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Social Media in the Canadian Government: an Exploratory Study of Emerging Practice

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Social Media in the Canadian Government: an Exploratory Study of Emerging Practice Social Media in the Canadian Government: An Exploratory Study of Emerging Practice by Elizabeth M. Shaffer M.A.S., The University of British Columbia, 2009 A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES (Library, Archival and Information Studies) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) October 2019 © Elizabeth M. Shaffer, 2019 The following individuals certify that they have read, and recommend to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for acceptance, the dissertation entitled: Social Media in the Canadian Government: An Exploratory Study of Emerging Practice submitted by Elizabeth M. Shaffer in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Library, Archival and Information Studies Examining Committee: Lisa P. Nathan, Library, Archival and Information Studies Supervisor Luanne Freund, Library, Archival and Information Studies Supervisory Committee Member Ron Cenfetelli, Sauder School of Business Supervisory Committee Member Erik Kwakkel, Library, Archival and Information Studies University Examiner Michelle Stack, Faculty of Education University Examiner ii Abstract Records held in national and institutional archives can serve as instruments of accountability and transparency for government actions (or inaction) and aid in constructing social memory. As digital technologies advance, records that were traditionally analogue are increasingly generated within networked digital platforms. In efforts contribute to archival and records theory on social media and accountability, this dissertation investigates emergent practices in the Government of Canada’s (GC) early use of social media, (2013–2014), when agencies and public servants were in the nascent stages of adoption. This study undertakes a qualitative examination of two main areas of the GC’s social media use: social media and recordkeeping practices and their implications for records generation and retention, and policy instruments and frameworks regarding the role of information management and recordkeeping in its social media use and outputs. Empirical data gathered included 28 interview participants, 34 legislative and policy instruments, online and offline observations, and 35 documentary sources, which were analyzed using a practice lens—introducing the utility of a practice lens for archival research. The main objectives of the study were to gain an understanding of the relationships between social media practices, policy, and information management and recordkeeping practices in the GC during an early phase of social media adoption and to contribute to the archival and records theory discourse surrounding shifting social media and recordkeeping practices and the implications for records as instruments of accountability. Findings suggest that emerging social media practices at that time put a strain on existing government frameworks, particularly with regard to retaining, collecting, and preserving its own records and records under its collections mandate. Despite implementing iii social media, findings also indicate that GC social media adoption and use operated in a bureaucratic environment that struggled to effectively adopt the ethos of these platforms (e.g. horizontal collaborations, ease of information access, etc.). The research surfaced constraints in policy development: policies intended to support increased collaboration were challenged by a hierarchical decision-making model. Moving forward, this research suggests an agile approach to policy development and an exploration of global treaty approaches in exploration of social media platform governance models. iv Lay Summary This dissertation investigates the early use of social media by the Government of Canada. The federal government is legally responsible for preserving a record of its activities and communications for future generations, but what happens when these records are generated through, owned and controlled by social media platforms? The project draws upon practice theory as a generative lens for understanding the processes of collecting and maintaining a record of government communications produced through for-profit, privately owned, technological systems. The study offers a critical analysis of tensions that arose during early stages of social media adoption within the federal government. The project’s findings question the ability of future generations to hold the Government of Canada accountable for its actions, particularly because of the government’s use of proprietary platforms and the organizational frictions that potentially develop when technologies marketed as “agile” are adopted into bureaucratic systems. v Preface This dissertation is the original intellectual product of the author, Elizabeth M. Shaffer. The author undertook preliminary research, which is reported in chapter three, with Luanne Freund and Mackenzie Welch. This research was presented at a GRAND conference in Toronto in May 2013. Some results presented in chapter four were presented in a paper at a GRAND conference in Ottawa in May 2014. Additionally, some of the literature review work that appears in chapter two was published in a paper by the author, “Developing an Organizational Information Policy to Mitigate the Risks Posed by Social Media Technologies” in the journal of the Australian Society of Archivists, Archives and Manuscripts, in 2011. Data collection reported in chapters three and four is covered by UBC Ethics Certificate H13-01917. vi Table of Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................................. iii Lay Summary ...........................................................................................................................v Preface .................................................................................................................................... vi Table of Contents .................................................................................................................. vii List of Tables ............................................................................................................................x List of Abbreviations ............................................................................................................. xi Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... xii Dedication ............................................................................................................................. xiv Chapter 1: Introduction ..........................................................................................................1 1.1 Motivation................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Overview................................................................................................................... 6 1.3 Identification of the Research Problem .................................................................... 6 1.4 Objectives of the Study ........................................................................................... 10 1.5 Research Questions ................................................................................................. 12 1.6 Theoretical Framework ........................................................................................... 12 1.7 Summary and Dissertation Structure ...................................................................... 17 Chapter 2: Literature Review—Engaging the Conversation ............................................19 2.1 Introduction............................................................................................................. 19 2.2 Archives and Recordkeeping: Foundations, Practices, and Context ...................... 20 2.2.1 Theoretical Foundations ................................................................................. 20 2.2.2 Positioning a Practice Approach ..................................................................... 23 2.2.3 A Postmodernist Turn ..................................................................................... 24 2.2.3.1 Moving Beyond the Postmodern ................................................................ 27 2.2.4 Sociological Based Inquiries .......................................................................... 29 2.2.5 Records: Contemporary Discussions .............................................................. 30 2.3 Information Policy .................................................................................................. 33 2.3.1 Policy .............................................................................................................. 33 2.3.2 Information Policy .......................................................................................... 35 2.3.3 The Policy Process: An Evolving Landscape ................................................. 36 2.3.4 Information Policy and Social Media ............................................................. 39 2.4 E-Government......................................................................................................... 43 2.4.1 E-Government in Canada ............................................................................... 44 2.4.1.1 E-Government in Canada: Information and Recordkeeping
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