Paul Richter

The public services' customer as talk, text and technology : a constructionist study of customer relationship management in English local government

E-government began to take shape at a local level in the UK at the beginning of the last decade, ... more E-government began to take shape at a local level in the UK at the beginning of the last decade, promising a transformation in the delivery of public services. A core element of this transformation effort entails the implementation of new organisational technologies; of particular note is those designed to support customer relationship management (CRM). The main protagonist (rhetorically at least) in the unfolding of local e-government -the public services' customer -is of chief concern in this thesis. While there is a well-established academic critique of customer-focus in public sector contexts, little is known about how the notion is being played out in the practice of e-government -it is here that this thesis is located. The single case study research design is underpinned by a social constructionist epistemology and employs a discourse analysis approach. The methods used are open-ended interviews, observation, and document analysis. In addition to the significant role played by CRM-supporting technologies, the research findings identify a multi-faceted customer-focus framework -in the shape of a new institutional home, the restructuring of roles and responsibilities, the reorganization of workflow, and a cultural reorientation -which is serving to scaffold and 'perform' the public services' customer. Thus, in the face of organizational 'resistance' and the academic critique, it is argued that the linguistic and material instantiation of a customer-focus narrative is a significant discursive achievement, one that relies on the remarkable appeal and versatility of the 'customer'. It is claimed that the thesis' findings and its explanatory framework constitute both empirical and theoretical contributions to a number of disciplines. In conclusion, implications are drawn for the relationship between state agencies and the individual and it is argued that a more ambitious relationship requires more innovation and, crucially, more imagination.

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Engaged scholarship in small firm and entrepreneurship research: Grappling with Van de Ven’s diamond model in retrospect to inform future practice

International Small Business Journal: Researching Entrepreneurship, 2018

This article explores the dynamics of initiating and implementing an engaged scholarship approach... more This article explores the dynamics of initiating and implementing an engaged scholarship approach by taking a current research project relating to small business development and employing Van de Ven’s diamond model to frame a personal critical reflection of our research process. We explore the scholarly and practical debates implicit in Van de Ven’s method of Engaged Scholarship before unpacking our research project to illustrate the challenges that scholars pursuing engaged forms of scholarship have no doubt faced, but journal article formats do not usually allow authors to explore, thereby providing lessons for scholars wanting to embark upon such projects. We make the argument that engaged scholarship and interactive research methods are well suited to the entrepreneurship and small firm field, but find that tensions are likely to be faced in respect of personal motivations and identities, gaining and maintaining stakeholder engagement, and balancing and managing relationships wi...

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Financialisation and small firms: A qualitative analysis of bioscience and film and media firms

International Small Business Journal: Researching Entrepreneurship, 2017

How, if at all, does financialisation affect small firms that have no direct exposure to capital ... more How, if at all, does financialisation affect small firms that have no direct exposure to capital markets? This article argues the need to address this lacuna empirically, conceptually and politically drawing on research from a qualitative longitudinal analysis of UK small businesses in bio-business and film and media sectors. We identify three potential conduits through which financialising principles and practices may be perceived, translated and resisted for owners, managers and staff. More broadly, the article argues that financial relations should figure more prominently and move from their relatively marginal location into the heart of socio-economic analysis of small firms. As such, the research connects with and extends an important social science tradition of research on managerial control in small firms to include issues of financialisation and financial governance.

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Customers to order? Enacting customer-focus in UK local government

The student as confused customer?: Competing models of the Higher Education ‘student experience’

Customer Relationship Management and Citizenship: Technologies and Identities in Public Services

Social Policy and Society, Apr 1, 2008

UK public services are characterised by a tension between a model of the service user as a custom... more UK public services are characterised by a tension between a model of the service user as a customer of public services and a model which envisages the user as a citizen. Drawing on empirical work in one local authority, we argue that in this tension the model of the customer is bolstered by the availability of ‘shrink wrapped’ or ‘black boxed’ IT-based ‘solutions’, available under the rubric of Customer Relationship Management. We argue that those who advocate the citizen perspective need to engage at this material and technological level if they are to be effective.

Does IT Bring Hope for Wellbeing?

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Who is telecaring whom? Exploring the total social organisation of care work in an Italian municipality

New Technology Work and Employment, Nov 1, 2017

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Making NSS data count: Using qualitative data-gathering to illuminate NSS results and stimulate institutional action

Customer Relationship Management and Citizenship: Technologies and Identities in Public Services

Social Policy and Society, 2008

UK public services are characterised by a tension between a model of the service user as a custom... more UK public services are characterised by a tension between a model of the service user as a customer of public services and a model which envisages the user as a citizen. Drawing on empirical work in one local authority, we argue that in this tension the model of the customer is bolstered by the availability of ‘shrink wrapped’ or ‘black boxed’ IT-based ‘solutions’, available under the rubric of Customer Relationship Management. We argue that those who advocate the citizen perspective need to engage at this material and technological level if they are to be effective.

