Mechanics for the Future – Salzburg Global Forum

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , /by

Credit: Salzburg Global Seminar/Ela Grieshaber.

I am looking forward to participating in the Mechanics for the Future: How Can Governments Transform Themselves? session at the Salzburg Global Forum.

Governments worldwide are under pressure to meet complex needs as populations age, countries urbanize, and technology transforms lives and work. They have lead responsibility to prepare their societies for a radically changing world, yet face shrinking budgets and declining trust in the public sector. The machinery of government has changed, requiring governments to transform themselves, both in terms of the methodology they use and the people needed to implement the change.  What is the role of government in driving innovation?  How can countries and cities learn from each other?  How can governments recruit and retain the best people in public service with the right skills?  How can governments better harness the market, and strengthen constructive partnerships with civil society and the private sector?  What types of public communication work best to rebuild public trust?

See here for a list of attendees.

As part of the meeting, I will be leading a discussion on the potential for advances in artificial intelligence (AI) to transform how we govern. We will employ a case study that I co-authored with Richard T. Watson (Regents Professor and the J. Rex Fuqua Distinguished Chair for Internet Strategy, University of Georgia). The case study takes place in a country, Intelligensia, and is focused on deploying AI systems to modernize the national healthcare system and improve quality of life outcomes.

Cutter Business Technology Journal – Special Issue on Artificial Intelligence

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

New article in Cutter Business Technology Journal with Lena Waizenegger (Auckland University of Technology) and Gregory S. Dawson (Arizona State University)

9 Recommendations for Designing, Developing, Deploying, and Refining Cognitive Computing Systems

This article draws your attention to the design, development, deployment, and refinement of cognitive computing systems (CCSs). While CCSs are deployed in a variety of fields yielding benefits exceeding expectations, there are also major failures. Lack of appreciation for the differences inherent in developing a CCS versus a traditional software system is key to these failures. To assist in developing successful CCSs and to derive benefits from them, the authors offer a set of nine key recommendations based on their examination of over two dozen systems. They conclude that CCSs will be a dominant technology that will permeate all business operations for the foreseeable future.

Visiting Professor – Università Bocconi, March 2018

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

I will be spending time at the Università Bocconi during March 2018 as a Visiting Professor. I will deliver several lectures as part of the Innovation and Big Data in the Public Sector course taught by my colleague, Prof. Maria Cucciniello. In addition, I will be working on several research projects with colleagues in Milan.

Beijing Universities – Technological Innovation and the Public

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , /by

I will be giving research presentations at Renmin University (School of Public Administration and Policy) and Beijing Forestry University (School of Humanities and Social Sciences) on November 3, 2017

Technological Innovation and the Public: 3Ps - Purpose, Process, and Products

Technological innovations are fundamentally transforming all aspects of our society. I am particularly concerned with how technological innovations impact 1) the design of our public institutions, 2) the apparatuses through which we shape, implement, and evaluate public policies, and 3) our governance frameworks for public goods. I believe that research needs to be conducted in a manner that advances the greater public good, especially in fields that are of an applied nature. Academia has a special responsibility to generate knowledge that advances society. Studying complex phenomena requires us to undertake research that 1) draws on multiple disciplines, 2) engages a diverse group of stakeholders, 3) appreciates a plurality of research approaches, and 4) generates actionable solutions. Executing inter-disciplinary research is no easy feat to accomplish. Researchers face daunting challenges from the onset; beginning with the inception of ideas, continuing to the crafting of problem statements, executing the research process, and then communicating the results via publications in academic and practitioner outlets. However, these challenges should not be viewed as an excuse to abandon inter-disciplinary research in favor of narrowly focused research exercises. Drawing on over a dozen research projects, this presentation will highlight key strategic management challenges confronting public agencies as they try to keep up with the rapid pace of technological innovations. Opportunities for use-inspired research will be discussed. In addition, I will present a working model for executing inter-disciplinary research that has served me well. I will openly share some of the trials and tribulations that I have encountered along the way.

Paper at 2017 Assoc. Budgeting & Financial Management Conference

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

Alfred Ho (University of Kansas) will be presenting our paper at the 2017 Assoc. Budgeting & Financial Management Conference in Washington, D.C.

Performance Budgeting in U.S. cities: A Multi-Level Analysis

Many past studies have documented different types of performance information usage in the budgetary process.  Many also show that various organizational factors influence its usage.  In this study, we take a new theoretical approach by analyzing the practice of performance budgeting through a multi-level perspective. Using data from a survey study of U.S. local departments, this study analyzes how service nature, organizational capacity, leadership, organizational culture, and political institutional forces influence how performance analytics is used or not used to impact budgetary decision-making. The empirical results show that there are different dynamics for performance-informed performance budgeting and high-impact performance budgeting.  Politics do not necessarily eliminate a need for performance-informed budgeting, but executive commitment to data-driven decision-making is necessary to achieve high impact in using performance budgeting.

