Conference Agenda

Problem Statement and Purpose

Since the new century, the Chinese government has continuously increased its investment in education area and strengthened reforms in the educational sector. As a result, China's education has achieved a series of globally recognized accomplishments, with the level of educational modernization constantly improving. However, imbalances and inefficiencies still persist in China's education system. To better promote educational reform, the future development of education must focus on analyzing from the perspective of public demand, observing public appeals on a national scale and over an extended period, to uncover the practical issues that urgently need to be addressed in the next phase of educational reform. Therefore, this article hopes to leverage the latest big data research methods to comprehensively obtain the educational demands of citizens from various provinces, in order to gain data across different time periods and regions.

Methodology

This article utilizes web crawling technology to collect public demand data from 2008 to May 2022, and selects educational demand data for automatic text analysis, sentiment analysis, and machine learning. Specifically, by using the Python software, over 2.1 million demand data from the national online petition platform - People.com were obtained in three waves. More than 250,000 educational demands were extracted from these using dictionary methods and supervised machine learning techniques. Subsequently, spatial analysis and text analysis were employed to examine the themes, targets, and sentiment tendencies of educational demands. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between the expression characteristics of public demands and the probability of government response.

Findings

There have been formed a positive cycle of public demands and government responses. Since 2017, significant reforms have been made to major educational issues such as teacher's salary and school enrollment for the floating population. At the same time, new educational issues have arisen in commercial institutions like education and training organizations.

There are fewer demands coming from rural areas, but the government is more inclined to respond to demands from urban areas, resulting in a double divide known as the "digital divide" and the "response divide."

Proposals

There should be a phased resolution of the urgent and difficult issues that concern the public. Long-standing educational challenges that have troubled the public should be addressed by concentrating efforts from all sides. At the same time, new issues emerging in the new phase should be given high priority.

Secondly, attention should be paid to educational equity between urban and rural areas. It is even more critical to avoid creating a "response divide" between urban and rural demands, and these demands from rural areas should be treated equally, if not with greater emphasis.

References

SU Z, MENG T.Selective Responsiveness: Online Public Demands and Government Responsiveness in Authoritarian China[J].Social Science Research,2016(4):52-67.

Li, Feng., Liu, Yang., & Meng, Tianguang. Discursive Strategy of Opinion Expression and Government Response in China: Text Analysis Based on Online Petitions. Telematics and Informatics, 2019, 42.

Grimmer J, Roberts M E, Stewart B M. Text as data: A new framework for machine learning and the social sciences[M]. Princeton University Press, 2022.

Problem Statement and Purpose

With the development of artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing and the internet of things, information technology has become a key factor affecting people’s lives and social development. Many countries have implemented “Big data development” strategies. Accelerating the construction of digital government has also become an inevitable requirement to adapt to the new round of scientific and technological revolution and the development of information technology. The construction of digital leadership in public sector is particularly important, which directly affects the effectiveness of digital government construction. However, most of the current research on digital leadership focuses on enterprise organizations, while the research aimed at the public sector is insufficient, especially the empirical research, which needs further exploration.

The paper is designed to construct the model of digital leadership suitable for Chinese localization of public sector. On this basis, the empirical measurement is carried out to analyze the overall level of digital leadership and the existing problems. Finally, it provides countermeasures and suggestions for improving the digital leadership level of leading cadres in public management.

Methodology

This paper adopted the empirical research. Firstly, the structure model of digital leadership is build, which includes six dimensions: digital strategic thinking ability, digital organizational change ability, digital communication and coordination ability, digital technology application ability, digital decision control ability and digital culture construction. Then, this paper conducted the questionnaire survey on leading cadres in public sector, and finally collected 723 valid samples. Lastly, through descriptive statistical analysis and correlation test, the development characteristics and existing problems of digital leadership are analyzed.

Findings

Through the empirical measurement, it is found that: (1) the digital policy perception and digital strategic thinking ability of leading cadres have lower scores compared with other dimensions, while the digital value cognition score is the highest; (2) the digital leadership level of leading cadres is positively correlated with age; (3) there is not obvious difference in the average level of digital leadership allover the country, but it is unbalanced, higher in the east and lower in the west; (4) the development of digital leadership faced with some problems, such as lack of professional big data technical personnel, etc.

