Exploring Enterprise Information Systems Procurement in Public Service Organisations

A successful organisation continually initiates and implements radical innovations. The innovation must not only be new. A radical innovation has a significant impact on how the organisation undertakes its business process. Impacting is different from affecting. The former has a more substantial effect on the organisation. This is precisely why new enterprise information systems represent a radical innovation. To be successful, the organisation undertakes an innovation-decision process to align itself, as much as possible, with the ever-changing external realities. The innovation-decision process dictates selling an idea (the business case) that the new enterprise information systems possess economic value to upper management. This paper depicts a bird’s-eye view of how innovation, in this case, the new enterprise information systems, diffuses (episteme) via business case development (techne) in the innovation-decision process. As shown in Figure 1, the adoption and implementation of new enterprise information systems constitute a radical change (prerequisite F). New enterprise information systems represent radical innovation. An innovation-decision process starts with an initiation phase through which the individuals or decision-making units move from identifying and knowing the new enterprise information systems, to the forming of an attitude toward the different competing software packages, and subsequently to deciding whether to adopt or reject the implementation and use of the new idea. A business case is a formally written document that argues about the adoption to a certain course of action. It contains a point-by-point analysis to making a decision for a set of alternative courses of action to accomplish a specific goal. A business case process walks through the initiation phase of the innovation-decision process and talks about the project plans that concern the implementation phase, which follows the initiation phase. The business case document justifies, in detail, the innovation-decision process: what has transpired in the initiation phase and what will transpire in the implementation phase. It takes into account the innovation-decision process. In short, a business case process develops a detailed business case document of the innovation-decision process. Thus, a business case is both a means and an end.

The purpose of this article is to analyse how neoinstitutional theory can explain change in public services. In fulfilling this objective, the article faces two challenges. The first is to present neoinstitutional theory as a theory that explains how change takes place. The old institutionalism ascribes a predominantly deterministic role to institutional pressures and a merely passive attitude to organizations. It posits that organizations are rigidly trapped into blindly accepting institutional demands in order to secure the social support of their stakeholders. Managers are thus denied any discretion in managing the institutional context, specifically when confronted with coercive institutional pressures, usually in the form of regulations. Thus, the inertia of organizations and their inability or reluctance to change have traditionally been linked with this theory. The second challenge is to analyze change in public service organizations, which have some idiosyncratic characteristics since they operate in strong institutional contexts and weak technical environments. The classic measure of performance profit, which is traditionally missing in public organizations, meant that their managers had to deal more with pressures for legitimacy than for efficiency. The greater public visibility of the organization's internal activities means that public services face a wider range of stakeholders with a greater variety of interests than a typical company does. It is, therefore, more difficult to understand the complex process of change in public service organizations. This article seeks to provide a theoretical approach that aids in understanding how change occurs in public sector organizations by analyzing the roles played by stakeholders and institutional pressures in this process, paying special attention to the way public organizations act to obtain and demonstrate, simultaneously, both legitimacy and efficiency.

The study seeks to examine the influence of environmental-related factors among middle managers in Malaysian government organization. Specifically, this study seeks to determine the influence of subjective norms and social influence in public organizations on acceptance of change. Present study employed cross-sectional survey involving a sample of 400 Administrative and Diplomatic Officers (ADO) in Malaysian Public Service organizations. The findings highlighted that middle managers’ subjective norms in this study were significant in influencing acceptance of change but are not affected by their social pressure when changes are implemented. Practically, this investigation proffers essential effort in understanding the acceptance of change of middle managers in public service organizations. This study suggests ADO as change agents should be well informed and consulted to create social pressure among them to act in supportive ways of implementing planned change Theoretically, the results of this study append to the literature and to a certain extent provide better explanation of Theory of Reasoned Action and Social Cognitive Theory in the context of acceptance of change. The population of this study involved ADO as middle managers in Malaysian Public Service organizations thus the results cannot be generalized to other level of employees in public sector as well as private service organizations. A comparative study involving both public and private service organizations would be worth studying in future.

