Developing information infrastructure for e-government: A relational approach H. Hashim, J. Foster, and A. Lin University of Sheffield
Overview Research background Research strategy Findings Conclusion
Research background Umrah as a religious ritual and economic resource From self-service system to organised system; from manual to electronic http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/saudi_arab.png/640px-saudi_arabia_map.png
E-Umrah system: past and current
Ministry of Interior Ministry of Hajj Ministry of Foreign Affairs Saudi Embassies/Consulates Umrah Companies SAMBA Bank Electronic Umrah System Service Providers International Agencies Saudi Authority for Aviation Ministry of Transportation Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities Universal electronic Umrah System Saudi Syndicate for Cars
Research questions Almost all Umrah companies agreed that electronic services are useful because it meets their needs to accomplish tasks. Umrah companies were satisfied with the service quality of the system e.g. real time, fast, and reliable What problems and issues are currently occurring in the system? Which are preventing its full implementation? How did they emerge?
E-government e-government has been defined as the use of information and communication technologies to improve the activities of public sector organizations and by doing so improve the services offered to the public (UN, 2008). E-government challenges are strategy, technology, policy, organisation, process, social, and cultural challenges. Technological challenges include, for example, architecture interoperability, incompatible data standards, inflexible legacy systems. Transforming governmental organisations and services involves implementers of IS in wrestling with the constraints of legacy systems, existing social arrangements, culture and ways of dosing things. That is, e-government does not grow de novo.
Research strategy: Infrastructure According to Star and Ruhleder s (1996) definition infrastructure is not a thing but a relation. It occurs when the tensions between global and local, or local and global are resolved. Common metaphors present infrastructure as a substrate: something upon which something else runs or operates, such as a system of railroad tracks upon which rail cars run [ ] we hold that infrastructure is a fundamentally relational concept. It becomes infrastructure in relation to organised practices [ ] Analytically, infrastructure appears only as a relational property, not as a thing stripped of its use (Star and Ruhleder, 1996: 112-113).
Dimensions Build on an installed base Embeddedness Transparency Learned as part of membership Links with conventions of practice Reach or scope Definitions Infrastructure does not grow de novo: it wrestles with the inertia of the installed base Infrastructure incorporates various entities, systems, networks, standards, processes, procedures, arrangements, and so on. All these elements in turn shape the infrastructure The tasks are to be designed without being reinvented or reassembled each time when implementing tasks Users familiarise themselves and develop a level of knowledge in the system; it is a learning process and procedure of a community of practice Infrastructure shapes and is shaped by the conventions of practice The accessibility and usability of infrastructure beyond a single site or event Become visible upon breakdown Infrastructure works as a taken for granted and becomes invisible Embodiment of standards The standards are set up to conduct processes, practices or procedures performed in the infrastructure.
E-Umrah system Installed base Embeddedness Transparency Learned as part of membership Reach or scope Links with conventions of practice visible upon breakdown Embodiment of standards Social practice
Research strategy: Relational approach Infrastructure consists of a working relational whole Each part of dimension of infrastructure inherits relations from that infrastructural whole; in other words each part is internally related to all other parts through their share common identity with infrastructure as a whole We view the infrastructure as a spatio-temporal whole with each part or dimension internalising those spatio-temporal relations and interacting in a relation of mutual interdependence with other parts or dimensions
E-Umrah system Installed base Installed base Embeddedness Transparency E-Umrah system Reach or scope Learned as part of membership Link with conventions of practice Spatio Installed base Temporal visible upon breakdown Social practices Embodiment of standards
Research strategy: data collection Semi-structured interviews with members of forty three Umrah companies (43/45) operating in the Saudi Arabia and members of the service providers Documentations: Hajj and Umrah services documentations, service providers activities and services offered, and documents of Umrah activities performed by Umraph companies.
Research strategy: data analysis Open coding: Eight dimensions Axial coding: minor categories and codes for each of the eight were developed. 34 minor categories and codes were developed Selective coding: data were selected that supported the concepts, ideas, viewpoints and critical/problematic issues raised in the subsequent analysis
Findings Installed Base (Spatial relations) switching between paper and electronic forms e.g. reporting escape, disappearances, non-departed, and death procedures (electronic document management system) Other Dimensions (Temporal relations) Reach and scope e.g. applications for reporting escapes, disappearances, non-departed, and death procedures (i.e. not linking across modes of transport, and incurring fines/penalties); visa extensions; extending system to Saudi Embassies worldwide. Embeddedness e.g. Transportation companies, airlines Transparency e.g. information on criteria for classifying hotels, integration with information available within ministeries, criteria for approving operational plan
Findings Installed Base (Spatial relations) switching between paper and electronic forms e.g. reporting escape, disappearances, non-departed, and death procedures (electronic document management system) Other Dimensions (Temporal relations) Links with conventions of practice e.g. fines/penalties; business contract/license delays so they can not accept the application, plus vetting procedures; integration with ministries would enable contact and communication with the parties involved Learned as part of membership e.g. workaround waiting for notifications from the Ministry of Interior (e.g. Passport Department); hotel guesstimates Standards e.g. unifying interfaces, system integration, hotel classification Visible on breakdown e.g. Samba bank
Conclusions A) Relational approach B) Inquiring into infrastructure (spatially, temporally) C) Current (system), past (development), future analysis D) Infrastructure is relational