Proposals

Based on data statistical analysis and questionnaire results, this paper puts forward four ways to improve the digital leadership: thinking cognition, digital skills, leadership style and organizational support. For example, we should provide digital skills train for leading cadres, and set channels for the selection, training, management and incentive of digital talents. This provides countermeasures and suggestions for public administration to enhance the digital leadership.

References

Gil-Garcia, J. R., Dawes, S. S., & Pardo, T. A. 2018. Digital government and public management research: finding the crossroads. Public Management Review, 20(5), 633-646.

Tigre, F. B., Curado, C., & Henriques, P. L. 2023. Digital leadership: A bibliometric analysis. Journal of leadership & organizational studies, 30(1), 40-70.

Cortellazzo L, Bruni E and Zampieri R. 2019. The Role of Leadership in a Digitalized World: A Review. Frontiers in Psychology. 10:1938.

Problem Statement and Purpose

How can cross-sectoral collaborative activities aimed at digital projects proceed during crisis? This paper explores how the public and private sectors can develop joint sensemaking to drive the performance of a big data digital tracking platform from failed to resilient in the least-ideal contexts, that is, collaboration with resource constraints,conflicting objectives, and lack of experience (Janssen & Klievink,2012; Melin &Wihlborg,2018; Zhu & Kindarto,2016; Anthopoulos et al.,2016)during COVID-19,and its implicatons for collaborative digital governance.

While scholars have acknowledged the digital technology revolution in crises as a form of disruptive innovation that alters the way emergency management is conducted, most research has concentrated on the technical functions embodied in digital technology and platforms (Fischer et al.,2023;Cheng et al.,2020; Ullah et al.,2021).Fewer studies have discussed how successful or failed digital platforms are generated and operated, particularly from the perspective of social processes.We hope to fill this gap by examining a resilient digital platform that aims to jointly respond to the crisis, support multiple organizational units to interact, provide adaptable and scalable technology tools and allow for trial-and-error experimentation (Duit,2016).

Methodology

This study takes a big data digital tracking platform in Beijing, China during the COVID-19 pandemic as a typical case to understand the process and pattern of forming shared perception among cross departmental entities in extreme events. We are particularly interested in the case of Beijing for its highly dense population, substantial political pressure, and inter-organizational dilemma.

We analyzed the operation process of this platform in three stages:1)the establishment and collapse of the Information Transmission System(ITS); 2)the rapid transformation from ITS to Comprehensive Big-Data Tracking Platform(CBTP);3)optimization (continuous iteration) and model diffusion of CBTP.A platform development and joint sensemaking model was developed with primary data gathered from semi-structured interviews with 21 key stakeholders, including government officials, project managers, enterprise programmers, and platform users, as well as secondary data collected from government agencies. We focus on the 1) crosssectoral cognitive interaction ;2) the process of changes in collective awareness, and 3) the impact of collective awareness on collaborative action and output.

Findings

Our findings emphasize the role of joint sensemaking construction in facilitating a resilient digital platform as an emergency response system. Productive joint sensemaking in cross-boundary under-defined projects appears to be critical and is supported by four main elements: 1) an interpretations framework in continuous iteration; 2) shared identity and buzzwords; 3) a co-productive network that incorporates increasing stakeholders; and 4) visual presentation of joint efforts.

Proposals

Our findings suggest that government agencies have become more adept and innovative in digital administration. Meanwhile, enterprises have played a more active role in public affairs than ever before, even if it does not align with their profit interests. Given the complexity of heterogeneous temporary organizations, the prospective sensemaking processes and dialogic thinking become even more important.

We also suggest that digital governance strategies in crisis need to draw on more sensemaking literature for better understanding, rather than focusing solely on technology adoption or digital project management.

References

Janssen, M., & Klievink, B. (2012). Can enterprise architectures reduce failure in development projects?. Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy, 6(1), 27-40.

Melin, U., & Wihlborg, E. (2018). Balanced and integrated e-government implementation exploring the crossroad of public policy-making and information systems project management processes. Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy, 12(2), 191-208.

Zhu, Y. Q., & Kindarto, A. (2016). A garbage can model of government IT project failures in developing countries: The effects of leadership, decision structure and team competence. Government Information Quarterly, 33(4), 629-637.

