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Significance of the study: The importance of knowledge
The rising importance of knowledge has been used to characterize post-industrialist
societies (Bell, 1973; Drucker, 1993; Habermas, 1971, 1979). Knowledge, it is argued, is a
principal economic resource. Unlike traditional factors of production (such as land or
equipment) to which knowledge is often compared, knowledge resides within individuals,
making it an intangible asset, and therefore difficult to acquire and share. In post-industrialist
societies in general and in government agencies in particular, knowledge acquisition and sharing
is one of the most important social processes.
Knowledge sharing processes are a central feature of the functioning of government, but,
with very few exceptions (cf. Blau, 1963), they have received surprisingly little attention in the
literature. The importance of knowledge sharing has become even more evident with the rise of
digital government (DG) initiatives, as these have a networking effect on bureaucracies. The fact
that individuals with differing skill sets and from different organizational units work on a
common task creates a network that coexists with the functional subdivision of tasks within the
organization. Common tasks by their nature require knowledge sharing in order to be fulfilled
successfully. With multiple agencies and multidisciplinary knowledge coming together, it is
necessary to combine and reconnect the required knowledge.
Knowledge sharing in the public sector confronts some specific challenges, such as
budget restrictions; data privacy and confidentiality, and related security issues, which, due to
mandatory regulations, are a top priority for government; as well as a traditionally rigid
hierarchical structure, which render the transition of bureaucracies toward networks difficult
(Agranoff & McGuire, 2001; Bardach, 1999; Fountain, 1999; Lazer, 2002).
The “digital government” phenomenon
Digital government refers to the potential to deliver public services online in a customer-
oriented fashion. Digital government initiatives comprise a wide range of IT-enabled
applications which require a new way of thinking about government processes in order to
achieve efficiency gains by taking advantage of the possibilities that new technologies offer.
Convention