Service Automation in the Public Sector

Book excerpt: This edited volume highlights the latest advances in and findings from research on service automation in public sector organizations. The contributing authors use a mix of social and technological approaches to increase readers’ understanding of public service automation. The respective chapters discuss the automation of services in public organizations from a conceptual standpoint, present empirical examples of automation applications in public organizations, and consider the implementation-related challenges that can arise. The book’s overall goal is to aid and inspire researchers and practitioners to expand their knowledge of service automation in public organizations, while also providing a foundation for policy development and future research. Following a brief introductory chapter, the book addresses major gaps in our current understanding of service automation in public organizations, and provides suggestions for future research. Moreover, it argues that there is a continued need to observe and learn from empirical examples, and a need for more critical studies on the social and societal consequences of increased service automation in public organizations.