Fathul Wahid disputerer på digitale brobyggere

Doktorgradsarbeidet er utført ved UiAs Institutt for informasjonssystemer. Fathul Wahid tok mastergradseksamen ved Institutt for informasjonssystemer på begynnelsen av 2000-tallet. Siden har han samarbeidet faglig med UiA i sitt arbeid ved Universitas Islam Indonesia, til han vendte tilbake til UiA i 2010 for å arbeide med sin doktorgrad. Han disputerer på doktorgradsprogrammet ved Fakultet for økonomi og samfunnsvitenskap med spesialisering i informasjonssystemer.

I avhandlingen går Fathul Wahid nærmere inn på hvordan eGovernment ble tatt i bruk ved innkjøp i byen Yogyakarta i Indonesia – og analyserer hvordan ordføreren fungerte som en institusjonell ildsjel for bruken av det digitale innkjøpssystemet. Det gjorde han blant annet ved å tolke nasjonale regelverk, gjøre organisatoriske endringer for å tilrettelegge for eGovernment – og ved å presse på for å endre både intern kommunal og ekstern brukerkultur.

Først når eGovernment-systemene fungerer og er en del av den daglige driften, mister ildsjelene sin betydning.

Summary of the dissertation:

Why are some eGovernment initiatives successfully institutionalized, become integral parts of day-to-day operations and have a great impact, while others fail?

Previous studies have highlighted the influential role of institutional entrepreneurs; however, only a few studies have gone on to examine why they are vital in implementing eGovernment initiatives and how they successfully go about doing it.

I attempt to fill this void by developing a coherent ‘institutional story’ from a case study of eProcurement system (as an eGovernment initiative) implementation in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta. The eProcurement system refers to the use of an integrated information system for conducting part or all of the purchasing process. The system is adopted by the Indonesian government mainly to curb highly institutionalized corrupt practices in public procurement.

Here is the ‘institutional story’ as retold in my thesis:

Institutional entrepreneurs, especially the dominant one (the mayor), lie at the heart of the story. They are the actors who navigate organizational changes and serve as a bridge between the external organizational environment, and the internal one.

First, they interpret environmental changes, such as pressures from the society and national regulations, that drive external pressures.

Then, they challenge the old institutional logic (i.e. collaboration logic that may breed corrupt practices), which does not mesh with their values.

Then, they introduce internal pressures and create new logics (i.e. transparency and accountability logics). This process is not straightforward; rather, it goes through several iterations during which they carry out various institutional works in order to steer the institutionalization process. They disrupt an old institution mainly by carrying out cultural institutional work; likewise, they create a new one by cultural, political and technical work and maintain it through political and technical work.

Ultimately, their role becomes less and less obvious. When they are almost redundant, the institutionalization process is complete, and the new practices become integral parts of day-to-day operations.

Kandidaten: Fathul Wahid, born 26 January 1974, Senior lecturer at the Department of Informatics, Universitas Islam Indonesia, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. My connection to UiA started in 2001, when I took my master in information systems. Since 2003, I have been conducting several joint-research with researchers from UiA with special attention to the Indonesia context. More than 10 publications (journal and conference papers) had been made from this collaboration. In 2010, I returned to UiA to pursue my PhD studies. My doctoral studies are funded by the Indonesian government and Universitas Islam Indonesia (my host university in Indonesia).

Prøveforelesning og disputas finner sted i Auditorium B2003, Campus Kristiansand, University of Agder.

Dekan Sigbjørn Sødal http://www.uia.no/kk/profil/sigbjors leder disputasen.

Tid for prøveforelesning: 27. september 2013 kl 09:15

Oppgitt emne for prøveforelesning: Frigis 13. september 2013

Tid for disputas 27. september 2013 kl 11:15

Tittel på avhandling: “The Role of Institutional Entrepreneurs in the Institutionalization of eGovernment Initiatives in Developing Countries»

Les avhandlingen i AURA - Agder University Research Archive, som er et digitalt arkiv for vitenskapelige artikler, avhandlinger og masteroppgaver fra ansatte og studenter ved Universitetet i Agder.

Førsteopponent: Professor Robert Davison, City University of Hong Kong

Annenopponent: Lektor PhD Helle Zinner Henriksen, Copenhagen Business School

Bedømmelseskomitéen har vært ledet av førsteamanuensis Øystein Sæbø, Institutt for informasjonssystemer, UiA

Veiledere i doktorgradsarbeidet var professor Maung Sein og førsteamanuensis Bjørn Furuholt, begge Institutt for informasjonssystemer, UiA