Charles C. Hinnant

Exploring digital divides: An examination of eHealth technology use in health information seeking, communication and personal health information management in the USA:

Recent government initiatives to deploy health information technology in the USA, coupled with a growing body of scholarly evidence linking online heath information and positive health-related behaviors, indicate a widespread belief that access to health information and health information technologies can help reduce healthcare inequalities. However, it is less clear whether the benefits of greater access to online health information and health information technologies is equitably distributed across population groups, particularly to those who are underserved. To examine this issue, this article employs the 2007 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) to investigate relationships between a variety of socio-economic variables and the use of the web-based technologies for health information seeking, personal health information management and patient-provider communication within the context of the USA. This study reveals interesting patterns in technology adoption, some of which are in line with previous studies, while others are less clear. Whether these patterns indicate early evidence of a narrowing divide in eHealth technology use across population groups as a result of the narrowing divide in Internet access and computer ownership warrants further exploration. In particular, the findings emphasize the need to explore differences in the use of eHealth tools by medically underserved and disadvantaged groups. In so doing, it will be important to explore other psychosocial variables, such as health literacy, that may be better predictors of health consumers’ eHealth technology adoption.

Internet use, transparency, and interactivity effects on trust in government

This paper asks how Internet use, citizen satisfaction with e-government and citizen trust in government are interrelated. Prior research has found that agencies stress information and service provision on the Web (one-way e-government strategy), but have generally ignore applications that would enhance citizen-government interaction (two-way e-government strategy). Based on a review of the literature, we develop hypotheses about how two facets of e-democracy - transparency and interactivity - may affect citizen trust in government. Using data obtained from the Council on Excellence in Government, we apply a two stage multiple equation model. Findings indicate that Internet use is positively associated with transparency satisfaction but negatively associated with interactivity satisfaction, and that both interactivity and transparency are positively associated with citizen trust in government. We conclude that the one-way e-transparency strategy may be insufficient, and that in the future agencies should make and effort to enhance e-interactivity.

Examining pre-adoption interest in online innovations: an exploratory study of e-service personalization in the public sector

In order to better understand why public organizations develop interest in online innovations, this paper develops a revised model of technological innovation with an emphasis on socio-technical factors associated with electronic service delivery. This model focuses on three primary dimensions of online innovation: perceived need, technical capacity, and risk mitigation. It is hypothesized that these three dimensions will have the greatest influence on the development of pre-adoption interest in a new online innovation. This model is then used to examine a single online innovation, personalization of online government information and services. Data from a survey of local governments is used to test the theory. A regression model was estimated from the survey data. Results suggest that perceived need, financial costs, and the ability to mitigate the risks associated with privacy issues each influence the level of interest in personalized online services. The results suggest that public organizations must find reliable means of determining external demand for online innovations, as well as reducing the risks associated with each specific type of online innovation prior to adoption.

Market-Based Reforms in Government Toward a Social Subcontract?

The classical concept that reconciles a free and sovereign people with the authority of government is the social contract. Increasingly, governments are pursuing alternative approaches to public service delivery with the hope of achieving greater effectiveness and efficiency. This article posits that market-based reforms reduce traditional conceptualizations of the social contract between citizens and government to one between citizens, government, and private-sector interests—the “social subcontract.” The relationship between citizens and government seems to have evolved into one where government sublets its responsibilities to private entities on behalf of the sovereign. With the social contract as our theoretical lens, we examine the evolution and development of the citizen-government relationship, as well as the challenges to this relationship when economic and political forces lead to a greater reliance on market-based policy and public management approaches. Finally, we seek to investigate the theoretical implications for legitimacy and accountability in public administration of moving toward a social subcontract.

