Government 2.0? Technology, Trust and Collaboration in the Uae Public Sector

Policy and Internet Journal, 2010

35 Pages Posted: 14 Mar 2015

See all articles by Fadi Salem

Fadi Salem

University of Oxford - Blavatnik School of Government; Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government

Yasar Jarrar

Dubai School of Government

Date Written: April 1, 2010

Abstract

Increased use of the Internet and related technologies in government seems to hold out promise for a collaborative governance model, derived from cross-agency information and knowledge sharing, but many governments struggle to attain this goal. Over the past decade, many local and federal government entities in the United Arab Emirates witnessed a shift from the traditional, hierarchical 'silos mode' of governance into a 'competitive mode,' heavily influenced by 'New Public Management' approaches. Although competition has had a relatively positive impact on government efficiency, there is evidence that it has increased institutional and policy complexity, reduced levels of trust and decreased knowledge sharing in government, thereby reinforcing information silos and hindering collaboration and cross-government innovations. This article reports a national survey of UAE government employees in federal and local government institutions which found that 'technology,' 'leadership' and 'trust' are perceived as the top three interconnected enablers of collaboration in the UAE government. The article concludes that there is now a possibility to move towards a more collaborative mode in governance, using technological innovations to bring down the cost of social transactions in government, with three key prerequisites: fostering a comfortable level of 'political trust' between society and government, achieving a threshold of social acceptance of technology ('technological trust') within the public sector and reforming the 'social trust' dynamics in society.

Keywords: Web 2.0, Technology, Collaboration, Trust, Government, ICT

Suggested Citation

Salem, Fadi and Jarrar, Yasar, Government 2.0? Technology, Trust and Collaboration in the Uae Public Sector (April 1, 2010). Policy and Internet Journal, 2010, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2577611

Fadi Salem (Contact Author)

University of Oxford - Blavatnik School of Government ( email )

62 Woodstock Road
Oxford, Oxfordshire OX2 6JF
United Kingdom

HOME PAGE: http://www.bsg.ox.ac.uk/people/fadi-salem

Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government ( email )

Yasar Jarrar

Dubai School of Government

Dubai World Trade Center
13th Floor Convention Tower, P.O. Box 72229
Dubai
United Arab Emirates

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