This special issue welcomes contributions on information systems as enablers of innovation in the public sector, at the municipal, state or federal level, in any nation, and even between countries. Information systems are the catalysts for IT-enabled innovations that are transforming the nature of public agencies, the manner in which they design, implement, and evaluate public policy, and the governance of public goods. The goal of this special issue is to advance the state-of-the-art by encouraging groundbreaking, thought-provoking, and novel papers that examine all facets of information systems-enabled innovation in the public sphere.
We are specifically interested in papers that push the frontiers on how the implementation of new information systems in the public sector enable strategic innovation. The management of information systems in the public sphere has its own peculiarities when compared to management of information systems in the private sector. As such, simply porting over theories and frameworks from the business domain is not adequate. This special issue seeks to attract papers that contextualize theoretical frameworks and even develop new theories as they pertain to information systems inspired innovation in the public sphere. We welcome papers on all aspects of innovation and at every level of analysis.
Given the current state of the IS literature, we are not interested in papers that examine automation of administrative processes (most commonly known as e-government). Instead of back office systems that streamline work processes –such as online e-services to improve citizen-to-government interactions– we are interested in papers that investigate how these systems are supplemented with second machine age technologies such as nano, Internet of Things (IoT), robots, big data, or Artificial Intelligence (AI) to transform core public services, inform public policy, or improve the management of public goods.
Around the world, new public sector initiatives include the adoption of IoT in Smart Cities, the use of cloud computing and data analytics for improved decision-making and policy development, the implementation of blockchain to license government assets and transmit records securely, or the incorporation of artificial intelligence applications for the delivery of e-services. In this context, the aim of this special issue is to compile theoretically-grounded and empirically-valid assessments of these initiatives. The dissemination of this research will act as an accelerator of additional innovations by stimulating further thinking and propagating best practices.
Papers of interest can be conceptual or empirical, but must advance our understanding of innovation dynamics in the public sphere. Submissions may address any the following topic areas but are not be limited to these:
- Emerging IS governance models
- Financing IS projects, systems, and organizations
- Adoption and assimilation of emerging technologies
- Predictive analytics and personalization of public services
- Mega-scale IS projects
- Public values in information systems innovation
- The role of Chief ‘X’ Officers in the Public Sector (CIOs, CTOs, and CSOs)
- Cybersecurity
- IS Outsourcing and public-private partnerships
- Digital platforms and ecosystems
- Social networking platforms and public opinion
- Digital civic activism
- The next frontiers of digital divides
Submission instructions
- Important submission dates:
- Initial CFP and solicitation of manuscripts: April, 2017 until early 2018
- EJIS submission system open for submissions: Feb 15, 2018 – March 18, 2018
- Screening decisions / send out to reviewers: TBD
- Decisions on revisions / rejections from 1st round: TBD
- Due date to submit 2nd round of revisions: TBD
- Decision on revisions / rejections from 2nd round: TBD
- Due date to submit 3rd round of revisions (only minor): TBD
- Final publishing decisions, hand-off to publisher for proofs processing: TBD
Editorial information
- Guest Editor: Raquel Benbunan-Fich, Baruch College, CUNY
- Guest Editor: Kevin C. Desouza, Arizona State University
- Guest Editor: Kim Normann Andersen, Copenhagen Business School
