing new technologies like digital administration and blockchain could be very helpful in achieving this objective. The article focuses on the usability of e-government as a management tool and the possibility of implementing blockchain technology in local government accounting. This re-search attempts to answer the following research question: What are local government employees’ perceptions of e-governance and blockchain technology? Methodology/approach: A survey was used as a research tool to determine the role of digital administration and blockchain technology in local government units at the community level. A questionnaire was emailed to all municipalities in Poland: rural, urban and urban-rural. Findings: The results of the research show that, in the respondents’ opinion, the use of e-governance in local government is very helpful in management. However, the use of blockchain technology in local government accounting is debatable. Research limitation/implications: This paper will be useful to academics and practitioners to enable an understanding of the problems associated with introducing and using new technologies in local government. The limitation of the research is that blockchain technology is new and, unfortunately, there are very few examples of its implementation by local governments in Poland. Therefore, it is difficult to assess the positive and effective implementation of blockchain technology by local governments. The article shows the point of view of local government officials, which is also a limitation of our research. Originality/value: The article makes an important contribution to the research on the use of new technologies in local government units. The research has made it possible to assess e-government as a tool for managing local government units and to present officials’ attitudes to the possibility of using blockchain technology in local government accounting.