Use of Social Media in the Public E-Procurement

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a research project addressing governance issues in public e-procurement using social media technologies. A case study approach was adopted where Australian senior public service managers involved in public procurement were interviewed to assess the potential of using social media as a tool for enhancing efficiency, transparency, accountability, and responsiveness of the e-procurement system. In addition, a focused group discussion was held involving public officials and e-procurement experts for exploring in-depth insights into the topic. Despite acknowledging the potential benefits of using social media, most officials interviewed have expressed reservations including the security of data, the cost in managing opinions, the structure and mechanism of using social media, and the burden to handle multiple suppliers. These findings have implications for understanding the designs and potentials of using existing social media for enhancing good governance in public e-procurements.