Efficiency through digitalization? How electronic communication between frontline workers and clients can spur a demand for services
研究挪威劳动与福利管理局的一线工作人员如何看待电子通信的效率，发现电子通信虽节省时间但增加可及性，可能刺激服务需求，造成效率与可及性之间的资源权衡。
The increasing use of electronic government comes with great expectations of efficient service provision. However, frontline workers who use the information and communication technologies (ICTs) and implement digital services have received less attention. This article examines how frontline workers in the Norwegian Labor and Welfare Administration (NAV)1 perceive electronic communication with clients in terms of its efficiency. The empirical data consist of interviews with frontline workers in NAV, who argue both for and against the efficiency of electronic communication. The frontline workers find that electronic communication saves them time, but also makes them more available to clients. While it is desirable that services are available, this can also reduce the cost to clients of seeking services. Based on a street-level perspective, I argue that the availability of services through electronic communication can spur a demand for services. This implies that there is a potential resource trade-off between efficient services and available services.