Towards Sustainable Public Organizations

The aim of this paper is to understand how new Internet technologies can help public organizations to behave as responsive institutions for citizens distrusted and identify knowledge/information management,... [ view full abstract ]

The aim of this paper is to understand how new Internet technologies can help public organizations to behave as responsive institutions for citizens distrusted and identify knowledge/information management, transparency/accountability, participation as key concepts leading to open, accountable, democratic and sustainable public institutions. The study is based on archival and qualitative data by review and analysis of literature on the role of new technologies in public organizations.
Public institutions embracing internet technologies for seeking legitimacy and gaining reputation in front of the citizens can adopt and follow a knowledge or information management approach by enhancing transparency or promoting accountability and developing channels of communication through e-participation ranging from merely information to active contribution of citizens.
Public organizations are under increasing pressure to rethink their approach to concept of sustainability managing information and knowledge. Social sustainability as life-enhancing condition and process within communities may rely on the participation in every policy area and effective democratic citizenship implying the development of models of democratic engagement. Public organizations should serve the public interest as result of dialogue coherently with principles of democracy being successful in the long terms operating through a process of collaboration and shared leadership based on respect for people making a meaningful contribution to society. Public institutions dealing with producing public services positively judged by citizens have to move towards a better responsiveness and effective collaboration with citizens as partners.
Public institutions increasingly consider ICTs for public involvement as an emerging agenda in order to foster transparency, openness, and legitimacy. Technology seems to be putting the democracy first helping the development of democratic processes through obtaining information as requisite for engaging in deliberation, second phase desirable for participating in decision making Increasingly technological developments enhance and strengthen participation to develop leading to the policy process as result of dialogue, values as knowledge, interactive and collaborative process for consultation, dialogue and confrontation
Transparency does not automatically lead to accountability. Transparency and accountability can be conceived along a continuum in which the institutional answerability is the area of overlap whereas a clear transparency, that refers to information-access policies leading to reliable information on institutional performance is able to lead to a soft accountability Democratic institutions behave as transparent organizations maintaining the relationship of confidence with citizens to increase and restore sustain public trust by improving transparency and interactivity for citizens’ acceptance of public institutions.
E-democracy to enhance the degree and quality of public participation in government relates to e-participation as knowledge, interactive and collaborative process . Contribution of citizens in political decision-making processes rely on models of democratic engagement and require to embed participation in the organizational and cultural infrastructures of modern governance systems. Public institutions are hesitant towards communicating with citizens online being reluctant to respond to their proposals and interested in one-way information provision to citizens and not so much in citizens’ feedback about legislation or policies. New technologies foster the development of information and knowledge sharing by facilitating communication between citizens and politicians to be held accountable and responsive.