Little research focuses on lurking in the online environment or considers lurking as a valid and important form of online behavior. This may be due to the fact that there are a number of definitions, and most of them focus on a lack of participation or contribution or see it as a problematic behavior that needs to be changed. Such definitions have given lurkers a negative connotation. They need to be considered as an important factor in online research, starting with a clearer and more positive definition of lurking. It is also necessary to understanding why users decide to lurk, what activities lurkers engage in, and whether the online environment is more valuable by turning lurkers into posters.

In the digital transformation of public administrations, objectives are no longer simply the implementation of new technology, but the involvement of all stakeholders into the process of digitalization. The Digital Roadmap of the Austrian government emphasizes the need of co-production of public services as a key element to public service delivery and, subsequently, innovation of the public sector. To understand how co-production in digital service delivery is implemented in Austria, we conducted interviews with 41 experts from public administrations in order to understand who is involved in such processes, how they are involved, and what outcomes are to be achieved.

Digitalisation has changed society, and, as a result, public administrations are required to undergo significant changes to satisfy emergent societal needs. These changes impact all areas of the public sector, including the development and provision of digital services, the design of processes, and the development of policy. To implement the digital strategies and transformation requirements, public administrations must rethink the competences that their workforce as well as the external stakeholders may need. To understand how one nation implements its digital strategy and upskills its civil servants, we conducted a qualitative analysis of 41 Austrian expert interviews. The research shows that different stakeholders require a variety of competences to participate in the digital transformation of its processes and services. The results demonstrate the high level of diversity and the need for a holistic approach to tackle the complexity of the digital public sector, where leadership plays the most important role. In addition, the study shows that the use of competence frameworks for measurement and monitoring needs to be adapted to the local context.

Co-creation focuses on engagement with citizens and other stakeholders with public administrations to develop innovative processes or public services. The integration of resources and knowledge mediated by technology can lead to the emergence of novel outcomes (such as products, services, processes, and social practices), but it is necessary to understand the mechanisms that lead to sustainable co-created innovation and outcomes. The aim of this research article is to contribute a more nuanced understanding of the impact of sustainability on co-creation of digital public services. To study co-creation and sustainability in the context of the public administrations in depth, a qualitative research approach was used. The data were collected through moderated discussions conducted during a workshop held with 20 experts and practitioners in the field of public sector digital transformation, during which participants shared their views and experiences in a free-flowing conversation. A systematic two-cycle analysis approach based on Grounded Theory was used to code and analyse the data collected. Results from this study focus on developing a common understanding of sustainability within the context of co-created digital public services, an exploration of how sustainability in public administrations may be supported by co-creation and a critical examination of the elements that contribute to the sustainability of digital public services—all drawing on existing examples of co-creation initiatives from within the public sector.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an immense impact on our society, changing the ways we meet others, learn, buy and work. The crisis has led to rapid and far-reaching changes in organisations from all sectors and employees' everyday working lives. One of the measures implemented in organisations in response to the pandemic was remote work (work from home). This study, based on 40 interviews with employees from two different public sector organisations in Austria, analyses their experiences and insights during and after the first lockdown period in order to understand how remote work is perceived to influence organisational and digital culture. The results address important dimensions of remote work that need to be considered by public sector organisations, for instance in their organisational strategies. Remote work will significantly change ways of working, processes, collaboration and interaction, dimensions that influence the organisational and digital culture of an organisation, and hence will accelerate its digital transformation. On one hand, such changes in public sector organisations reflect substantial challenges, on the other hand, they can provide competitive advantages, as organisations offering remote work can be perceived as modern and attractive employers.

Purpose: Intraorganizational knowledge and information sharing are important steps toward more-accessible organizational knowledge. The aim of this study is to qualitatively explore factors that contribute to employees' motivations for sustaining intraorganizational knowledge-sharing behaviors and to examine the impact of these factors in a quantitative study with the Austrian Federal Ministry of Defense. This ministry faces a retirement wave in the next 5–10 years. Intraorganizational knowledge sharing before, during, and following this wave will play a decisive role for the organization in the near future.Design/methodology/approach: An exploratory sequential mixed-methods study was conducted. The study design involved a qualitative study phase with expert interviews and stakeholder workshops (n = 9) and a quantitative study phase based on a cross-sectional online survey with an implicit association test on intraorganizational knowledge sharing (n = 59).Findings: In the qualitative study phase, three main research topics regarding intraorganizational knowledge sharing were identified: employee attitude, organizational support, and specific relational aspects of knowledge transfer, such as reciprocal relationships among employees and opportunities for knowledge exchange. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that perceived organizational support was the only factor that was a significant predictor of motivation for engaging in knowledge sharing. We also analyzed the data for moderation effects and demonstrated that sociopsychological factors (e.g., the engagement or openness of colleagues to share their knowledge) further strengthened the positive relationship between employees' perceived support and personal willingness to share knowledge.Practical implications: We conclude that an organizational culture that supports knowledge sharing within the organization is highly relevant for motivating employees to share their knowledge. Practitioners will also benefit from the insights of the various dimensions of employees' willingness to engage in knowledge-sharing behaviors to better design further interventions in organizations.Originality/value: In accordance with an exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach, we followed a transdisciplinary process in which scientific and practical experiences and knowledge were integrated. For this purpose, interviews and workshops with experts and stakeholders in the organization were conducted. The qualitative findings were incorporated into a quantitative survey and an implicit association test for the employees of the organization. This approach demonstrates a different and more holistic approach to analyzing a real-world problem in the context of a governmental agency in order to investigate the multidimensional and complex topic of intraorganizational knowledge sharing.