Explaining value co-creation and co-destruction in e-government using boundary object theory

Abstract

This article contributes to the understanding of e-government collaboration, value co-creation and co-destruction when using information systems (IS) artifacts. This is achieved through case study research, based on collaborations between the Swedish Forest Agency and external communities that were intended to co-create value. The collaborations were supported by an IS environment, comprising two IS artifacts that has been in use for several years. The analysis was based on sociomaterial boundary object theory. The philosophical framework underpinning the investigation of the interplay between technological and social aspects of the IS-enabled co-creation processes, i.e. the collaborations, was critical realism. The purpose of this article is, therefore, to analyze the co-creation processes supported by the IS artifacts (viewed as boundary objects) and to consider the outcomes, in terms of value co-creation and co-destruction, of the collaborations.The results show that value is both co-created and co-destroyed in the collaborative processes. The main conclusions are: (i) it is difficult to define value co-creation and co-destruction when the boundaries between collaborating communities are complex; (ii) when boundaries are complex, collaboration requires complex IS artifacts; (iii) the risk of co-destruction outcomes increases with boundary complexity. Finally, the article demonstrates that sociomaterial boundary objects provide a suitable theoretical framework for investigations of value co-creation and co-destruction through IS artifacts in e-government.