Anthopoulos, L., Reddick, C. G., Giannakidou, I., & Mavridis, N. (2016). Why e-government projects fail? An analysis of the Healthcare. gov website. Government information quarterly, 33(1), 161-173.

Shen, Y., Cheng, Y., & Yu, J. (2023). From recovery resilience to transformative resilience: How digital platforms reshape public service provision during and post COVID-19. Public Management Review, 25(4), 710-733.

Fischer, C., Siegel, J., Proeller, I., & Drathschmidt, N. (2023). Resilience through digitalisation: How individual and organisational resources affect public employees working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public Management Review, 25(4), 808-835.

Cheng Y, Yu J, Shen Y, et al. Coproducing responses to COVID‐19 with community‐based organizations: lessons from Zhejiang Province, China[J]. Public Administration Review, 2020, 80(5): 866-873.

Ullah, A., Pinglu, C., Ullah, S., Abbas, H. S. M., & Khan, S. (2021). The role of e-governance in combating COVID-19 and promoting sustainable development: a comparative study of China and Pakistan. Chinese Political Science Review, 6(1), 86-118.

Boin, A., & Renaud, C. (2013). Orchestrating joint sensemaking across government levels: Challenges and requirements for crisis leadership. Journal of Leadership Studies, 7(3), 41-46.

Stephens, K. K., Jahn, J. L., Fox, S., Charoensap-Kelly, P., M

Problem Statement and Purpose

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments worldwide were compelled to rapidly transition to teleworking, marking a significant departure from traditional office-centric models. This abrupt shift has spotlighted the criticality of digital infrastructure and the capacity of public institutions to adapt to emergent challenges. The problem this paper addresses is the inconsistent implementation of teleworking across government sectors within the SADC region, which has led to a spectrum of effectiveness in service delivery. The aim of the paper is to scrutinize the teleworking practices adopted by governments before, during, and after the pandemic, assess the permanence of digital applications in replacing physical meetings, and evaluate the success and challenges of these adaptations. Notably, while such studies have been extensively conducted in developed countries, there is a scarcity of research focusing on teleworking practices in developing countries, particularly within the SADC context.

Methodology

The study employs a mixed-methods approach, beginning with a literature review of academic publications on digital governance and teleworking. This is complemented by content analysis of media reports and official press releases that document the evolution of teleworking in the public sector. The research is further enriched by semi-structured interviews with government employees across five SADC countries, providing qualitative insights into the practical experiences of teleworking. The interviews explore themes such as teleworking conditions, individual and organizational practices, social interactions, job characteristics, and personal adaptations to teleworking.

Findings

The findings indicate that while teleworking has facilitated service continuity, there is a notable preference within some government sectors to maintain traditional face-to-face interactions. This hesitancy is particularly pronounced among older workers who exhibit a preference for established routines over new digital practices, highlighting a divide in the workforce’s adaptability to teleworking. Key challenges identified include inadequate digital infrastructure, cybersecurity concerns, and the need for effective remote work policies.

Proposals

The paper proposes a framework of policy recommendations aimed at bolstering teleworking capabilities. These include strategic investments in digital infrastructure, the establishment of robust cybersecurity protocols, the creation of supportive teleworking policies, and the provision of comprehensive training programs for government employees. The framework emphasizes the importance of regular policy evaluation and cross-regional collaboration to foster a cohesive approach to teleworking. The paper emphasizes the need for inclusive policies that consider the diverse preferences and capabilities of the workforce, including those with a predilection for traditional working methods

References

Brown, C., Smith, P., Arduengo, N., & Taylor, M. (2016). Trusting telework in the federal government. The qualitative report, 21(1), 87. Retrieved from: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/51087411.pdf

Ortiz-Lozano, J. M., Martínez-Morán, P. C., & de Nicolás, V. L. (2022). Teleworking in the public administration: An analysis based on Spanish civil servants’ perspectives during the pandemic. Sage Open, 12(1), 21582440221079843. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221079843

Vasic, M. (2020). Challenges of teleworking during the COVID-19 pandemic. Anali Ekonomskog fakulteta u Subotici, 56(44), 63-79. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5937/AnEkSub2044063V