Digital Transformation in Local Governments. Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract or Introduction

The question arises as to whether digital transformation in local governments is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the following subchapter the issue and objectives of this bachelor thesis are presented.

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, all areas of life including the digital transformation in local governments changed. Currently, the demand arises for the use of modern information and communication technologies and efficient design of administrative processes to avoid personal contacts during work. Also, research on digital transformation and its sustainable effect has increased dramatically within last months. New forms of organization emerged in local governments and a lot of changes of processes occurred as a result. Thus, the aim of this bachelor thesis is to present how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced and permanently changed digital transformation in German local governments. The focus of the bachelor thesis is placed on measuring the differences, improvements and challenges of digitalization processes and the framework conditions for employees in local governments that exist after the outbreak of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

The development of digital transformation in local governments is measured by an online survey (281 participants) and compared with the theoretical results of this bachelor thesis. Finally, the main impacts, differences and the extent of digital transformation are defined to prove whether a formulated hypothesis is confirmed or refuted.