Open Research Online The Open University’s repository of research publications and other research outputs Telematics for community portal development. Thesis How to cite: Musgrave, Stephen J (2006). Telematics for community portal development. PhD thesis The Open University. For guidance on citations see FAQs. c 2006 Stephen J. Musgrave Version: Version of Record Copyright and Moral Rights for the articles on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. For more information on Open Research Online’s data policy on reuse of materials please consult the policies page. oro.open.ac.uk Open University Department of ICT Ph.D Research Dissertation Telematics for Community Portal Development Stephen J.Musgrave May, 2006 1 ProQuest Number: 13917309 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 13917309 Published by ProQuest LLC(2019). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 2 u to (Us- s " r e . t c n E + s Telematics for Community Portal Development Stephen J. Musgrave Thesis submitted to complete the programme of research at the Open University for the award of Doctor of Philosophy Research School - Department of ICT of the Open University Afvnr oK $0&<-u'iSiOU z 3 ocriSSt^ Ice'S" SlPrE OF <3°t ha-1 2_CO<S» T h e O p a n IftUversily 2 1 JUN 2008 Library D O N A TIO N Acknowledgements To my wife Lynda for her patient support, without which this work would not have been possible. Especial thanks and appreciation to Dr Geoff Einon and Dr Keith Tanner, as internal and local supervisors, for their forbearance throughout the 5-year period of this research study. 5 t 6 Telematics for Community Portal Development Abstract Community portals emanate from information and communication technology (ICT) applied to community networking, enabling citizens to access information and services on-line. These telematic portal systems are now deployed globally, facilitating information services to geographic and virtual communities. The context of this research study is one of community portals deployed by UK government local authorities for citizen service interactions. To date there have been few studies that holistically and longitudinally examine the subject of community portals. The 5 year research exercise has been undertaken as a qualitative study using an interpretivist approach and methodology derived > from context-process analysis. The approach was influenced by Mumford’s writings on ‘people and technology ' and Schuler’s early work on community network development in the USA. Data collection was undertaken using a national survey questionnaire and qualitative techniques including interviews and mini-case studies. Findings of the research include a new categorisation of community portals into two distinctive types of Civic and Civil portal. Theoretical outcomes include an improved understanding of the methodological, technical, and social dimensions of portal development and deployment. The implications for management include an exposition of the issues involved in community portal development and the important need for citizen engagement in the process. A case study of Blackpool, (and mini case studies of five civic / civil portals), point to lack of collaboration between central and local government portal architects and developers. 7 8 List of Contents Abstract 7 1. Chapter 1: Telematics in the Context of Community 17 Portals 1.1 Introduction 17 1.1.1 Research Background 20 1.1.2 Research Aims, Objectives, and Questions 21 1.1.3 Aims and Objectives 22 1.1.4 Research Questions 23 1.2 Organisation of the Thesis 24 1.3 Chapter Summary 27 ) Chapter 2: Literature Review Community Portals and 29 the Civil / Civic Networks !.1 Introduction 29 2.1.1 Civil / Civic Society Networks 32 2.1.2 Emergence of Virtual Communities and a Network Society 36 2.1.3 Main Drivers of e-Government 38 2.1.4 The e.Gov Context 39 !.2 Community Portals 42 2.2.1 Electronic Portals 42 2.2.2 Horizontal Portals - ‘Mega-Portals’ 44 2.2.3 Commerce Portals 45 2.2.4 Search and Directory Services 45 2.2.5 On-line Desktop Applications 46 2.2.6 Personalisation 47 2.2.7 Vertical Portals - Vortals 47 2.2.8 Community/Civic Civil Portals 48 2.2.9 Core Services for a Community Network Portal 53 2.2.10 Community Portal Goals 56 2.2.11 UK Government Response to e.Gov 57 2.2.12 The Government Portal - Directgov 59 2.2.13 Interim Summary 61 .3 Social Impact of Community Portals 62 2.3.1 Understanding the Driving Influences on Community Portals 65 2.3.2 Knowledge Workers 72 2.3.3 Community Networks