Affiliations: [a] Research Associate at eGov Consulting & Development, Berlin, Germany | [b] The Minister for European and International Affairs of Baden-Württemberg, Germany | [c] University of the Federal Employment Agency, Mannheim, Germany
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Benedikt Paulowitsch, The Minister for European and international affairs of Baden-Württemberg. E-mail:benedikt.paulowitsch@stm.bwl.de
Abstract: This study focuses on private intermediaries in the course of public service
delivery. Typically, intermediaries facilitate the matching process between
citizens or companies that have to fulfill certain obligations to
governments and government agencies. Therefore, intermediaries can
contribute fundamentally to bypassing red tape. In this study, we go beyond
improving service to explore the role of ICT on private intermediaries and
their relation to public administration. In particular, we aim to clarify
how private intermediaries act and whether information technology can
strengthen or weaken their roles. Methodologically, we use a single case because this issue is still
unexplored and therefore open for investigating intermediaries at their
interface with public administration. Specifically, we chose the case of
plant approval procedures under the German Federal Control of Pollution Act
because plant approval is characterized by high complexity and private
intermediaries have been active in that area for many years. Regarding our
chosen theoretical lens, we go beyond a narrow focus on the economic
theories that are often used in the business administration literature in
intermediary research. Instead, we frame intermediaries as boundary spanners
and ICTs as boundary objects.
Keywords: Intermediaries, boundary-spanning theory, co-production, e-government, information technologies
