Reasons and Factors of Evolution of the Information System in Public Institutions

Abstract

Objective - This empirical study treats the evolution of the information system in the Lebanese public sector while addressing the reasons and factors for this evolution. This topic is of particular interest given the results of empirical studies already carried out in some countries, which highlight the improvement in the performance of public institutions through the evolution of the I.S. from a simple I.S. to a digital one. Methodology – A qualitative method with an interpretativist positioning and a deductive approach was used, with a mono-case field study which is the case of the Ministry of Finance. The tool used is the semi-structured interview addressed to 30 governmental employees from three different regions. Findings – However, these results show different benefits and degrees of performance improvement. There are gaps in the adoption or use of digital I.S. Hence the interest in analyzing the I.S. evolution process in a Lebanese public institution, which is none other than the Ministry of Finance. Indeed, after implementing a digital I.S. in some Lebanese public institutions, no study has been undertaken to measure the I.S.'s performance and evaluate the goals reached through this implementation. Therefore, the research problem is formulated: How and why has the information system evolved in the Lebanese public sector? Novelty – The analysis showed that digital I.S. results are in line with previous ones in some developed countries in terms of improving the processing of the number of files and creating value by saving time and reducing costs. However, this use is far from reaching its optimal threshold. Government functionaries' limited use of digital I.S. in some regions is mainly due to the lack of perceived usefulness of digital I.S. and lack of motivation. In light of the shortcomings mentioned above, this work proposes recommendations for better use of the investments made in digital I.S. Type of Paper - Empirical Keywords: Evolution of I.S.; Digital I.S.; Performance; E-Taxation; State institution. JEL Classification: I20, I22. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Khalil, F.C; Kamel, C.A; Kaspard, J.A. (2022). Reasons and Factors of Evolution of the Information System in Public Institutions, J. Fin. Bank. Review, 7(3), 135 – 148. https://doi.org/10.35609/jfbr.2022.7.3(1)