Hacktivism’s Role in Public Sector Digital Transformation
Researchers from the Swedish Center for Digital Innovation (SCDI) have released a groundbreaking study titled ”Leave it to the parents: How hacktivism-as-tuning reconfigures public sector digital transformation” in the journal Government Information Quarterly. This study sheds new light on how grassroots digital activism can challenge and reshape public sector digital transformation.
Reimagining Digital Transformation in the Public Sector
The study explores an extraordinary case where parents in Stockholm took action against a perceived lack of usability in a public learning management system. Through citizen “hacktivism,” the parents developed an alternative app that leveraged the existing platform’s data. Their efforts were met with resistance from the city, which attempted to obstruct their work through technical barriers and legal action.
Key Contributions to Digital Transformation Research
The researchers conceptualize this case as a process of “tuning,” identifying three key areas of reconfiguration:
- Boundary Object Tuning: Redefining sites of transparency and engagement.
- Legal Tuning: Challenging traditional boundaries of responsibility and ownership.
- Digital Transformation Tuning: Reshaping control over public services.
The study introduces tuning as a lens to understand the non-linear, dialectical, and materially embedded processes of digital transformation in the public sector. Additionally, it provides valuable empirical insights into the phenomenon of citizen hacktivism and its broader implications.
Insights from the Authors
“This case highlights how digital transformation is not always a top-down process but often contested,” said Professor Magnusson, one of the researchers from SCDI. “Citizen-driven efforts can provoke significant reconfigurations in public services, challenging established norms and pushing for greater transparency and usability.”
Implications for Public Sector Innovation
The study underscores the importance of inclusive and adaptive approaches to digital transformation in public services. It advocates for public agencies to engage constructively with citizen-led initiatives rather than resisting them, thereby fostering a more collaborative and user-centered model of innovation.
Access the Study
The full study is available as open access here: DOI: 10.1016/j.giq.2024.101996.