and Regeneration 76 .4 Technology of Community Portals 80 2.4.1 Challenges and Strategic Issues 83 2.4.2 Urban and Rural Community Networks 84 2.4.3 Long Term impact and Sustainability 85 2.4.4 Following the Commercial ‘Enterprise Information Portal’ 89 model 2.4.5 e-Grid Synergies 94 2.4.6 iDTV 96 .5 Information Systems view of Community Portals 98 2.5.1 Middleware Development 98 2.5.2 Metadata 99 2.5.3 Integration Strategy into Back Office 101 2.5.4 Portal Scoring Methodology 104 2.5.5 Informatics and Community Informatics 111 9 2.6 Summary of Chapter Two 114 3. Chapter 3: Theoretical Frameworks 117 3.1 Introduction 117 3.2 Theoretical Frameworks in Information Systems Research 119 3.3 Culture and Organisation 123 3.4 Theoretical Frameworks for Analysis of Community Culture 129 3.4.1 Actor Network Theory 131 3.4.2 Diffusion of Innovation Theory 133 3.4.3 Structuration theory principles 137 3.4.4 Diffusion or Translation (Actor Network)? 143 3.5 Interim Summary 145 3.6 Power in Organisations 146 3.7 Culture and Cross Culture 148 3.8 Power and Politics 149 3.9 Synthesis of Theory 150 3.10 Research Approach 151 3.11 Research Paradigm in Information Systems 152 3.12 Positivism: The Scientific Paradigm 157 3.12.1 Assessment of Scientific approach to Information Systems 157 3.12.2 Scientific Research method in IS 159 3.13 The Interpretivist Paradigm 160 3.13.1 Assessment of the Interpretivist Paradigm 162 3.13.2 Interpretivist approaches to Information Systems Research 163 3.14 Justification for Choice of Research Methodology 166 3.15 Context-Process Analysis 170 3.16 Chapter Summary and Epilogue 175 4. Chapter 4: Research Methodology 179 4.1 Introduction 179 4.2 Research Methods 180 4.3 Research Tools and Techniques 181 4.4 Application of Participative Action Research 183 4.5 Community Portal (UK) Questionnaire Survey 2002 186 4.5.1 The UK Survey target group 188 4.5.2 Survey Design and Identification of Target Group 188 4.5.3 Question formulation 189 4.5.4 Community Postal Survey 2002 Pilot 190 4.5.5 The Community Portal (UK) Survey 2002 191 4.5.6 SOCITM Surveys as a Comparator 192 4.5.7 Case Study of Blackpool 194 4.6 Chapter Summary 195 5. Chapter 5: Community Portals (UK) Study: Survey 197 Results: A national questionnaire to probe the capacity of local authority community portal development 5.1 Introduction 197 5.2 General Statistics from responses to the Community Portal 198 (UK) Survey 2002 Questionnaire 5.3 Statistical validity of data obtained 199 10 5.4 Specific Data Findings 199 5.5 SOCITM Comparator 209 5.6 Community Portal (UK) Survey 2002 - Data Analysis 209 Summary 5.7 Secondary Analysis of Survey Responses 216 5.8 Specific Information from Portal Survey Responses 218 5.9 Comparison of Portal (UK) Survey (2002) with SOCITM 220 Findings 5.10 Mini-Case Studies 224 5.11 Chapter Summary 225 6. Chapter 6: The Case Study: Broadband Interactive Grid 227 - Blackpool and CommunityWise. 6.1 Introduction 227 6.2 Selection of Blackpool as a major case study 228 6.2.1 Overview of Blackpool 229 6.2.2 Implementing Electronic Government statement in Blackpool 230 6.2.3 Joined-up Government Services through Portals 231 6.3 Broadband Interactive Grid (BIG) project 232 6.4 e-Community Strategy 235 6.5 Link to Research Survey outcomes 237 6.6 Background to Design and Development of CommunityWise 238 6.7 Blackpool Case Study - Issues and Relationships 239 6.8 Blackpool Case Study - Application of Context-Process 243 Analysis 6.9 Mini Case Studies as Comparators 251 6.10 253 6.11 Chapter Summary 255 7. Chapter 7: Contextualisation of research findings: An 257 appraisal of Community (Civic) portals for local authorities in the UK 7.1 Introduction 257 7.2 Consideration of Research Questions 258 7.3 Summary and Synthesis of the Research Study 269 7.3.1 Summary of Use of Evaluation Frameworks for Interpretivist 270 Research 7.3.2 Frameworks used to Evaluate Interpretive Research in this 272 study 7.4 Application of Research Methodology 290 7.4.1 Use of Actor-Network theory 291 7.4.2 Use of Context-Process Analysis. A review of its application 292 and problems identified. 7.5 Evaluation, Contextualisation, and Findings of the Blackpool 297 Case Study 7.5.1 Cultural Landscape - 2002-2004 298 7.5.2 Cultural Context of Development in Blackpool 299 7.5.3 Cultural contextualisation - Period 2000-2002 ‘Inception of 302 BIG’ 7.5.4 Cultural contextualisation - Period 2002-2004 305 ‘CommunityWise Development’ 7.5.5 Findings from the Blackpool Case Study 307 11 7.6 Chapter Summary 313 8.