The publication approaches an original topic for the area of administrative sciences concerning the role of public administration in the general context of knowledge society development.
Knowledge, as a core feature of the society of the 21st century generates changes in all the social subsystems, including that of public administration, developing new approaches, attitudes, specific tools and methods.
For public administration, they refer to the new information and communication technologies (ICT) and in general, to knowledge management in public administration, transposed through strategies for implementing field knowledge or to valorise knowledge within the career plans or training plans of the human resources in public administration.
The book „Public Administration in the Knowledge Society” represents a theme of reflection on profound, open and dynamic interactions between society and public administration, determined by the transformation of knowledge into a driver for social modernization. At the same time, the book provides a new vision on public administration, valorising the traditional approaches, focusing on the modern functional features, originating from the characteristics of openness and dynamism of public administration, as well as of society, in general.
For the public administration, the openness and dynamism, induced by the new technologies are related to a reality that imposes, as mentioned in some sociological papers „the combination of the human rights with the development of new technologies”.
The book, structured on six chapters are organised in a didactic and research perspective, provides to the reader an outstanding image on the „level” of knowledge society and specificity of knowledge management in public administration.
The analyses on the evolution of the administrative theory and practice, the presentation specific instruments of interaction between society and public administration, known as e-governance or ICT.
The validity of the research hypotheses is supported by various quantitative empirical analyses and relevant socio-empirical researches.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1 Knowledge society – reflecting the theoretical elements in the empirical research
1.1. Conceptual development of knowledge society
1.2. Analysis of the main initiatives, strategies, plans, programmes in United States of America, Japan and the European Union
1.2.1. United States of America
1.2.2. Japan
1.2.3. European Union
1.3.Pillars of knowledge society
1.3.1. Education
1.3.2. Research – development
1.3. 3. Innovation
1.4. Study on Romania’s rank concerning knowledge society development in the European Union
1.5. Strategies and programmes on knowledge society in Romania
1.6. Successful factors
Conclusions
Chapter 2 Knowledge management in public administration
2.1. Background
2.2. The relationship between knowledge management, information technology, human resources and organisational learning
2.2.1. Knowledge management and information technology
2.2.2. Knowledge management and human resources
2.2.3. Knowledge management and organisational learning
2.2.4. Knowledge management in holistic perspective
2.3. Knowledge management in public administration
2.4. Towards a possible knowledge management model in public administration
Conclusions
Chapter 3 From traditional administration to digital administration
Chapter 4 e-Governance
4.1. Conceptualization
4.2. Determining the functions of e-Governance
4.3. e-services
4.3.1. Principles of the European public services
4.3.2. e-service evaluation
4.3.2.1. Analysis on the status of the 20 public services in Romania
4.3.2.2. Empirical analysis of e-services in the EU Member States during 2007 – 2010, based on the e-Governance indicators of the European Commission
4.3.2.3. Empirical analysis of e-government services in the EU Member States during 2003 – 2010, based on the UN e-Government indicators
4.4. Trends
4.5. Analysis of citizens’ perception on e-Governance
Conclusions
Chapter 5 Information and communication technology – fundamental component of knowledge society
5.1. Context
5.2. Dynamics of ICT development at international level
5.3. Empirical comparative analysis of ICT development in the EU Member States
5.3.1. Analysis of ICT sector development
5.3.2. Analysis of the correlation between the evolution of ICT sector size, contribution of ICT sector to GDP and the economic growth
5.3.3.Comparative empirical analysis of share of ICT sector in national economy, networked readiness and competitiveness in the EU Member States
5.4. Analysis of ICT sector development in Romania
5.4.1 Analysis of ICT sector development in Romania during 2005 - 2011
5.4.2. Structural Funds
5.4.3. SWOT analysis of the ICT sector in Romania
5.4.4. STEEP analysis of ICT sector in Romania
5.4.5. Perspectives for ICT sector development in Romania
Chapter 6 Study concerning the analysis of the perception of public institutions in Romania on e-Governance, ICT and knowledge management
6.1. Conceptual model of the relationship between e-Governance, ICT and knowledge management
6.2. Survey concerning the evaluation of the perception of Municipality city halls towards e-Governance, ICT and knowledge management
6.3. Survey concerning the evaluation of the perception of Prefect institutions towards e-Governance, ICT and knowledge management
6.4. Analysis of convergence
6.5. Conclusions of the surveys
Final conclusions
References
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This work aims to examine the role and development of public administration within the context of the knowledge society, specifically focusing on the integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and knowledge management. The research explores how digital transformations influence public service provision, administrative efficiency, and the relationship between citizens and public institutions, particularly in Romania and the European Union.
- The impact of the knowledge society and the digital revolution on public administration.
- The development and implementation of knowledge management models within public organizations.
