Exploration and Exploitation: Toward a Theory of Knowledge Sharing in Digital Government Projects

Abstract

This study examines knowledge sharing processes in digital government projects (DGPs). Knowledge sharing processes are a central feature of the functioning of government, but, with very few exceptions, they have received little attention in the literature. The importance of knowledge sharing has become even more evident with the onset of digital government initiatives, as the latter have a networking effect on bureaucracies, by bringing together individuals from different organizational units, with different skill sets, and different mental models, to work on a common goal – the implementation of the project. With multiple agencies and multidisciplinary knowledge coming together, it is necessary to combine and reconnect the required knowledge.
Empirical data for this study is provided by four DGPs in two different countries, Switzerland and the United States of America. Findings of the empirical study shed light on the decision-making processes, the modes and influencing factors of knowledge sharing, and the coordination mechanisms of knowledge in the four DGPs.
The study’s main contribution is a theoretical model for knowledge sharing in DGPs. It ties together processes and content of knowledge sharing through two task dimensions, each of them subdivided into two phases: (1) Conception and implementation of the project, and (2) Exploration and exploitation of knowledge. I show that the implementation of DG requires a balanced mix of exploration and exploitation of knowledge, where exploration is more important in the conceptual phase, and exploitation becomes more fruitful in the implementation phase. DGPs rely on sparse networks during the conceptual phase of the project, and tend to employ teams or tightly-bound groups when the project moves towards implementation. The study concludes with implications for research and practice, and gives recommendations for future research.