Copyright How Academe and Business Can Connect POLICY ASPECTS Roger Clarke etc., et-bloody-cetera... ICEC06 – Fredericton NB – 15 August 2006
Copyright B2C Self-Regulation demonstrably doesn't work and was never, ever going to work: Wolves self-regulate for the good of the wolves, not the sheep Parliaments have abrogated their responsibility to regulate what needs regulating Policy-relevant research is needed that will put to rest the nonsense that the 'invisible hand' (a) exists, and (b) works
Copyright G2C / eGovernment Service-provision is coming a poor second to cost-transfer and especially social control Policy-relevant research is needed that will: identify citizen segments that are ill-served by e-this-and-that put flesh on the various digital divides document what citizens' relationships with governments used to be, and what they are now identify tensions and countermeasures
Copyright Policy-Relevant Academic Research Computing and Information Sciences & Engg don't do policy Various social sciences do do policy Information Systems / MIS is scared of 'policy': policy involves 'normative' models policy demands recognition of competing 'values' and the semantic relativity of data IS is falling short of being 'business-relevant' and hasnt even tried to be policy-relevant
Copyright The Nature of Research Outcomes Exploratory The first depiction of something new Descriptive The depiction of a behaviour or a domain Explanatory Ascription of causes to prior occurrences Systemic explanation of how past behaviours arose Predictive Statement of what occurrences will arise Systemic explanation of how behaviours will arise Statement and explanation of the first-order impacts and second-order implications that particular interventions will have NORMATIVE Statement of interventions necessary to achieve desired outcomes Statement of desired outcomes
Copyright Characteristics of e-Business Youthfulness (but no longer virgin territory/greenfield) Enormity of Hype-Quotient Fervour (Casino/dot.com -Mentality) Negativity (dot.bomb) Turkey-Factor (Dumb Gamblers) Fox-Factor (Opportunists) Rapidity of Change (unstable phenomena): Technology Human Behaviour Geographical Unboundedness Cultural Variation Ill-Definedness of Cultural Boundaries Cultural Ignorance
Copyright Key Issues from a Policy Perspective (1) Stakeholder Analysis Sponsor, and Friends Sponsors Employees (Users) Researcher Research Subjects (Corporate, Individual) Impacted Parties (first-order Usees) Parties subject to Implications (second-order Usees)
Copyright Key Issues from a Policy Perspective (2) Lack of Social Impact Assessment Workplace Behaviour, Stress, Privacy, Freedoms Job Displacement, Job Change, Skills Formation Income-Distribution Mechanisms Locations Urban, Regional, Rural, Remote Consumer Matters Consumer Behaviour Consumer Rights Consumer Marketing permission-based, consensual, micro-, 1-to-1, non-mass Consumer Privacy (not just data protection)