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Governing Robotic Process Automation in the Public Sector: Contextual Insights from Turkey and Sweden

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29379/jedem.v18i1.1077

Keywords:

RPA governance, IT governance, lightweight IT, public organization, case study

Abstract

Scaling Robotic Process Automation (RPA) in public organizations poses unique governance challenges. While existing research primarily focuses on corporate settings, our case studies, conducted in a Turkish municipality and two public universities in Sweden, underscores the need for tailored, context-specific RPA governance models in public organizations. We observe a growing shift toward federated structures that combine centralized and decentralized approaches during RPA scaling. Effective RPA governance in public organizations demands a balanced approach integrating centralization and decentralization, supported by strong relational mechanisms. This approach should align with the specific complexity of RPA systems, the level of automation progress, and the unique characteristics of public administration contexts.

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Author Biographies

Evrim Oya Güner, University of Borås

Evrim Oya Güner is a PhD Candidate at the Department of Computer and Systems Sciences, Stockholm University, Sweden. She works as an assistant researcher at the Department of Information Technology, University of Borås, Sweden. Her research interests include digital automation, robotic process automation (RPA), artificial intelligence (AI) and digital innovation in the public sector.

Shengnan Han, Stockholm University

Shengnan Han is a professor of information systems (IS) at the Department of Computer and Systems Sciences at Stockholm University, Sweden. She obtained a Doctorate in Economics (Information Systems) from Åbo Akademi University, Finland. Her research focuses on digital innovations, AI and ethics, and IS adoption and implementation. She has published over 70 articles in high quality IS journals and in top IS conferences, including ICIS, ECIS, PACIS, CAiSE, and AMCIS. She is also an Associate Editor for Electronic Markets (Springer). She is on the editorial board for Telematics and Informatics (Elsevier) and the International Journal of Information Management Data Insight.  

Gustaf Juell-Skielse, University of Borås

Gustaf Juell-Skielse is a professor of information systems at the Department of Information Technology, University of Borås, Sweden. His research focuses on digital innovation, service automation, and enterprise information systems. He has worked with private companies as well as public sector organizations. He has published more than 50 peer-reviewed academic articles, two textbooks, one edited book and a handful of popular articles presenting his research. He received a PhD in computer and systems sciences from Stockholm University in 2011. He serves as associated editor for Communications of AIS.

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Published

05.09.2026 — Updated on 05.09.2026

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How to Cite

Güner, E. O., Han, S., & Juell-Skielse, G. (2026). Governing Robotic Process Automation in the Public Sector: Contextual Insights from Turkey and Sweden. JeDEM - EJournal of EDemocracy and Open Government, 18(1), 113–147. https://doi.org/10.29379/jedem.v18i1.1077

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 1 (2026): Vol. 18, Issue 1 Ongoing Publications

Section

Research Papers

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Evrim Oya Güner, Shengnan Han, Gustaf Juell-Skielse

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.


JeDEM is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal (ISSN: 2075-9517). All journal content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 DEED Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International