Understanding web 2.0’s influences on public e-services: a protection Motivation perspective

Abstract

Web 2.0 offers both technology and an environment that facilitates transparency and communication for users and stakeholders. With this opportunity, public sector e-services are given tools to engage their own employees in an atmosphere that not only fosters new ideas, but provides a framework for managing prototypes and pilot projects that encourage experimentation. In addition, this environment encourages collaboration and breaking down walls of information asymmetries between various stakeholders. Public sector e-services has a legacy of a risk adverse environment where many times the focus is on the politically charged short-term delivery of goals and results, lacking a long-term strategy of managing the risk and renewal cycle around service innovation. The promises and potential that Web 2.0 technologies may provide still have to deal with fragile systems that are currently in place in public sector e-services. Government regulators, consumer advocacy groups, and e-services need to understand how Internet innovation affects the end user/consumer directly. The central premise being that these groups are modeling consumer trends and may be making decisions on false or fabricated information, even suggesting this could lead to inhibiting overall Internet innovation.