Purpose Drawing from the conservation of resource (COR) theory, this study investigated the direct and indirect effect of family-supportive organisation (FSO) on turnover intention in Indonesian public service organisations. In addition, the interactive effect of FSO and workplace incivility was also investigated. FSO is a form of organisational support that public organisations may provide to their employees, and it has desirable impacts on employee outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected from 334 public service employees who worked in various public service organisations (e.g. hospitals and schools) in eastern Indonesia. This study administered the perceived organisational support family scale, workplace incivility scale, turnover intention scale and job insecurity scale. The data were analysed using Hayes’ moderated-mediation regression analysis technique. Findings FSO offered extra support to public service employees by providing care, attention and services to public employees’ families. This support could reduce the emergence of job insecurity and turnover intention. However, workplace incivility could attenuate the benefits of FSO. As workplace incivility was high, FSO was unlikely to reduce job insecurity and turnover intention. Practical implications Indonesian public service organisations should develop employee assistance programmes (EAPs) to ensure that all employees benefit from the FSO services. Interventions to eliminate workplace incivility should be evaluated to guide effective organisational change. Originality/value This current study was one of a few studies that examined the role of FSO as a specific form of organisational support. It investigated how FSO could reduce job insecurity and turnover intention in public service organisations.

ABSTRACTThis article discusses what service management and the logic of service (SL) can offer to public service management. There are no real inbuilt differences between public and private service organizations and no reasons why public service organizations (PSOs) would be less efficient and less service-focussed and oriented towards service users than private service organizations. Good service management rather than privatization is required to make a PSO more efficient and effectively outward-oriented. Service-focussed value creation management and how service logic can be applied by PSOs to enable them to transform to outward-focussed service organizations are discussed. A change framework is presented.

Continuous changes in the external environment deriving from legislative, economic and technological factors, puts pressure not only to corporate organizations, but also to public service organizations. These changes have increased pressure on service delivery and calls for accountability in public service organizations. With this increased pressure comes the need for public service organizations to discover how to most effectively enhance their organizational performance. Two of the most effective ways to improve performance are through the organizational leadership and culture. Although many studies were conducted on transformational leadership and organizational culture, there is still a need to investigate the link between these constructs in public service organizations. Hence the objective of this study was to explore the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational culture for service delivery practices. The Leadership Practice Inventory (LPI) and Organizational Culture Inventory (OCI) were administered to a random sample size of N=238, from a population of 4350 employees working within the public service organization. Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation were conducted to analyse the data. The results of this study indicated a significant positive relationship between transformational leadership and the constructive dimension of organizational culture within a public service organization. In terms of contributions and practical implications, insight gained from the findings may be used in proposing leadership and organizational development interventions and future research.

The issue of service delivery is becoming a global concern that demands continuous reform to fit the turbulent environment and changing customer needs. Efficient and effective services delivery is now a prominent agenda of most countries including Ethiopia. The demand for effective and efficient delivery of services requires fundamental change involving both institutional and cultural changes. Hence, measuring the level of satisfaction provides an indication of how successful organizations are at providing services, and is taken as effective outcome measure. Several researches have been conducted on the subject matter; however, most of them were focusing on private sectors such as insurance, hotel, bank and the like. Few are studied on public service organizations. Moreover, so far no study has been conducted that critically analyzes the state of customer satisfaction on service delivery of public service organizations in Dire Dawa Administration. The purpose of this study is therefore to assess customer satisfaction on service delivery of public service organizations in Dire Dawa Administration. To this effect, four research questions were employed to guide the study. These were: 1) what are the levels of customer satisfaction of public service organizations in Dire Dawa Administration? 2) What are the extents of the service delivery process in public service organizations (in terms of Assurance, Reliability, Tangibility, Empathy, and Responsiveness)? 3) What are the relationships between service delivery dimensions and customer satisfaction? 4) What are the major problems that exist in the service delivery process of public service organizations in Dire Dawa Administration? In addition, two data gathering techniques: systematic random sampling and purposive sampling were used to obtain relevant data required for the study. In the primary data gathering technique, questionnaire that were designed and distributed to customers and employees were used. For further elaboration, key informant interviews were conducted with selected officials from the sample organizations. Secondary data from different sources were employed. The data gathered from both primary and secondary sources were analyzed and presented using descriptive and statistical methods such as means, frequencies, percentages, tables and charts. The results of the study indicated that the five service delivery dimensions and customer satisfaction were positively correlated; the general level of customer satisfaction and the service delivery dimensions were moderate. The major challenges in service delivery such as lack of skilled and experienced leadership, inability to lead and make decisions strategically, inconsistent follow up and monitoring, absence of regular consultation with customers and stakeholders, prevalence of corruption and rent seeking activities and behavior, lack of motivation and service mentality, ineffective automation, absence of timely revision of rules and regulations; lack of cooperation and integration among stakeholders, inefficient and inappropriate grievance handling systems, mismatch between demand and supply in water, health and electric services, and absence of conducting customer satisfaction surveys scientifically were thoroughly identified. Finally, based on the analysis and conclusions, possible recommendations were suggested for alleviating the major challenges of service delivery processes in the study area. Key Terms : Customer Satisfaction, Service Delivery, Public Service Organizations. DOI : 10.7176/PPAR/10-7-02 Publication date :July 31st 2020

