Digital transformation in public administration is not only a technological challenge but also a cultural and institutional one. How public servants perceive and engage with data-based work is strongly influenced by institutional logics: the managerial logic, emphasizing efficiency, performance, and service delivery, and the bureaucratic-legalistic logic, rooted in legal compliance, procedures, and stability.

To systematically investigate these influences, researchers need reliable measurement instruments. This thesis will focus on developing and evaluating survey items that capture these logics in a way that allows for empirical analysis. Such instruments are crucial for understanding how institutional logics shape attitudes toward data-driven decision-making, and they can later be utilized in both surveys and experimental research designs.

Methodology

Item Development: Derive initial items from theory, prior literature, and operationalizations of institutional logics.

Data Collection: Conduct a survey among public administration employees.

Evaluation: Apply exploratory factor analysis and reliability tests to assess the dimensionality and consistency of the data.

Optional Extension: Explore how the items perform across different contexts

Expected Contribution

Academic: Provides one of the first empirically grounded item sets for measuring institutional logics in public administration.

Practical: Offers validated tools to assess how logics shape the acceptance of data-based work, informing strategies for digital transformation.

Disclaimer

The Bachelor's thesis is meant to teach you the scientific approach. Please keep that in mind. We expect you to learn and use scientific methods and to submit a scientifically sound result. Our role is to provide you with everything you need to succeed at that. We expect that you create a piece of work, in which you demonstrate a sound data collection method, an extensive dataset and your analysis of that dataset. A motivated student who works consistently on the thesis throughout the designated period can expect a very good grade. Details on the process and the format that we use to support you in succeeding with your thesis can be found here: https://cloud.uol.de/s/BXZWJB7KoS7oMcX

Please submit your grade record, a CV, and three sentences explaining why you applied for this topic in any application. We will not respond to requests with incomplete application documents.