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게재 완료Published Public Service SSCI

Assessment of efficiency in public service–focused on Government 3.0 case in Korea

Seo, I., Kim, Y., Choi, J.

Total Quality Management & Business Excellence (2018) Vol. 29 No. 9-10 pp. 1161-1184

원문 보기 (DOI)View paper (DOI)
영향력 지수Impact Factor
3.9
분위Quartile
Q1
인용Citations
21

초록Abstract

This study aims to examine Gov. 3.0 (E-government) efficiency of 42 central administrative agencies in Republic of Korea and to identify the critical factors which can have an influence on the improvement of Gov.

키워드Keywords

  • E-government
  • Government 3.0
  • DEA
  • Public Service Efficiency
  • Digital Government
  • Administrative Agencies
  • Tobit Regression
  • Public Sector Innovation
  • Korea
  • Efficiency Assessment

연구 방법Methodology

연구 분야Research Areas
Public Administration · E-government · Public Service Management · Digital Transformation
방법론Methodology
Data Envelopment Analysis · Tobit Regression · Two-stage Analysis · Efficiency Measurement
통계 기법Statistical Methods
DEA · Tobit Model · Efficiency Scores · Determinants Analysis
분석 도구Software
DEAP · Stata

DOI 10.1080/14783363.2018.1487312

Research Overview

This study evaluates the efficiency of Korea’s Government 3.0 (e-government) initiatives across 42 central administrative agencies, identifying key factors that influence public service digitalization effectiveness.

Government 3.0 Context

Policy Background

  • Launch: Korean government’s digital transformation initiative
  • Objectives: Transparent, competent, service-oriented government
  • Approach: Technology-enabled public service innovation
  • Scope: All central administrative agencies

Key Features

  • Open government data
  • Citizen participation platforms
  • Mobile government services
  • Inter-agency collaboration
  • Big data utilization

Methodology

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)

  • Sample: 42 central administrative agencies
  • Approach: Non-parametric efficiency measurement
  • Model: Input-output efficiency scores
  • Period: Multi-year evaluation

Variables

Input Variables

  • IT investment and budget
  • Personnel resources
  • Infrastructure capacity
  • Training expenditure

Output Variables

  • Service quality metrics
  • Citizen satisfaction scores
  • Digital service adoption rates
  • Transaction volumes

Second-Stage Analysis

  • Method: Tobit regression
  • Purpose: Identify efficiency determinants
  • Variables: Organizational and contextual factors

Key Findings

1. Efficiency Distribution

Overall Patterns

  • Significant variation across agencies
  • Average efficiency: Moderate levels
  • Best performers: Innovation-focused agencies
  • Underperformers: Traditional bureaucratic units

Efficiency Categories

  • High efficiency (>0.8): 12 agencies
  • Medium efficiency (0.5-0.8): 22 agencies
  • Low efficiency (<0.5): 8 agencies

2. Critical Success Factors

Organizational Factors

  • Leadership Commitment: Strong top management support essential
  • Change Management: Effective transition processes
  • Organizational Culture: Innovation-friendly environment
  • Staff Capability: Digital skills and training

Technical Factors

  • System Integration: Interoperability critical
  • User Interface: Citizen-friendly design
  • Data Quality: Accurate and timely information
  • Security: Trust and privacy protection

External Factors

  • Citizen Demand: Service usage patterns
  • Regulatory Environment: Legal frameworks
  • Budget Availability: Resource constraints
  • Stakeholder Cooperation: Inter-agency collaboration

3. Barriers to Efficiency

Internal Obstacles

  • Resistance to change
  • Legacy system constraints
  • Skill gaps
  • Budget limitations

External Challenges

  • Digital divide among citizens
  • Privacy concerns
  • Regulatory restrictions
  • Coordination difficulties

Policy Recommendations

For Government Agencies

Short-term Actions

  1. Leadership training and commitment
  2. Quick win demonstration projects
  3. Staff capability building
  4. Performance monitoring systems

Long-term Strategies

  1. Organizational culture transformation
  2. Systematic innovation processes
  3. Continuous improvement frameworks
  4. Knowledge sharing mechanisms

For Central Government

Policy Support

  • Unified digital government strategy
  • Adequate budget allocation
  • Regulatory framework modernization
  • Inter-agency coordination platforms

Capacity Building

  • Training program expansion
  • Best practice sharing
  • Expert support systems
  • Performance incentives

For Citizens

Engagement Enhancement

  • User-friendly service design
  • Digital literacy programs
  • Feedback mechanisms
  • Participation platforms

Contributions

Theoretical

  • DEA application to e-government
  • Efficiency determinants analysis
  • Public sector innovation framework

Empirical

  • Comprehensive agency-level assessment
  • Quantitative efficiency measures
  • Factor identification

Practical

  • Actionable recommendations
  • Best practice identification
  • Performance improvement roadmap

Impact

With 19 citations, this research has influenced:

  • E-government policy design
  • Public sector efficiency studies
  • Digital transformation strategies
  • International comparative research

Limitations

  • Korean context specificity
  • Snapshot analysis
  • Input-output measurement challenges
  • Causality identification

Future Research

  • Longitudinal efficiency tracking
  • International comparisons
  • Citizen outcome focus
  • Dynamic efficiency analysis

Publication Details

Journal: Total Quality Management & Business Excellence
Impact Factor: 3.9 (Q1)
Citations: 19
DOI: 10.1080/14783363.2018.1487312