Most prior public sector digital transformation (DT) research has examined the role of digitalization in improving either the internal operational efficiency of the government or the quality of government service delivery to external stakeholders such as citizens and businesses. Although policy-driven digitalization of specific sectors is key for promoting public value, government’s role in orchestrating extra-government digitalization initiatives to create public value has not been sufficiently investigated. To address this perceptible void in the public sector DT literature, we study a government-led DT program designed to promote digitalization among microbusinesses (MB), a sector that has major economic and social implications. Given the significant role of technical and business knowledge in facilitating enterprise DT, we examine and theorize different knowledge mechanisms through which government policy initiatives can help foster MBs’ DT. Drawing on qualitative data from a series of structured interviews and focus groups with government agents, digital champions, and MB owner-managers involved in the implementation of a government-led DT program for MBs in Ireland, among the different DT stakeholders, we identify three knowledge pathways playing different knowledge-related roles and aiming to facilitate this transformation: top-down, bottom-up, and multidirectional. Each pathway comprises distinct practices. Collectively, the identified knowledge mechanisms in the DT program knowledge ecosystem foster social value creation for both MBs and government stakeholders, and therefore for the nation as a whole. Specifically, sustenance of the DT program is achieved through “initiation” and “instantiation” knowledge routes. Our findings offer theoretical contributions to the literatures on government-led digital transformations, effectiveness of government-led digital initiatives, and digital transformation in the MB sector. Our study also has significant implications for policy and practice.

中文翻译：

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以知识为中心的模型，用于政府协调的微型企业部门数字化转型


之前的大多数公共部门数字化转型 （DT） 研究都考察了数字化在提高政府内部运营效率或向公民和企业等外部利益相关者提供政府服务的质量方面的作用。尽管政策驱动的特定部门数字化是提升公共价值的关键，但政府在协调政府外数字化举措以创造公共价值方面的作用尚未得到充分调查。为了解决公共部门 DT 文献中的这一明显空白，我们研究了一项政府主导的 DT 计划，旨在促进微型企业 （MB） 的数字化，该部门具有重大的经济和社会影响。鉴于技术和商业知识在促进企业 DT 方面的重要作用，我们研究并理论化了政府政策举措可以帮助促进 MB DT 的不同知识机制。利用与政府代理人、数字冠军和 MB 所有者经理进行的一系列结构化访谈和焦点小组的定性数据，参与在爱尔兰实施政府主导的 MB 所有者计划，在不同的 DT 利益相关者中，我们确定了三种知识途径，它们发挥着不同的知识相关角色，旨在促进这种转变：自上而下、自下而上、 和多向的。每个途径都包含不同的实践。总的来说，DT 计划知识生态系统中已确定的知识机制促进了 MB 和政府利益相关者的社会价值创造，从而促进了整个国家的社会价值创造。具体来说，DT 程序的维持是通过 “initiation” 和 “instantiation” 知识路由实现的。 我们的研究结果为有关政府主导的数字化转型、政府主导的数字举措的有效性以及 MB 部门数字化转型的文献提供了理论贡献。我们的研究对政策和实践也有重大影响。