Apr. 25 Conclusions Building the Virtual State-- Related to selected articles

1. Apr. 25 Conclusions Building the Virtual State--Related to selected articles [Note: Fountain divides her concluding discussion among three issues: (1) contributions of her study to institutional theory, (2) practical implications for public management…, and 3) technology enactment as state-building. (p. 193) Our focus is mainly on the second. • Contributions of her study to institutional theory • [This discussion provides a good summary of book’s intent and of the enactment theory for review—one point made is worth particular discussion:] • The NPR encouraged government-wide systems; however, those in agencies responsible for such functions (chief information officers) were “efficiency-driven,” lacking the institutionally-strategic knowledge base to build network information systems. (p. 197)—need to develop, work “behind the network,” developing the back-channels • Implications for MPA students??? • Practical implications for public management • The new “rules of the game” for public managers working with IT in government • Getting beyond the “what’s in it for me/us” short term mentality • Not using IT to reinforce old organization structures and norms • Need to think seriously about the politics of networks and systems; fights and conflicts • Understanding the impact of networks on the character of public policy and governance • Technology enactment as state-building • [focus here on the notion of changing institutions and roles of public managers within them]: • Bureaucratic state (Weber) v. ???????? • What’s the difference between “government” and “state?” • How does that impact upon public managers? [think “policy”]

2. Apr. 25 Conclusions Building the Virtual State--Related to selected articles NOTE: Relate pertinent aspects of Fountain’s conclusion (and book as a whole) to the following issues previously covered in class: • Rethinking Thompson and McEwan [note: this article is 50+ years old—how relevant is it today?] • Goal-setting as an interaction process (title) • Goals as dynamic variables (pp. 23-24) • Strategy (p. 28-29) • Development of support (pp. 29-31) • Rethinking Provan and Milward • Is P&M’s sense of effectiveness consistent with Fountain’s general argument? [how or why not?] • What can managers in a network administrative office (restate what that means) learn from the Fountain book/conclusion? • Rethinking Wise • Is Wise’s notion of “adaptive management (particularly in the FEMA natural disaster context) relevant to the Fountain book?— specifics, please.

3. Apr. 16 Technology Enactment; Culture From Wilson, Ch. 6 • What’s organization culture: how does it relate to bureaucratic reasoning (satisficing), embeddedness, and enactment? • How is the section on “multiple cultures” pertinent to the fourth type of info. Tech. enactment in figure 6-2? • …the section “Resisting New tasks” to the general issue of technology enactment? • Question: Can a new manager change or culture? Engender a different sense of mission? Implement a new information technology system in the manner it was intended?