A Structurational Analysis of Government On-Line (GOL) in Canada

摘要

Canada's E-government has gained its international reputation. This paper applies Giddens'Structuration Theory,as well as the Structurational Model of Information Technology developed by Orlikowski,to the analysis of the Government On-Line (GOL) project initiated by Canadian Government. In this paper,the author introduces GOL's initiation and development; analyses respectively the institutional structures,human actions and their interactions within GOL context,and concludes its winning points including active communication among various participators,power application and resource allocation to support GOL implementation,attention to institutional change,norms and sanctions to maintain a gradual and stable transition,etc. Furthermore,the author develops a successful E-government model from structuraional perspective; reveals that the nature of E-government is not just equipping public sector with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities but its strong commitment to improve democracy,public administration and public service. In addition,the author argues that E-government is primarily a social system and criticizes the technology determinism. Finally,the author examines the applicability of Structuration Theory for E-government research,and reviews the universality of Canadian GOL experience.