Knowledge management in Estonian regional administration: Background, outputs, and unused resources

Abstract

Little research links knowledge management to government institutions. Knowledge management is viewed primarily as value-added for managing business organizations. The information and communication technology (ICT) use in government institutions is often limited to composing a Web page and posting information. The content of these Web pages is regulated; however, it is not judged in terms of communication effectiveness. In this article, the author provides an overview of the regulatory environment of ICT usage affecting Web pages of public sector organizations in Estonia. It also discusses some principles of ICT regulation in a European context. The author evaluates the outcome of the regulatory mechanism through analysis of Web sites of Estonian county governments. Specifically, the author examines whether the Web pages conform to regulatory acts, whether they are user-friendly, and whether they are concise. The content, structure, visual form, and other evaluation categories are analyzed by discourse and content analysis. After analysis, it is concluded that decision makers both on a regulatory level and on county government level have to consider the importance of the generation of contextually appropriate content through Web pages. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.