Authors: Alfred Ho (University of Kansas), Rashmi Krishnamurthy (Queens University) and Kevin C. Desouza

Two Papers Accepted for HICSS 2018

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , /by

My colleagues will be attending the 51st Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences to present our research.

Factors Promoting the Collection of Performance Measurement: Evidence from US Local Governments

Performance measurement has gained significant importance around the world. Many governments are adopting performance measurement as a part of reform efforts. Despite the widespread practitioner attention, academic studies are inconclusive about the impact of performance measurement in the public sector. Moreover, while studies have examined what factors influence the adoption of performance measures and its impact, they have paid relatively less attention to the use of different types of performance measures. To fill this gap, this study examines: (1) what types of performance measures are collected by US local governments and; (2) how organizational, technical, and external factors influence the collection of performance measurement. Leveraging survey data, we conduct cluster analysis and qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) to study factors that impact the collection of performance measures. The findings of QCA highlight that no single condition dominates the collection of performance measurement, rather different combinations of organizational and external factors influence the outcome. The paper concludes by discussing the implications for local policymakers and managers.

Rashmi Krishnamurthy (Queens University), Gregory S. Dawson (Arizona State University) Alfred Ho (University of Kansas)

The 2016 US Presidential Election on Facebook: An Exploratory Analysis of Sentiments

Social media platforms are valuable tools for political campaigns. In this study, we analyze a dataset representing over 22 thousand Facebook posts by candidates and over 48 million comments to understand the nature of online discourse. Specifically, we study the interaction between political candidates and the public during the 2016 presidential elections in the United States. We outline a novel method to classify commentators into four groups: strong supporters, supporters, dissenters, and strong dissenters. Comments by each group on policy-related topics are analyzed using sentiment analysis. Finally, we discuss avenues for future research to study the dynamics of social media platforms and political   campaigns.

Saud Alashri (Arizona State University), Srinivasa Srivatsav Kandala (Arizona State University), Vikash Bajaj (Arizona State University), Emily Parriott (Georgia Tech), Yukika Awazu (IÉSEG School of Management)

Mahalo!

Cognitive Computing, Performance Analytics and Local Gov, & WalletHub Updates

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

Cognitive Computing @ Brookings Institution Tech Tank

Performance Analytics Project Report

  • “The State of Performance Analytics in Local Government: Analysis of Measures,” (2/ Dawson, G.S., Ho, A. T-K., and Krishnamurthy, R.) Technical Report, Alliance for Innovation, April 2017, 32 pages. (see project page)

WalletHub

Information Systems Research that Makes a Difference: A Modest Proposal

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , /by

I will be speaking at SDA Bocconi School of Management on March 7, 2017. Thanks to Ferdinando Pennarola, Department of Management and Technology, for hosting the visit.

Information Systems Research that Makes a Difference: A Modest Proposal

I believe that research needs to be conducted in a manner that advances the greater public good, especially in fields that are of an applied nature (business, engineering, public policy, etc.). Research done with the sole intention of producing a journal article or conference paper is not good enough. Academia has a special responsibility to generate knowledge that advances society. Studying complex phenomenon requires us to undertake research that (1) draws on multiple disciplines, (2) engages a diverse group of stakeholders, (3) appreciates a plurality of research approaches, and (4) communicates to a diverse set of audiences. Executing inter-disciplinary research is no easy feat to accomplish. Researchers face daunting challenges from the onset, beginning with the inception of ideas, and then continuing to the crafting of problem statements, executing the research process, and communicating the results via publications in academic and practitioner outlets. However, these challenges should not be viewed as an excuse to abandon inter-disciplinary research in favor of narrowly focused research exercises.

In this talk, I will offer personal reflections on how to structure research programs to maximize several goals. First, to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the research process. Second, to maximize the potential that research outputs will be accepted by scholarly and practitioner communities. Third, to work with stakeholders to leverage the knowledge that is generated, to advance societal outcomes. I will share examples from a wide range of projects to elaborate on how scholars can build agile, responsive, and responsible research projects that have relevance beyond the ivory tower.

I will present a method (process) for executing inter-disciplinary research that has served me well. Illustrative examples of research projects will be used to exemplify this process and outline strategies for researchers to consider when conducting inter-disciplinary research projects. I will pay particular attention to global research projects that are interdisciplinary in nature. In addition to sharing lessons about what works, I will openly share some of the trials and tribulations that I have encountered along the way.