Bettina Distel

Bio: Bettina Distel is an academic researcher from University of Münster. The author has contributed to research in topics: Public sector & Private sector. The author has an hindex of 5, co-authored 18 publications receiving 67 citations. Previous affiliations of Bettina Distel include European Research Center for Information Systems.

To Adopt or Not To Adopt: A Literature Review on Barriers to Citizens' Adoption of E-Government Services

Abstract: The use of technologies has changed daily life considerably. Nearly all life areas are affected by the widespread availability and ever growing use of the Internet. In the last few years, there has been an increasing interest in how to best implement the benefits of new technologies within public administrations – not only to reform the work of administrations, but also to provide their stakeholders with public services in a way that fits their demands. But compared to other electronic services like ecommerce public administrations are still confronted with low adoption rates, notably on the part of citizens. We conducted a literature review to identify possible barriers to citizens’ adoption of electronic government services and gathered data from 197 journals that published articles on the nonadoption or rejection of electronic government services. Although the results are quite heterogeneous, our findings reveal six superordinate categories of barriers: technological, socioeconomic, communication, cultural, individual and service-related barriers. Moreover, this review reveals considerable gaps in the research on electronic government rejection. Finally, we can show that there is no common ground on barriers to adoption. Thus, we provide an agenda that encourages further research concerning the interaction between citizens and public administrations via electronic channels.

Trust in the Information Systems Discipline

Abstract: The digitalization of today’s world has greatly advanced during the last few years and affects nearly all areas of life The research discipline Information Systems (IS) views digitalization from multiple perspectives On the one hand, IS is concerned with the development and functionality of technological artifacts On the other hand, researchers in this field also investigate questions of how users perceive and actually use technological innovations This last point brings about the question of how users deal with perceptions of risks that are inevitably connected to the use of technology (eg, data theft, abuse of personal data) Thereby, trust research found its way into IS research since trust is widely considered to be a key factor in dealing with risk perceptions Trust relations are commonly described as the relation between two parties: the trustor (who trusts) and the trustee (who is trusted) So far, technology has mainly been viewed as a medium through which trust can be transmitted or developed With the emergence of quasi humans (eg, recommendation agents), this ascription becomes more and more difficult and raises the question of whether or not a technology can be trusted This article gives an overview of perspectives on the relations between users’ perceptions of risk, trust through and in technologies, and trust towards technology providers We furthermore provide insights into the state of the art of trust research in the IS discipline

Who Are the Users of Digital Public Services

Abstract: Despite the importance of citizens as users of digital public services, e-government research has not explicitly considered different perspectives on citizens as users of said services. This paper sets out to explore the possible variations in which the citizen as a user of digital public services is conceptualized within the e-government literature. Through a qualitative and interpretive approach, we have analysed literature from different fields of e-government research to create an overview of how citizens as users of digital public services are conceptualized in e-government research. The structure of the review departs from, and is framed by, four established value paradigms for e-government management. Our approach reveals that – depending on the perspective taken – the conceptualization of the citizen varies considerably and, as a consequence, may impact the results and contributions of each research perspective. The conception of the citizen as a user of digital public services varies from being a passive recipient of government services, to being an active co-producer of services. This article contributes to e-government theory by unboxing the conceptions of citizens as users of digital public services that are existent in current research on digital public services. In providing a framework that relates these conceptions to previously known value paradigms, the article offers a starting point for taking a multidimensional perspective in e-government research that considers the citizen as a multifaceted and heterogeneous entity.

Walking a Mile in Their Shoes—A Citizen Journey to Explore Public Service Delivery from the Citizen Perspective

Abstract: Up to now, public administrations have taken a supply-oriented approach to the design of electronic services for citizens resulting in low usage rates In contrast, companies in the private sector have been relying on demand-oriented service design for many years They make use of so-called ‘customer journeys’ to better understand the perception of services by customers and to tailor the design of electronic services to that perception Although also governments and public administrations have been increasingly recognizing the benefits of customer journeys, there is still a lack of research on the application of customer journeys in the public sector Especially, there is no customer journey that is applicable to a wide range of public services and serves as a general blueprint for public services Therefore, in this paper, we present a generic citizen journey that depicts the delivery process for transactional public services from a citizen perspective The citizen journey depicts the points of interaction that citizens have with public services We evaluated the citizen journey in a focus group with public servants and a survey with citizens The evaluation reveals the citizen journey’s general usefulness Researchers benefit from our citizen journey through a better understanding of the service delivery process and the different steps that could impact citizen experience Practitioners can use the citizen journey in the design of citizen-centric services and during the actual service delivery to guide citizens through the delivery process

All Citizens Are the Same, Aren’t They? – Developing an E-government User Typology