Re-Mixing Digital Economies in the Voluntary Community Sector? Governing Identity Information and Information Sharing in the Mixed Economy of Care for Children and Young People*

Social Policy and Society, 2011

This article critically examines the governance of identity in the context of children's soci... more This article critically examines the governance of identity in the context of children's social care. There is a widespread assumption in government policy and technical practice that information can be integrated across organisations and sectors. This article questions these assertions using a case study (‘Mary's story’). It draws on a range of insights from the philosophy of Charles Pierce, information systems practice and social theory. This provides a platform to explore the governance of identity information for VCS organisations, service providers, and user(s). The logics of the governance of identity information in current and future service co-ordination and delivery are examined.

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‘It's the tip of the iceberg’: the hidden tensions between theory, policy and practice in the management of Freedom of Information in English local government bodies—evidence from a regional study

Public Money & Management, 2013

ABSTRACT On its introduction, the UK&#39;s Freedom of Information Act 2000 was heralded as si... more ABSTRACT On its introduction, the UK&#39;s Freedom of Information Act 2000 was heralded as signalling a new relationship between government and citizens. This article reflects on the role of FOI within approaches to information governance among local government bodies. Although FOI was acknowledged by research participants as being just the ‘tip of the iceberg’ set against broader information governance efforts, this article suggests that the UK is some way from a vibrant information commons.

The e-Citizen as talk, as text and as technology: CRM and e-Government

Public service transformation in the UK is being carried out in the name of the citizen and these... more Public service transformation in the UK is being carried out in the name of the citizen and these changes-specifically those labelled as 'e-Government'-bring with them the prospect of a significant shift in the nature of the relationship between government and its citizens. Of particular interest is the notion of the e-Citizen, set against a contemporary public management backdrop featuring customer-centric discourses/metaphors, organisational transformation and ICT-intensive 'private-sector' business solutions. This paper focuses on a pilot study concerned with exploring the nature and role of socio-technical and discursive factors which may be implicated in the 'shaping' of the e-Citizen around the introduction of 'customer relationship management' (CRM) systems at a local government level. The research design draws on 'social shaping of technology' approaches and emphasises the significance of discursive events in these shaping processes. P...

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Enterprise Systems and ‘Enterprise’in UK Higher Education: E1 or E2?

by Rob Wilson, James Cornford, and Paul Richter

Universities around the world have sought to become more enterprising and have seen Enterprise S... more

Does IT Bring Hope for Wellbeing?

Handbook of Research on ICTs for Human-Centered Healthcare and Social Care Services, 2013

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Customer Focus in UK e-Government: Or, Putting the Politics back into e-Government

International Journal of …, 2007

The techniques and technologies of customer service, as introduced under the guise of e-governmen... more The techniques and technologies of customer service, as introduced under the guise of e-government, have brought certain aspects of public service users into sharp focus, but at the expense of other aspects. It is hypothesised that this effect may lie behind the failure of half a decade of IT-enabled change in public services to improve 'customer satisfaction'. Remedying this situation, it is suggested, will require a re-examination of the model of the customer which underpins customer service as it has been adopted by public service organisations.

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Enterprise Systems and ‘Enterprise’in UK Higher Education: E1 or E2?

Universities around the world have sought to become more enterprising and have seen Enterprise S... more

‘It's the tip of the iceberg’: the hidden tensions between theory, policy and practice in the management of Freedom of Information in English local government bodies—evidence from a regional study

by Paul Richter and Rob Wilson

Public Money & Management, 2013

ABSTRACT On its introduction, the UK&#39;s Freedom of Information Act 2000 was heralded as si... more ABSTRACT On its introduction, the UK&#39;s Freedom of Information Act 2000 was heralded as signalling a new relationship between government and citizens. This article reflects on the role of FOI within approaches to information governance among local government bodies. Although FOI was acknowledged by research participants as being just the ‘tip of the iceberg’ set against broader information governance efforts, this article suggests that the UK is some way from a vibrant information commons.

Re-Mixing Digital Economies in the Voluntary Community Sector? Governing Identity Information and Information Sharing in the Mixed Economy of Care for Children and Young People*

by Paul Richter and Rob Wilson

Social Policy and Society, 2011

Abstract This article critically examines the governance of identity in the context of children&a... more Abstract This article critically examines the governance of identity in the context of children&amp;amp;#x27;s social care. There is a widespread assumption in government policy and technical practice that information can be integrated across organisations and sectors. This article questions ...

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