Research Proposal
Research Context and Background
The rapid development of information technology presents numerous opportunities for countries, including public and administrative issues. Social media offers possibilities for governments to address the issues of interest and evaluate them. The UAE views information technology as a way to integrate policies and enhance economic development. In 2007, the UAE’s Prime Minister linked the goal of sustainable development to the modernization processes, which resulted in the implementation of the e-Government system (Alketbi, 2018). Still, the issue of utilizing information technology to promote public participation remains in the arena in the UAE.
Research Purpose and Objectives
The purpose of the research is to investigate and evaluate the influence of social media integration (Web 2.0) that stays as an independent variable on administrative decision-making and public engagement and collaboration. It will be achieved through the literature review analysis, the assessment of current policies concerning social media in the UAE, and the analysis of the examples and evidence. The objectives of the study are to investigate the cases, conduct a comparative analysis of the findings and describe their implications, and provide practical recommendations for improvement.
Research Question and Sub Questions
The research question is, “at which level does social media integration stand in the UAE’s public sector, and what can be done to enhance its utilization for effective administrative decision making and public engagement?” Other questions that need to be answered throughout the research include:
- What are the policies that promote the use of social media in the public sector?
- What impacts can the active integration of social media have on public participation?
Literature Review Outline
Introduction and Public Participation Theory
The utilization of information technology is beneficial for the public sector, which can bring new horizons to civic engagement and decision-making in the UAE. Still, there is a need to implement more tools that will stimulate government progress and will help to respond to the public interests with greater effectiveness. Public participation serves as an integral tool for the development of more democratic culture (Jamil, 2018). Besides, according to Karakiza (2015), social media allows the creation of new content and helps to mobilize the resources required to achieve common goals. Consequently, the application of collaborative social media can offer benefits for the government to enhance public participation.
International Examples and Case Studies
Various studies have identified the positive influence of social media integration on public engagement. For instance, one research revealed that the active use of social media platforms led to more active participation in the elections in Pakistan (Jamil, 2018). Another example is the positive impact of social media participation on bus route planning in China (Zhao et al., 2017). Therefore, engagement in online discussions and other knowledge and concern sharing on social media can lead to more significant results and more productive strategies’ generation.
Local Context
The UAE is one of the leading countries in utilizing information technology, and it has adopted the e-Government system aiming to improve government services. The study revealed that the new system is primarily used for information sharing, digital transactions, and customer integration (Al Khouri, 2011). The examples of the studies and the open letter from the UAE Prime Minister highlighted the need for increased social media integration.
Summary and Conclusion
In such a way, the theoretical background and international and local UAE examples and studies point out the significance of information technology development and implementation. The investigation and evaluation of applications for attaining new levels in public collaboration and for improving public satisfaction can have a favorable impact on the government’s activities’ efficiency. In conclusion, the literature review recognizes the need for research in this area.
Timeline
The research time cope will be from January 2020, starting with the dissertation template and until June 2020 presentation. First, it is critical to conduct a proper analysis of collected data and information to identify the sources most valuable for the following literature review. The most time-consuming activities are the literature review and the work on the narrative to achieve the most excellent results of the study.
References
Al Khouri, M. (2011). An innovative approach for e-government transformation. International Journal of Managing Value and Supply Chains, 2(1), 22-43.
Alketbi, H. (2018). An evaluation of e-government effectiveness in Dubai smart government departments. Web.
Jamil, S. (2018). Politics in a digital age: The impact of new media technologies on public participation and political campaign in Pakistan’s 2018 elections – A case study of Karachi. Global Media Journal, 16(31), 1-9.
Karakiza, M. (2015). The impact of social media in the public sector. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 175, 384-392.
Zhao, M., Lin, Y. & Derudder, B. (2017). Demonstration of public participation and communication through social media in the network society within Shanghai. Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science, 45(3), 529-547.