Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Human Factors
Date Submitted: Jan 22, 2025
Date Accepted: May 5, 2025
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Driving and Restraining Forces in the Implementation of Information Systems in the Public Sector: A Scoping Review
ABSTRACT
Background:
Public sector organizations increasingly adopt information systems (IS) to improve economic efficiency, service quality and overall adaptability. These projects represent substantial financial investments, making their success critical for organizational performance and societal impact.
Objective:
This scoping review aimed to identify the driving and restraining forces influencing IS implementation in public sector organizations and to explore strategies that support successful change processes.
Methods:
A total of 25 peer-reviewed articles were analyzed using Lewin’s change theory to categorize and interpret driving and restraining forces. Additionally, the narrative emerging from previous research on IS implementation was examined to explore how prior research portrays the success of IS implementation processes.
Results:
The findings highlight that IS implementation is influenced by six domains: organizational practices, managerial involvement, system design, end-user engagement, institutional forces and change project management. Key driving forces include leadership support, stakeholder involvement and system usability, while restraining forces encompass user resistance, technical challenges and organizational silos.
Conclusions:
Despite the challenges, IS implementation offers significant opportunities for improving public sector operations and societal outcomes. Addressing restraining forces and leveraging driving forces is essential for achieving sustainable digital transformation. This study provides actionable insights for future IS implementation in the public sector.
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Copyright
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