Collective Ambidexterity in the Public Sector: Collaborating Towards Innovativeness and Efficiency in Digital Service Ecosystems
Thesis event information
Date and time of the thesis defence
Place of the thesis defence
Martti Ahtisaari auditorium (L2), Linnanmaa
Topic of the dissertation
Collective Ambidexterity in the Public Sector: Collaborating Towards Innovativeness and Efficiency in Digital Service Ecosystems
Doctoral candidate
Master of Science Heidi Hietala
Faculty and unit
University of Oulu Graduate School, Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, Empirical Software Engineering in Software, Systems and Services (M3S)
Subject of study
Information Processing Science
Opponent
Professor Ada Scupola, Roskilde University
Custos
Professor Tero Päivärinta, University of Oulu
Ecosystem Collaboration – The Key to Innovative and Efficient Digital Public Services
Innovation cannot be left only to the private sector – the public sector must also play a role at the forefront of digital development. Heidi Hietala's doctoral research demonstrates that cross-sector collaboration within digital service ecosystems is key to achieving both efficiency and innovation in the public sector. At a time when public sector resources are being cut, this research offers solutions to develop efficient and innovative digital services that meet future needs despite resource constraints.
The development of digital public services constantly faces new challenges amidst increasingly complex societal issues. In addition to efficiency, we also need new solutions developed through collaboration between the public and private sectors. However, innovation through collaboration is not easy, as it requires aligning different goals, views, and values. Furthermore, organisations often prioritise incremental improvements to existing solutions due to the risks associated with innovation.
Hietala's research revealed that current development work often takes place within individual organisations. This was evident in services related to citizens' life events, as well as in organisations' internal analytics and data utilisation. When development is carried out in isolation from other actors, it can lead to sub-optimisation, leaving broader opportunities for digital transformation underutilised, Hietala notes.
To address the challenges mentioned above, Hietala's research presents three key findings:
1. Collective ambidexterity, which is the balance between innovation and efficiency realised through collaboration, can be achieved within ecosystems when various actors coordinate their development efforts and align their goals with the shared objectives of the ecosystem. This requires identifying and developing the antecedent conditions, mechanisms, and desired outcomes at different ecosystem levels.
2. Various modes of collaboration provide the structures for cooperation, enabling the simultaneous pursuit of efficiency and innovation, as well as the strategic alignment of organisational goals with the broader ecosystem’s objectives.
3. Governing collective ambidexterity requires a multi-level governance strategy integrating centralised, decentralised, and group-level governance models. Multi-level governance is essential for the success of collaboration, efficiency, and innovation in digital service ecosystems.
Hietala's research introduces practical methods for organisations to collaboratively develop sustainable and impactful digital services. Future services will demand a culture of innovation and the utilisation of collective expertise within the ecosystem.
The development of digital public services constantly faces new challenges amidst increasingly complex societal issues. In addition to efficiency, we also need new solutions developed through collaboration between the public and private sectors. However, innovation through collaboration is not easy, as it requires aligning different goals, views, and values. Furthermore, organisations often prioritise incremental improvements to existing solutions due to the risks associated with innovation.
Hietala's research revealed that current development work often takes place within individual organisations. This was evident in services related to citizens' life events, as well as in organisations' internal analytics and data utilisation. When development is carried out in isolation from other actors, it can lead to sub-optimisation, leaving broader opportunities for digital transformation underutilised, Hietala notes.
To address the challenges mentioned above, Hietala's research presents three key findings:
1. Collective ambidexterity, which is the balance between innovation and efficiency realised through collaboration, can be achieved within ecosystems when various actors coordinate their development efforts and align their goals with the shared objectives of the ecosystem. This requires identifying and developing the antecedent conditions, mechanisms, and desired outcomes at different ecosystem levels.
2. Various modes of collaboration provide the structures for cooperation, enabling the simultaneous pursuit of efficiency and innovation, as well as the strategic alignment of organisational goals with the broader ecosystem’s objectives.
3. Governing collective ambidexterity requires a multi-level governance strategy integrating centralised, decentralised, and group-level governance models. Multi-level governance is essential for the success of collaboration, efficiency, and innovation in digital service ecosystems.
Hietala's research introduces practical methods for organisations to collaboratively develop sustainable and impactful digital services. Future services will demand a culture of innovation and the utilisation of collective expertise within the ecosystem.
Last updated: 8.10.2024