- The role of e-Governance and e-services in modernizing public administration and improving citizen satisfaction.
- Comparative analysis of ICT development and e-governance performance across EU member states.
- Strategic institutional recommendations for improving administrative performance and digitalization.
Excerpt from the Book
2.4. Towards a possible knowledge management model in public administration
A possible knowledge management model in public administration should comprise the following elements: knowledge infrastructure, activities, ensemble of knowledge, strategies and objectives (Figure 2.2.).
The knowledge infrastructure refers to the platform for performing the activities, comprising the organisational infrastructure, human resources infrastructure and IT infrastructure. The organisational infrastructure comprises the organisational structure, the organisational culture, recruitment, evaluation, training and human resource management. The human resource infrastructure represents the capacity to achieve activities in the field of knowledge. IT infrastructure refers to IT system supporting knowledge creation, sharing, transfer, and learning. An important feature of knowledge infrastructure should be the compatibility with the characteristics and capacity of the public organisation.
The ensemble of knowledge involves the totality of explicit and tacit knowledge, referring to the required knowledge and knowledge resulted from specific activities. The activities refer to knowledge generation, codification, storage, institutionalisation, dissemination, transfer and application. The objective is to improve qualitatively and quantitatively the explicit and tacit knowledge. Concerning the strategies, the focus is on quantifying the objectives, temporal extension, holistic vision, focus on final outcomes, adaptation to the economic, technologic, managerial, ecological changes. The objective of knowledge management is not to create knowledge per se, it focuses on improving the organisational performance and accomplishment of competitive outcomes, valorising the organisational and individual knowledge, accumulation of new knowledge for long term perspective.
Summary of Chapters
Chapter 1 Knowledge society – reflecting the theoretical elements in the empirical research: This chapter establishes the theoretical framework of the knowledge society, exploring its pillars and evaluating Romania's progress compared to other EU member states.
Chapter 2 Knowledge management in public administration: This chapter analyzes the components and processes of knowledge management, proposing a potential model for its application within public sector organizations.
Chapter 3 From traditional administration to digital administration: This chapter examines the evolution of public management models, tracing the transition from traditional bureaucratic structures to digital, citizen-centered governance.
Chapter 4 e-Governance: This chapter focuses on the role of e-Governance and e-services, providing empirical comparative analyses of service delivery across European states and assessing citizens' perceptions.
Chapter 5 Information and communication technology – fundamental component of knowledge society: This chapter presents a quantitative and qualitative overview of the ICT sector, analyzing its contribution to GDP and economic growth in the EU and Romania.
Chapter 6 Study concerning the analysis of the perception of public institutions in Romania on e-Governance, ICT and knowledge management: This chapter presents the results of surveys conducted among Romanian public institutions regarding their perception and implementation of e-governance and knowledge management.
Keywords
Public administration, knowledge society, knowledge management, e-Governance, ICT, digital revolution, public service, citizen-centered administration, European Union, Romania, innovation, human capital, institutional modernization, information infrastructure, economic growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this publication?
The book examines the integration of knowledge management and ICT within public administration, analyzing how these elements drive administrative modernization and social development in the context of the knowledge society.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The core themes include the concept of knowledge society, knowledge management models in the public sector, the evolution of public governance, e-Governance and digital services, and the role of ICT as a driver of economic competitiveness.
What is the central research question?
The research primarily explores how public administration can effectively integrate knowledge resources and digital technologies to modernize service delivery and enhance interactions with society, particularly in the Romanian context.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The authors use an interdisciplinary approach, utilizing quantitative and qualitative methods including SPSS analysis, questionnaires, SWOT analysis, STEEP analysis, statistical modeling, and comparative analysis of international and European indicators.
What does the main body of the work address?
The main body investigates the theoretical evolution of the knowledge society, the development of organizational knowledge management models, the transformation from traditional to digital public administration, and empirical studies regarding the implementation and perception of e-services in Romania.
Which keywords characterize the work?
The work is characterized by terms such as Public Administration, Knowledge Management, e-Governance, ICT, Digital Modernization, and Competitive Administrative Models.
How does the book analyze Romania's position in the knowledge society?
The book benchmarks Romania against other EU member states using World Bank Knowledge Assessment Methodologies and EU-wide indicators, consistently identifying gaps in ICT infrastructure, digital literacy, and service adoption.
What significance does the conceptual model in Chapter 6 hold?
The model operationalizes the relationship between e-Governance, ICT, and knowledge management, allowing researchers to evaluate how Municipality city halls and Prefect institutions in Romania perceive and utilize these drivers for institutional improvement.
- Citation du texte
- Ani Matei (Auteur), Carmen Savulescu (Auteur), 2014, Public administration in the knowledge society, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/273783
