Digital government, circular economy, and public value creation: orga-nizational factors in the adoption of digital technologies in the Federal District (Brazil) and New York State (United States)
Aug 2026· Observatorio de la Economía Latinoamericana· 0 citations
TL;DR
The findings show that digital technologies contribute to transparency and information integration, but their capacity to generate public value—such as policy coherence, effectiveness, and sustainability—is fundamentally mediated by organizational capacity, coordination mechanisms, and institutional stability.
Abstract
Digital government initiatives are increasingly mobilized to address complex, cross-boundary policy challenges, yet their contribution to public value creation remains highly contingent on organizational and institutional conditions. This paper examines how organizational capacity and interorganizational coordination shape the adoption and use of digital government initiatives in circular economy governance. Building on public value theory and governance network perspectives, the study adopts a qualitative comparative institutional design, analyzing the Federal District (Brazil) as the primary empirical case and drawing analytical insights from New York State (United States). Empirical evidence is based on semi-structured interviews with public managers and technical staff, complemented by document analysis and institutional observation conducted during a visiting PhD period at a U.S. public policy school. The findings show that digital technologies contribute to transparency and information integration, but their capacity to generate public value—such as policy coherence, effectiveness, and sustainability—is fundamentally mediated by organizational capacity, coordination mechanisms, and institutional stability. By explicitly linking circular economy governance to organizational and networked perspectives on public value creation, the study advances digital government research and offers implications for governments in both developing and developed contexts. This is not a comparison between the global North and South, but rather a qualitative study seeking to improve concepts of digital government in both Brazil and the United States.
Public sector reform in India has undergone significant transformation through twin imperatives: the adoption of New Public Management (NPM) principles under successive administrative reform commissions, and the accelerating digitalization of governance driven by flagship programmes such as Digital India and the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP). While a growing body of structural equation modelling (SEM) research has examined NPM reforms and digital governance (DG) as separate lines of inquiry, typically within OECD or single-city settings, and rarely with full measurement validation, empirical evidence integrating NPM adoption, DG, organizational performance (OP), and public trust and accountability (PTA) within one validated, mediation-tested SEM model remains scarce in the Indian context. This study addresses that gap through a cross-sectional survey of 360 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers and senior Group A civil servants across four purposively selected central government ministries in New Delhi. Convergent and discriminant validity were established (average variance extracted ≥ .56; heterotrait–monotrait ratios < .72) prior to structural testing. The hypothesized model demonstrated acceptable fit (χ²/df = 2.14, CFI = .951, TLI = .943, RMSEA = .056, SRMR = .048). Hierarchical multiple regression and SEM indicate that NPM adoption (β = .381, p < .001) and digital governance (β = .328, p < .001) are significant independent predictors of organizational performance (R² = .524). Organizational performance partially mediates the pathway from reform inputs to public trust and accountability (indirect β = .108 and .093 for NPM and DG respectively, both bootstrap 95% CI excluding zero). Digital governance exerts a larger direct effect on PTA (β = .305) than NPM adoption alone (β = .237), suggesting that India's digital infrastructure investments generate accountability dividends beyond what administrative restructuring alone can produce. These findings, interpreted cautiously in light of the study's cross-sectional design, self-reported measures, and four-ministry sampling frame, offer theoretically grounded and policy-relevant insights for reformers navigating the institutional landscape of one of the world's largest public bureaucracies.
This article examines the institutional conditions associated with converting digital transformation into institutional performance and public value in subnational governments. It assumes that infrastructure, digital services, and data use expand administrative capacity but do not ensure consistent outcomes. The study proposes a configurational architecture linking digital state capacities, data governance, strategic leadership, intergovernmental coordination, digital inclusion, and public value. It adopts a qualitative, theoretical-analytical approach supported by a structured review of literature on digital government, public administration, and configurational theorizing. The synthesis supports five constitutive relationships and one configurational proposition, recognizing that distinct institutional combinations may lead to similar outcomes. Technological maturity operates as a supporting condition rather than a sufficient explanation of performance. Converting digital resources into administrative outcomes depends on organizational integration, strategic direction, governance, and coordination; public value also requires access, understanding, participation, and trust. The architecture shifts attention from isolated technology adoption to institutional combinations that support different trajectories of digital transformation across states and municipalities.
Maira Danuse Santos de Oliveira, Virgínia Tâmara Muniz Silva, Antônio Vinicius Oliveira Ferreira· Revista de Estudos Interdisc...· 0 citations
This study investigates the policy implementation of digital public service governance in Indonesia through a non-empirical library research design anchored in public administration theory. By synthesizing peer-reviewed literature, statutory regulations, and official institutional reports, the research evaluates the interplay between legislative mandates, bureaucratic restructuring, and organizational adaptation. The findings indicate that while national regulatory frameworks provide essential legal certainty, successful digital transformation is critically dependent on overcoming structural inertia and fostering inter-agency synergy. Furthermore, the analysis highlights that digital literacy and strategic leadership serve as vital determinants for bridging the gap between policy design and grassroots execution. Ultimately, this study contributes to the broader discourse on public sector modernization by demonstrating that technological integration must be accompanied by comprehensive cultural shifts within state institutions to achieve sustainable administrative efficiency and enhanced public service delivery.
I. Syafi'i· International Journal of Soc...· 0 citations
Digital transformation has become a key driver of public sector innovation, encouraging governments to redesign public service delivery through digital governance. Although Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao share cultural and historical connections, their distinct institutional contexts and administrative arrangements have resulted in different digital governance models. This study compares digital governance practices across the three regions to examine how institutional conditions influence governance approaches and public service delivery outcomes. A qualitative comparative case study approach is adopted, drawing on policy document analysis and secondary literature to examine governance frameworks, service delivery mechanisms, and citizen-oriented initiatives. The findings reveal that each region demonstrates different strengths in administrative efficiency, digital accessibility, service responsiveness, and citizen engagement, reflecting the influence of institutional arrangements and policy priorities. By identifying both similarities and differences among the three regions, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of digital governance development in Greater China and provides practical implications for policymakers seeking to enhance public service delivery and promote cross-regional policy learning.
Yao-Bao Zhang· Lecture Notes in Education P...· 0 citations
It is concluded that effective digital transformation in Sri Lanka necessitates a multi-pronged approach encompassing legal reform, strategic investment in ICT capacity, strengthened institutional cooperation, and the ethical deployment of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
V. Papakaran· Sri Lanka Journal of Develop...· 0 citations
It is argued that while technology has enhanced efficiency and transparency, governance outcomes ultimately depend on institutional capacity, inclusivity, and ethical commitment, and that Governance 4.0 represents not merely a technological shift but a normative redefinition of democratic governance in India.
Sanchita Ray· LAW AND SOCIAL POLICY REVIEW· 0 citations
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