Using the Lens of Max Weber's Theory of Bureaucracy to Examine E-Government Research

Authors:
Aby Jain
Affiliations:
-
Venue:
HICSS '04 Proceedings of the Proceedings of the 37th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS'04) - Track 5 - Volume 5
Year:
2004

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Abstract

Kurt Lewin famously proclaimed, "There is nothing so practical as good theory", signifying that a good theory lends itself to being applied in a variety of contexts. This paper uses the lens of Max Weber's theory of bureaucracy to examine contemporary E-Government related research and literature. Two major, prevailing themes emerge from this exercise. The first theme that emerges is that IT (information technology) is a tool for reforming' bureaucracy. The second, somewhat contradictory, theme is that E-Government failure may be explained as a consequence of bureaucracy. Each of these themes is discussed in detail. These themes are also explored via case studies.The paper concludes that current E-Government research does not offer adequate clarity on the issue of how E-Government and bureaucracy impact each other in reciprocal ways; and calls for future research into these issues.