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Digital transformation: From hierarchy to network-based collaboration? The case of the German “Online Access Act”.

  • To unlock the full potential of ICT-related public sector innovation and digital transformation, governments must embrace collaborative working structures and leadership, is commonly argued. However, little is known about the dynamics of such collaborations in contexts of hierarchy, silo cultures, and procedural accountability. A widely voiced but empirically insufficiently substantiated claim is that bringing cross-cutting digital endeavours forward requires more lateral, network-based approaches to governance beyond traditional Weberian ideals. We test this claim by shedding light on three distinct challenges (complexity, risk, and power imbalance) encountered when implementing the specific collaborative case of the German Online Access Act (OAA) and by examining how they have been addressed in institutional design and leadership. Our analysis, which combines desk research and semi-structured expert interviews, reveals that flexible, horizontal approaches are on the rise. Taking a closer look, however, vertical coordination continues to serve as complementary means to problem-solving capability.

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Metadaten
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Author(s):Maike Rackwitz, Thurid HustedtORCiD, Gerhard HammerschmidORCiD
Parent Title (English):dms – der moderne staat – Zeitschrift für Public Policy, Recht und Management
Publication year:2021
Publishing Institution:Hertie School
First Page:101
Last Page:120
DOI:https://doi.org/10.3224/dms.v14i1.05
Release Date:2021/07/28
Tag:Digitalisation, intergovernmental collaboration, Online Access Act, leadership, institutional design
Volume:14
Issue:1
Hertie School Research:Centre for Digital Governance
Licence of document (German):Metadaten / metadata
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