Abstract: Taking a closer look at current research on e-government diffusion shows that most studies or conceptual works deal with citizens as one broad mass that is not further described or divided into smaller subgroups. Such efforts are mainly limited to the digital divide discourse and distinguish at most between haves and have-nots or younger and older parts of the population. Understanding why and how citizens use public online services also requires an understanding of how different segments of the population react to IT in general as well as to e-government in particular. To date, no meaningful attempts to develop such an e-government user typology have been undertaken. Therefore, the study at hand aims at developing a user typology for the e-government context. To this end, we chose an explorative design and conducted a qualitative interview study in Germany in 2016 with 18 respondents from all age groups. We qualitatively analyzed the sample regarding usage behavior, variety of use, and e-government specific uses and perceptions. Our research reveals six user types differing in quality and quantity of use with regard to internet-based technologies in general and e-government services in particular. Understanding how different populations perceive e-government and contextualizing their behavior can help explaining why some citizens are making advanced use of e-government while others widely ignore these services.

Information integration or process integration? How to achieve interoperability in administration

Abstract: IT managers in administration must decide how to contribute to cross-organisational integration and what strategy and means to choose for achieving interoperability. Comparing the frameworks and guidelines provided by central European and U.S. governmental units, we find information integration and process integration as prominent concepts to guide interoperability efforts, but they seem to point to different directions. This paper aims at contrasting the different characteristics of both approaches and concludes with recommendations according to the intended organisational scope of integration. To be successful in these efforts it is important to understand that (a) interoperability requires a guiding vision of integration, (b) each type of integration points to a different set of interrelated ideas, assumptions and technical means, and (c) integration implies a strategic commitment to explicit forms of cross-organisational cooperation and their implementation.

The role of organisational commitment in the analysis of resistance to change: Co-predictor and moderator effects

Abstract: Purpose – This study aims to contribute to a better understanding of resistance to change (RTC) by examining the role played by organisational commitment (OC) as a potential predictor and moderator in the analysis of RTC.Design/methodology/approach – First, alternative models of OC were developed, first as a co‐predictor of RTC, and then as a moderator of the relationship between key established antecedents of RTC and resistance itself. The main established antecedents of RTC examined included employees' perceptions of the benefits of change (PBC), their involvement in the change process (IIC), and their overall attitudes towards the change (ATC). The alternative OC models were tested using data from a sample of over 300 middle managers from an Italian public sector service provider company undergoing a radical process of change.Findings – Results showed that OC, along with PBC and IIC, had a significant negative direct and indirect effect on RTC. The indirect effect was mediated by employee attitudes to ...

Barriers to Digital Transformation in Manufacturing: Development of a Research Agenda

Abstract: Digital Transformation (DT) is expected to have a massive impact on different branches and even societies. In the manufacturing industry, value creation processes change as information and communic ...

Intensification of Upland Agriculture in Thailand: Development or Degradation?

Abstract: The large scale conversion of extensive swidden agriculture to intensive market oriented production of maize in upland areas of South East Asia is a cause of environmental concern. This study investigates how intensive maize cultivation affects soil quality in an upland area of Northern Thailand by comparing commonly used indicators of soil quality in soils from maize fields used at various intensities. Relations between these indicators and concentration of permanganate oxidizable carbon (Pox-C) – a low cost proxy for soil quality – are also examined. The extent, type and drivers of land use changes between 2002 and 2012 are investigated by classification of high resolution satellite images, interviews, participatory mapping and questionnaires. We document a widespread change from traditional swidden agriculture to intensive cultivation of maize that is mainly brought about by economcic and political drivers. We show that the concentration of Pox-C in the top soil of the maize fields is closely related to common indicators of soil quality and to farmers' perceptions of soil quality. Most of the other soil quality indicators are negatively – albeit not significantly – related to intensity of maize cultivation. There is a strong negative correlation between intensity of maize cultivation and concentration of Pox-C in the upper 5 cm of the soil where the Pox-C concentration declines with a rate of 40 mg year under maize−1. We conclude that Pox-C is a sensitive indicator of effects of land use intensity on the soil and a useful integrative measure of soil quality. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Explaining and Predicting the Impact of Branding Alliances and Web Site Quality on Initial Consumer Trust of E-Commerce Web Sites

Abstract: Trust is a crucial factor in e-commerce. However, consumers are less likely to trust unknown Web sites. This study explores how less-familiar e-commerce Web sites can use branding alliances and Web site quality to increase the likelihood of initial consumer trust. We use the associative network model of memory to explain brand knowledge and to show how the mere exposure effect can be leveraged to improve a Web site's brand image. We also extend information integration theory to explain how branding alliances are able to increase initial trust and transfer positive effects to Web sites. Testing of our model shows that the most important constructs for increasing initial trust in our experimental context are branding and Web site quality. Finally, we discuss future research ideas, limitations, implications, and ideas for practitioners.