Acceptance of Rpa in Public Sector Institutions

ABSTRACT

Due to the increasing demands for modern communication channels and the economical fulfillment of public tasks, innovative technologies are needed to improve the efficiency and interoperability of existing IT infrastructures in public institutions. Robotic process automation (RPA) is a promising technology that has the potential to pragmatically automate administrative processes in public institutions, thereby providing much-needed work load reduction for public employees. However, any RPA project will not be successful if the relevant stakeholders’ acceptance of the new technology is insufficient. Until today, research did not address which factors influence the acceptance of RPA in public sector institutions. A relevant question nonetheless, as the peculiarities of the public sector in the operation of processes are well known. Therefore, this study examines the drivers of RPA acceptance and usage behavior in public sector institutions. As a result of a grounded theory study, a theoretical framework with factors for evaluating RPA user acceptance is developed and an understanding of its facilitators is gained. The findings also provide practical recommendations for guiding RPA implementation in public sector institutions.

KEYWORDS:

• Acceptance
• UTAUT
• public sector
• robotic process automation
• grounded theory

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Supplemental material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10919392.2024.2365446

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Carolin Vollenberg

Carolin Vollenberg is a Research Associate at the Department of Technical Business Administration at the South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences (FH Südwestfalen) in Hagen. Her research is focused on the intersection of process management and information systems in general-interest organizations. She investigates the use of modern methods and technologies, like Robotic Process Automation or Process Mining, in organizations of general interest, such as healthcare, public, and energy sectors.

Johanna Hackl

Johanna Hackl is a strategy consultant at Sopra Steria Next Germany. Her thematic focus includes digitalization and automation in the public sector. She has expertise with Robotic Process Automation and based her research on influencing factors on Robotic Process Automation Use in Public Sector. Additionally, she gains practical insight on these topics through her work as a consultant.

Benjamin Matthies

Benjamin Matthies is a Professor of Management Accounting at the University of Applied Sciences Münster (FH Münster), Germany. His research interests are in digital transformation and its impact on management accounting. In particular, his research focuses on optimizing planning and reporting processes by implementing modern technologies. His research has been published in renowned journals and conferences in management science and information systems.

André Coners

André Coners is a Professor of Controlling and Process Management at the South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences (FH Südwestfalen) in Hagen. His research focuses on modern methods and technologies in utilities, the public, and healthcare sectors to automate processes and analyze large data sets. He is also interested in research on Open Science, Platform Economy, and security awareness in information systems. His research has been published in renowned journals and conferences in management science and information systems.