Actor-Network Theory
The public sector is investing heavily in Information Technology (IT) systems to increase efficiency. Unfortunately their IT systems continually face difficulties due existing bureaucracies and politics within the public sector. The Actor Network Theory creates a research process to understand how networks are built, assembled and maintained. It describes the interplay of socio-technical dynamics that influence the service system.
Technology and the Public Sector
There is a lack of research and understanding on the value of technological implementations for innovation, especially research on their success. Technology alters the relational dynamics of power, risk, responsibility, and accountability. Within the public sector the procedural quality within the bureaucracies makes it difficult to implement technology seamlessly. There is an inability for administrative and political persons to collaborate, thus losing users in the system. The success of IT networks as effective and efficient systems comes from organizations working towards a communal goal and ability to share information. ANT attempts to visualize the interests, actants, procedures and values of public sector organizations.
ANT lies in between, technology and humanity. It follows the decisions we make regarding technological implementation and their agency within the system. There are two schools of thought on information technology and social factors known as technological determinism and constructivism. Technological determinism means that technology drives human change. Services are thus co-enacted, meaning procedures are inscribed and technology has agency over users. Constructivism says that we create and control technology; thus services are co-created with equal agency.
ANT brings to light many ethical question of integrating technology within service systems and networks because of the structure of the organizations and the agency of technology and data. Do we want our citizens to be placed within services that are co-enacted and limit the core service provided? ANT provides the research methods to understand the interplay of socio-technical dynamics that influence the service system and allow us to make improvements to benefit the users.