Making e-government work: Adopting the network approach

• Published in: Government information quarterly 2014-04, Vol.31 (2), p.327-336
• Main Authors: Guha, Joydeep, Chakrabarti, Bhaskar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: e-Government failure; Electronic Government; Governance; Government and politics; Implementation; Incentives; India; Internet; Multiple actors; Network Analysis; Networks; Politics of network management; Process analysis; Public Services; Resource dependency; Success; Technology adoption
• ISSN: 0740-624X; 1872-9517
• DOI: 10.1016/j.giq.2013.11.008

Much of what was promised has not been delivered by e-government. This necessitates a better understanding of the critical factors necessary for making e-government work. While a number of factors are known to cause e-government failure, this knowledge has not translated into greater success in e-government implementation. This suggests that other, more deep-rooted issues may have remained unaddressed. The nature of modern governance implies that e-government should be looked upon as a network. Application of network concepts like the politics of partner selection, achievement of network goals, institutionalisation processes, network structuring and incentive design can make e-government projects more realistic. We analyse three projects in India based on these issues and argue how a network approach could lead to success of such initiatives. In addition, we show that adoption of a process focus can help in identifying the appropriate partners and facilitate other network processes. •We attempt to analyse why e-government projects are prone to design-reality gap.•We argue that it is caused by the presence of a network of diverse actors.•Network management theory can help us in understanding these gaps.•Three Indian e-government cases having varying degrees of success are examined.•Network management explains design-reality gap in all three cases.