Purpose: This study aims to analyze the effect of transformational leadership on performance in public service organizations, analyze the relationship between innovative work behavior and performance and analyze the exchange of team members on performance in public service organizations. Theoretical framework: The foundation for building a theoretical framework is Leader-member exchange is a specific approach that is used to develop leadership relationships between the leaders of an organization and its members with various kinds of actions that organizational leaders can take based on their exchanges and interactions such as providing high dedication and education to members with the aim of establishing relationships. public sector policy innovation emphasizes organizational capacity to create conceptual ideas and implement them in a policy action or simply public sector innovation involves the creation, development and application of practical ideas to achieve benefits to the public. Transformational Public Sector Leadership is a leadership model that has advantages in restoring, maintaining and building public trust in the government. So that transformational leadership is more suitable for public sector leadership models Methods: This research method is a quantitative survey, research data obtained by distributing questionnaires online to 765 employees of public service organizations. Data analysis used a structural equation model (SEM) with SmartPLS 3.0 software. The stages of data analysis are validity, reliability and significance tests. The sampling technique used is non-probability sampling. The questionnaire used in this study uses a Google form which will be distributed to respondents. This questionnaire measurement method uses a Likert scale of 5, namely Strongly Disagree (STS), (2) Disagree Answers (TS), (3) Neutral Answers (N), (4) Agree Answers (S), Strongly Agree (SS) The independent variables used in this study are as follows: transformational leadership, innovative work behavior, exchange of team members. The dependent variable used in this research is performance. Results and conclusions: The results of this study are that transformational leadership has a positive and significant effect on performance, innovative work behavior has a significant positive effect on performance, exchange of team members has a positive and significant effect on the performance of public service organizations. Finding implication: The results of this study have theoretical implications, namely strengthening the theory that transformational leadership, innovative work behavior, and team member exchange have a positive and significant contribution to public service organization performance. The practical implication of this research is to improve performance, the management of public service organizations encourages transformational leadership, innovative work behavior, and team member exchange. Uniqueness/value: The novelty of this research is the relationship model of transformational leadership, innovative work behavior, and team member exchange on public service organization performance which has never been analyzed by previous studies.

This study examines recruitment and selection processes in public service organizations: Rivers State Experience. The problems caused by poor recruitment and selection processes have occupied the front burner of public discourse in recent time. This is due to the fact that governance have been privatized, personalized, recruitment and selection processes in public service organizations is currently mired by irregularities and unfair approaches. Mixed method was utilized with survey research design in this study. The population of the study is 1,979 for both organizations that were selected for the study, Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) which is state public sector and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) which is Federal public sector. However, Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) has 654 population and Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) 1,325. Taro Yamane’s formula was used to determine the sample size from the population which gave us 399 (three hundred and ninety nine) respondents for both organizations. Questionnaires were correctly filled and returned for analysis using SPSS 12 version. Descriptive statistics were used to interpret data on the socio-demography characteristics of respondents, while tables, percentage were used to present the result for clarity and better understanding. Multi-stage sampling techniques (including systematic sampling and simple random sampling) were used in this study. Findings of this study revealed among others that: the public sector organizations are bedevilled by political and ethnic appointments. Also, those suitable and qualified candidates are denied positions in line with political or ethnic affiliation, thus affecting efficiency and productivity of the organizations. Based on the findings the study recommended among others that: job trafficking that is gradually becoming a norm in the recruitment and selection processes into the Nigerian public service should receive a serious and urgent sanction. There should be a body and a law empowering such body to investigate and prosecute every recruitment malpractice. Such body should be involved in every recruitment to enable them get information about the processes.

The term business case is used to describe both a process and a document. A business case exploits an initiative. Exploiting the initiative from awareness to implementation encompasses a process, referred to in the diffusion of innovation parlance, as the innovation-decision process. The development of a business case concerns this innovation-decision process. The individuals or the decision-making units pass through the innovation-decision process, gaining knowledge of a new idea, forming an attitude toward it, and deciding whether to adopt or reject it (Rogers, 2003, p 20). Gaining the knowledge triggers the awareness or enforces it. Then, it leads to setting the agenda. After the agenda-setting stage is the examination of the available options. Attributes of competing options are matched together, enabling attitude formation in favour or against a particular option. This results in the creation of a shortlist of two or three options. A decision is generally reached at this point. The decision is, therefore, part of the matching stage. However, this is not always true in an organisational setting. There is a third stage after the matching stage. It is the decision (aka, business case) stage. Organisations generally demand rigour in making the decision. A business case document embodies the rigour in the business case development. Consequently, the decision stage culminates with a completed business case document and the decision that results from it: to adopt or reject the innovation. The three stages, agenda setting, matching, and decision stages, compose the initiation phase. If the decision favours adoption, then the implementation phase proceeds. In the context of implementing the new enterprise information systems, the stages in the implementation phase consists of pre-production, production, post-production (that is, maintenance), and confirmation stages. In summary, the business case development is a means, and its end is a business case document.

