Control in E-Government Projects - An Exploratory Study

Abstract

This study highlights a distinct lack of research on control in e-Government projects and provides a framework using control theory to address this. The paper draws on four exploratory case studies, highlighting a number of key issues regarding e-Government control. Unique features of the public sector are identified that strongly affect the environment in which e-Government teams operate. In particular this paper finds the customer may provide an idiosyncratic influence on public sector teams, there is significant potential for disharmony arising from controls used by commercial organizations in the public sector, and great potential exists for control theory to contribute to more innovative practices in e-Government ISD. The main contribution of this paper is an identification of the gaps in the current body of knowledge regarding e-Government project control research.