Composition of scientific teams and publication productivity at a national science lab

The production of scientific knowledge has evolved from a process of inquiry largely based on the activities of individual scientists to one grounded in the collaborative efforts of specialized research teams. This shift brings to light a new question: how the composition of scientific teams affects their production of knowledge. This study employs data from 1,415 experiments conducted at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL) between 2005 and 2008 to identify and select a sample of 89 teams and examine whether team diversity and network characteristics affect productivity. The study examines how the diversity of science teams along several variables affects overall team productivity. Results indicate several diversity measures associated with network position and team productivity. Teams with mixed institutional associations were more central to the overall network compared with teams that primarily comprised NHMFLs own scientists. Team cohesion was positively related to productivity. The study indicates that high productivity in teams is associated with high disciplinary diversity and low seniority diversity of team membership. Finally, an increase in the share of senior members negatively affects productivity, and teams with members in central structural positions perform better than other teams.

Research project tasks, data, and perceptions of data quality in a condensed matter physics community

To be effective and at the same time sustainable, a community data curation model needs to be aligned with the communitys current data practices, including research project activities, data types, and perceptions of data quality. Based on a survey of members of the condensed matter physics (CMP) community gathered around the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, a large national laboratory, this article defines a model of CMP research project tasks consisting of 10 task constructs. In addition, the study develops a model of data quality perceptions by CMP scientists consisting of four data quality constructs. The paper also discusses relationships among the data quality perceptions, project roles, and demographic characteristics of CMP scientists. The findings of the study can inform the design of a CMP data curation model that is aligned and harmonized with the communitys research work structure and data practices.

Managerial capacity and digital government in the States: examining the link between self-efficacy and perceived impacts of IT in public organizations

This paper examines the linkage between the self-efficacy of public managers to employ information technology (IT) and managerial perceptions of IT effects on the operations of public organizations. A conceptual model posits that computer self-efficacy is influenced by several factors such as organizational support, IT usage within the organization, and experiential knowledge. Furthermore, computer self-efficacy simultaneously affects managerial perceptions of IT impacts on organizational processes. Data from a national study of state program managers is employed to test five hypotheses regarding computer self-efficacy. Two stage least squares is then used to estimate the effect of computer self-efficacy on perceptions of IT impacts. Results indicate that the level of computer self-efficacy is influenced by the availability of IT training and the extent of IT usage within the organization. Computer self-efficacy is also shown to be associated with more positive perceptions of IT effects within public organizations.

Data curation in scientific teams: an exploratory study of condensed matter physics at a national science lab

The advent of big science has brought a dramatic increase in the amount of data generated as part of scientific investigation. The ability to capture and prepare such data for reuse has brought about an increased interest in data curation practices within scientific fields and venues such as national laboratories. This study employs semi-structured interviews with key scientists at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory to explore data management, curation, and sharing practices within a condensed matter physics community. Findings indicate that condensed matter physics is a highly varied field. The fields work practices and reward structures may impede the development and implementation of highly formalized curation policies focused on sharing data within the broader community. This study is an extension of a larger mixed-methods study to examine the life-cycles of virtual teams and will serve as a foundation for a larger survey of the labs user community.

Studying the data practices of a scientific community

To be effective and at the same time sustainable, a community data curation model has to be aligned with the communitys current work organization: practices and activities; divisions of labor; data and collaborative relationships; and the communitys value structure, norms, and conventions for data, quality assessment, and data sharing. This poster discusses a framework for developing a community data curation model, using a case of the scientific community gathered around the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, a large national lab. The poster also reports findings of preliminary research based on semi-structured interviews with a sample of the main stakeholder groups of the community.

PENNSYLVANIA'S TRANSITION TO ENTERPRISE COMPUTING AS A STUDY IN STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT

Abstract We theorize about the strategic alignment of computing with organizational mission, using the Commonwealth of Pennsylvanias efforts to pursue digital government initiatives as evidence. To do this we draw on a decade (1995–2004) of changes in Pennsylvania to characterize how a state government shifts from an organizational to an enterprise perspective regarding computing. We document and analyze the strategic and operational aspects of a series of information and communications technology (ICT) planning efforts to highlight the nature and roles of strategic alignment used to achieve this transition. Findings from this analysis mark the importance of combining several approaches to strategic planning regarding the adoption and application of ICT.