The term business case is used to describe both a process and a document. A business case exploits an initiative. Exploiting the initiative from awareness to implementation encompasses a process, referred to in the diffusion of innovation parlance, as the innovation-decision process. The development of a business case concerns this innovation-decision process. The individuals or the decision-making units pass through the innovation-decision process, gaining knowledge of a new idea, forming an attitude toward it, and deciding whether to adopt or reject it (Rogers, 2003, p 20). Gaining the knowledge triggers the awareness or enforces it. Then, it leads to setting the agenda. After the agenda-setting stage is the examination of the available options. Attributes of competing options are matched together, enabling attitude formation in favour or against a particular option. This results in the creation of a shortlist of two or three options. A decision is generally reached at this point. The decision is, therefore, part of the matching stage. However, this is not always true in an organisational setting. There is a third stage after the matching stage. It is the decision (aka, business case) stage. Organisations generally demand rigour in making the decision. A business case document embodies the rigour in the business case development. Consequently, the decision stage culminates with a completed business case document and the decision that results from it: to adopt or reject the innovation. The three stages, agenda setting, matching, and decision stages, compose the initiation phase. If the decision favours adoption, then the implementation phase proceeds. In the context of implementing the new enterprise information systems, the stages in the implementation phase consists of pre-production, production, post-production (that is, maintenance), and confirmation stages. In summary, the business case development is a means, and its end is a business case document.

The need to integrate refugees into the labour markets across the European Union has put public service organisations at the forefront of support provision, but little is known about their role and challenges. This study investigates how these organisations in Austria, Finland, Germany and Sweden organise labour market integration support measures for refugees and the challenges they face in doing so. Using a relational framework, we draw on the understanding that labour market integration occurs at the interplay between the institutional, organisational and individual level. Thematic analysis based on 23 interviews with representatives from public service organisations and their partners revealed challenges across different levels related to specificities of refugees, mental health issues, training and motivation of staff and public‐private cooperation. We show the interrelations of these levels and implications on public service organisations. We propose a holistic approach for labour market integration support, with the organisations at the centre.

The Implementation, Application and Meeting the Challenges of Activity Based Cost Management (ABCM) Through Managing Change and Managing Project in the Local Government in South Africa

In the member states of the European Union, especially in Germany and Austria, regionalism has a growing importance by the organising of public services. At the field of public transport services the regional organising methods will be realised through the establishment of public transport associations in interest of coordinating the local, suburban and regional public transport interests. In the period since the 90’s there are a not a lot of best practices regarding the regional organisation of public transport services in Hungary. The study goals to present the position of the local and regional interest in the public transport organisation in Hungary, and deals with the reason the lack of best practices also.

As governments and public service organizations across the globe engage in strategies of institutional and organizational change, it is timely to examine current developments and a future research agenda for public governance and management. The paper commences with reflections on the state of the field, based on an analysis of papers published in theBritish Journal of Managementover the last decade. While there was some variation apparent across the set, the ‘typical’ article was found to be influenced by the discipline of organizational behaviour, set within the health‐care sector, using case‐study methods within field‐based studies, and investigating shifts in roles and relationships and the management of change. It has also in the past been UK‐centric, though the journal editorial policy and our own article call for a stronger international and comparative focus in the future. The second section of the article summarizes the articles and themes contained in this collection of papers on public service organizations. The third section explores a possible research agenda for the future, arguing for the significance of public sector research for the understanding of management more generally, and for examining the interface between private and public organizations (an increasingly common phenomenon). We suggest the need to set public services research in policy and political contexts, and suggest this may reveal organizational processes of wide interest. We call for a wider set of disciplines to engage in public management research, and to engage in moving the agenda from the study of efficiency to effectiveness as defined by a variety of stakeholders. We address the issue of how far public management researchers should become directly engaged with the world of policy and suggest that whether researchers engage in Mode 1 or Mode 2 research, their work would benefit from a stronger theoretical base.