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Kuch, Felicitas ; Jung, Carolin ; Kreuzer, Thomas ; Oberländer, Anna Maria ; Maronna-Aigner, Karolina:
The Role of Digital Post Systems in Transforming Public Administration : A Digital Infrastructure Perspective.
In: Government Information Quarterly.
Bd. 43
(2026)
Heft 1
.
- 102110.
ISSN 0740-624x
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2026.102110
Volltext
Abstract
The digital transformation of public administration is a complex endeavor that aims to improve efficiency, strengthen public trust, and advance democratic values. An important, yet underexplored component in this transformation is the digital post system, which enables secure digital communication between the public administration and citizens. Despite its centrality in delivering end-to-end digital services, digital post systems have received limited scholarly attention. Existing studies often focus broadly on digital communication, neglecting the infrastructural and strategic roles such systems can play. In this study, we investigate how digital post systems contribute to the digital transformation of public administration. Drawing on a digital infrastructure perspective, we conduct a case study of digital post systems in three countries: Denmark, Estonia, and Germany. Our data is based on 21 semi-structured interviews and publicly available data. We identify three key roles that digital post systems can assume: digitization enabler, process integrator, and ecosystem catalyst. Additionally, we examine four underlying generative mechanisms that enable these roles and their contributions to digital transformation: adoption, innovation, scaling, and legitimation. Our study contributes to the literature by offering a novel conceptualization of digital post systems, highlighting their strategic value as digital infrastructures that shape and sustain digital transformation efforts in public administration.